"God Puts Us Where We Are Needed"

“God puts us where we are needed.”

It’s a simple belief that has followed Theresa (Lynch) Ruzicka ’78 through a career that took her from the business world to Catholic Charities and, eventually, back to Duchesne.

Looking back, Theresa can see how her faith, education and professional experiences prepared her for opportunities she never necessarily planned for herself.

That foundation began at home and was strengthened during her years at Duchesne.

Theresa grew up in a deeply Catholic family. Her parents prayed the rosary together every night, and prayer was a regular part of family life.

“They set the tone,” Theresa said. “They set the example for us.”

Duchesne provided another community where that faith could continue to grow.

Theresa remembers being a quiet student, but she still found ways to get involved. She worked on the yearbook staff and was a member of National Honor Society. She also remembers Duchesne as a place that prepared students for more than their next academic step.

“I think that Duchesne prepares you for life outside of Duchesne,” she said.

Business classes helped point Theresa toward her eventual career. College-level courses allowed her to finish her undergraduate degree in three and a half years, while teachers like Ron Kjar encouraged her to think critically.

After college, Theresa began working at McDonnell Douglas, where she had previously completed summer internships. A few years later, she decided to continue her education and earned an MBA from Washington University.

That decision led to a career in public accounting. Theresa earned her CPA license and spent nine years with Arthur Young, which later became Ernst & Young. Her career eventually included time at Washington University, several entrepreneurial ventures and a return to public accounting with RubinBrown.

Then came an opportunity she hadn’t expected.

Theresa had become involved with nonprofit organizations throughout the community, particularly those focused on human services. While serving on a United Way committee, another member encouraged her to become involved with Catholic Charities.

She first joined a committee and later became a member of the organization’s board.

What she found there made an impression.

“So many dedicated people with a passion and a heart for helping other people,” she said.

After serving on the board for five years, Theresa took on the role of president.

“I believe God led me there,” she said. “I know God led me there.”

It was a significant change from the business and public accounting world she knew well. Theresa quickly discovered, however, that her professional experience could be put to use in support of Catholic Charities’ mission.

“You need to have the business and the operational side in order to do the mission,” she said.

Theresa brought her experience in finance, operations and leadership to the organization while learning more about the needs facing people throughout the St. Louis region.

Her faith remained central to that work.

While serving as president, Theresa regularly prayed for strength, faith, wisdom, and compassion to help her do the job.

“God never fails,” she said.

One of the initiatives she is most proud of from her eight years leading Catholic Charities was Pathways to Progress.

The organization began to look beyond meeting immediate needs and consider how it could help people create lasting stability in their lives.

Through Pathways to Progress, Catholic Charities and partnering organizations could work with individuals and families for two to five years, helping address needs such as employment, housing, education and family support.

“We’re wrapping services around you to help you towards a better life,” Theresa said.

For Theresa, the program reflected a basic understanding of what people want for themselves and their families.

“We’re all human beings,” she said. “We want a safe neighborhood. We want a nice house. We want a good education for our kids.”

Another memorable experience came following flooding in the St. Louis area in late 2015 and early 2016.

Catholic Charities joined other organizations in operating Multi-Agency Resource Centers, where people affected by the disaster could connect with different forms of assistance in one place.

Theresa was struck by how well the organizations worked together, each understanding its particular role in helping the community recover.

She later nominated the collaboration for recognition through Focus St. Louis’ What’s Right with the Region awards. The participating organizations were honored for their work.

“That was really neat to see how these organizations all work together to help people,” she said.

Her years at Catholic Charities also reinforced a lesson that had surrounded Theresa since childhood.

“Jesus set the example, right?” she said. “He told us to love our neighbor, to help our neighbor. That’s what we’re taught.”

Retirement did not mean the end of Theresa’s desire to serve.

She continues to volunteer and particularly enjoys opportunities that allow her to work directly with people.

“I want to help people. I want to use my hands,” she said.

It also wasn’t long before her experience brought her back to Duchesne.

Around the time Theresa retired, then-Duchesne President Susan Noonan was meeting with alumni and members of the community. Theresa’s experience with Catholic Charities, a ministry of the Archdiocese of St. Louis, gave her a background that could be useful to the school.

When Duchesne established a governing board in 2023, Noonan asked Theresa to serve on it and become its first chair.

Theresa accepted and led the board through its first two years.

It was another opportunity she had never necessarily planned for, but one that fit a familiar pattern.

“God puts us where we are needed,” she said.

One of Theresa’s proudest moments on the board was helping reconnect Duchesne with the roots of its Catholic identity.

The board held its first retreat at the Shrine of St. Rose Philippine Duchesne, giving members an opportunity to learn more about the woman whose name the school carries.

“She was a pioneer,” Theresa said. “She had a tough life, but she was a very caring person, and she wanted to share the faith.”

Today, Theresa continues to serve Duchesne through committee work and remains excited about the school’s future.

She hopes to see continued investment in academics, programs, facilities and the people who make Duchesne what it is. Just as important is maintaining the Catholic identity that helped shape her own life.

It is the same faith that carried her from Duchesne into the business world, from business into service, and eventually back to where the journey began.

There will always be new challenges and new places where help is needed.

Theresa’s response is the same.

“We stay faithful to God,” she said. “He will provide.”