July 11, 2025 // Diocese

Cathy Bracht: Celebrating 40 Years of Compassion

Erika Barron

Advertising Account Executive

The year 1985 marked a defining time in both global history and pop culture. The U.S. and Russia reached a pivotal moment in relations at the Geneva Summit, oceanographer Robert Ballard discovered the wreck of the Titanic 13,000 feet beneath the ocean’s surface, and the first Live Aid concert raised millions for famine relief in Ethiopia. Meanwhile, Michael Jordan was named Rookie of the Year, and Pope St. John Paul II initiated the first World Youth Day.

Closer to home, in the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend, another significant change was taking place. As Bishop William McManus prepared to retire and Bishop John M. D’Arcy was set to take over, another new face appeared at the chancery: Cathy Bracht. Little did she know then that she would spend more than 40 years serving the diocese before her retirement in late June.

Nick Meyer
Cathy Bracht, who recently retired after 40 years of serving the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend, poses for a photo with Father Mark Gurtner, vicar general of the diocese, and Joe Ryan, chief financial officer of the diocese.

In 1985, Bracht was a young mother of two school-aged boys when she was hired part-time by her father, who was the associate business administrator of the diocese. He needed help managing the retirement information for diocesan employees.

“At that time, unless you knew someone who worked in the office, you weren’t hired,” Bracht told Today’s Catholic, reflecting on the close nature of the diocese’s operations at the time. This would mark the beginning of Bracht’s lengthy career, one that would evolve with the changing needs of the diocese.

In 1990, after her father’s retirement, Bracht was invited to stay on full-time in a newly created position of benefit administrator. At that time, the diocese offered just one health insurance plan, retirement benefits, and life insurance. Today, the diocese provides more than 1,700 employees with a broad range of benefits, including two medical plans, two retirement options, long- and short-term disability coverage, legal assistance, and a flexible spending plan, just to name a few.

Bracht’s influence in shaping these benefits has been felt by all diocesan employees for the past four decades. Her approach was always guided by a commitment to listening to people’s needs, advocating on their behalf, and working closely with insurance brokers to ensure the diocese’s benefits were comprehensive and easy to understand.

Often, dealing with insurance matters is a stressful experience, especially when it involves difficult events in someone’s life. For diocesan employees, knowing there was an empathetic and understanding person at the other end of the phone call was a constant source of comfort throughout Bracht’s tenure.

“The biggest thing for me has always been the employees and getting to know them,” Bracht said. “I didn’t do more for one employee than I would for another. Every problem matters to me just as much as the next,” she said. “No problem was too small.”

“Forty years and five months is a long time,” said Joe Ryan, the diocese’s chief financial officer, during a speech at a retirement reception held in Bracht’s honor on Wednesday, June 25. “You just don’t find that kind of loyalty anymore.”

He added to this sentiment saying: “Cathy was a top-notch employee but even a better person. She will be missed.”

In addition to forming close relationships with employees and their families, Bracht built lasting friendships with insurance brokers and contacts at the various companies that provide services to the diocese, some of whom she has worked with for decades.

“It has to be more than just a working relationship,” she said. “You form a friendship with these people.”

Perhaps no friendships as close and long lasting as the ones she formed with her co-workers in the Secretariat for Administrative Services.

“It has been an absolute pleasure working with Cathy for the last 27 years that I have been here at the diocese,” said Sheryl Lee, payroll administrator for the diocese. “We have had to work really close together and learn so much about each other.” Lee added, “I will miss working with my dear friend but wish her all the best with her next chapter of well-deserved retirement!”

In this new journey of retirement, Bracht said she looks forward to spending more time with her sons and their families, attending more of her granddaughter’s softball games, working in her flower beds, and leisurely enjoying a glass of her favorite wine.

As Bracht retires, her legacy is clear: a career dedicated to ensuring the well-being of the diocese’s employees and offering a steady hand during life’s most difficult moments. Her love and commitment to the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend will undoubtedly be felt for another 40 years and beyond.

Erika Barron is the advertising account executive for Today’s Catholic.