Kilian Pollard, BVM: A Legacy Honored
In 1964 Kilian Pollard, BVM received the Teacher of the Year Award from a Black radio station in Memphis. Former students, Van Lucas and Jimmy Jackson, share in the celebration.
by Kari Litscher
In October 2024, Kilian Pollard, BVM was posthumously inducted into the Memphis Catholic Hall of Fame, honoring her lifelong dedication to service, education, and social justice. This recognition came during the annual dinner, where alumni, friends, and community members gathered to celebrate Kilian’s contributions.
A Life of Service and Dedication
Kilian Pollard, born in 1932, entered the Sisters of Charity, BVM from Rockford, Ill., on Sept. 8, 1949.
In 1952, after a year of teaching in Illinois, she moved to Memphis, Tenn., to start teaching at St. Augustine Elementary and High Schools. It was in Memphis that she would make her home, telling her BVM Superior that she was “there to stay.”
In 1957, she joined the founding team at Father Bertrand High School, where she taught until 1968. Kilian’s leadership and influence extended beyond the classroom. She was promoted to vice principal, a position she held until the school closed in 1970.
Her advocacy for social justice was evident in her participation in the 1968 sanitation workers’ march in downtown Memphis, where she stood in solidarity with workers fighting for better wages and working conditions. In 1974, she was honored by the Catholic Human Relations Council for her active role in the civil rights movement.
Kilian also worked with the Council to end the playing of the Confederate anthem “Dixie” at Christian Brothers High School, marking a significant step in addressing racial tensions in the Memphis community.
In 1970, after the merger of Father Bertrand and Sacred Heart for Girls to form Mississippi Catholic High School (MCHS), Kilian became vice principal of the newly integrated school. She united students from diverse racial and socioeconomic backgrounds, including African American students from Father Bertrand, white students from Sacred Heart, and male students from Catholic High. She was a dedicated guidance counselor, helping students navigate their academic paths and supporting them through the college application process.
Her work at MCHS shaped the school community for years. In 1987, she stepped down from her administrative duties but continued to serve as a guidance counselor until her death in 1990. Her impact on the school, her students, and the community was immense.
Kilian’s Hall of Fame Induction
Kilian’s posthumous induction into the Memphis Catholic Hall of Fame was a merited recognition of her decades of service. At the ceremony, Jackie (John Kathleen) Cramer, BVM accepted the award on Kilian’s behalf. It was a special evening for Jackie, a former MCHS faculty member. Surrounded by familiar faces, she spoke about her dear friend. She shares, “I so much enjoyed seeing so many former students and colleagues from MCHS and know that would have been the highlight for Sister Kilian. It was wonderful to see so many hands go up when I asked how many knew her.”
A Final Reflection of Gratitude
Before her death, Kilian shared a heartfelt reflection she had written titled “It’s Been a Wonderful Life!” Her words captured her enduring faith, acceptance, and joy in the life she lived:
“Thank you, God! It’s been a wonderful life! I have known only love . . . thank you, God, for a life which has been very happy, full, [and] rewarding. Don’t anyone mourn my death. I am ready—I am tired. I promise to spend my eternity praying for all of you who have been so good to me. Thank you, God, it’s been a wonderful life!”
About the author: Kari Litscher is a communications specialist for the Sisters of Charity, BVM in Dubuque, Iowa.
Related: In honor of National Black History Month, we invite you to read an interview conducted by BVM Kathryn Lawlor as she asks BVM Kilian Pollard about her work in Memphis’s Black Movement in 1968: https://www.bvmsisters.org/gladly-she-would-teach-and-gladly-she-would-learn