Our Mission is Full of Life
Grow Come
with us
Network Summer 2017
Sisters of Notre Dame Chardon Province
One Heart, One Hope, One Mission
Table of
Contents
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SND Celebrates 25th Anniversary of African Missions
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Beautify CLE!
EC GROWS Community Garden 4 PARTNERS IN MISSION The BLESSINGS of Giving: Jeffrey Mitchell; Ken and Norma Kerwin SND Donor Luncheon Recognizes Individuals who are a Blessing
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Your Will Can Keep Giving After You’re Gone
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SND community thanks Sister Jacquelyn Gusdane for her gift of service
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Welcome Notre Dame Schools' President, Dr. Michael J. Bates
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Sister Karen Dolovacky named 2017 Outstanding High School Chemistry Teacher
10 Julie Billiart School Expands their Compassionate Education Educational Retreat at Bethany Empowers & Inspires 12 Congratulations, 2017 Jubilarians
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A Lasting Tribute
TIMELINE: The 60-Year History of Our Land
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Regina Alumnae Association
33 SND Chicken BBQ and Boutique
Send correspondence to: Network Sisters of Notre Dame 13000 Auburn Road Chardon, OH 44024 www.sndchardon.org 440.286.7101
A Letter from the Provincial Superior
Dear Friends, The return of fireflies lighting up the long summer nights always reminds me of the lovely phrase used by President George H. W. Bush: “a thousand points of light.” His vision was about volunteers making a difference in their world, but it is also an apt image for charism. “Charism” is about energy and uniqueness. The energy and fire of the Spirit become visible as a person shares her unique gifts. The traditional definition of charism is a gift of the Spirit given for the sake of building up the Body of the Christ, the community. The gifts come alive when they are used in service. Then they light up the world. Our Jubilarians profiled in this issue have been points of light for many of us throughout their lives. You will read about their unique life journeys of service as well as their sources of inspiration. Our Partners in Mission are also points of light, sharing the fascinating stories that brought them to friendship and partnership with the Sisters of Notre Dame. Because charism is energy it is alive and growing, in new expressions of service in East Cleveland today and in the growth of our Africa mission over the past 25 years. Charism expands as Julie Billiart School opens a second campus, driven by administrators and board members who share our vision of education. We thank Sister Jacquelyn Gusdane for making charism visible at Notre Dame Schools, and we welcome Dr. Michael Bates to the SND charism family. The development of our campus over the past 60 years shows the vitality of charism adapting to new needs with new inspiration. The bustling activity of construction on our campus this summer is a sign of our excitement at launching a new ministry of health care for seniors. With options for independent and assisted living memory care, Notre Dame Village is scheduled to open in spring of 2018. This newest expression of charism brings together many points of light in a shared commitment to serve people well into the future. Come grow with us and see the awe-inspiring works of our partnership!
Gratefully,
Sister Margaret M. Gorman, Provincial Superior
Sisters of Notre Dame
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SND Celebrates 25th Anniversary of African Missions Sister Rashmi, SND, missionary with the Maasai
For Sister Mary Karen Somerville, SND, visiting Africa was a dream come true. The trip was a way to personally celebrate her “retirement” while marking the 25th anniversary of the Sisters of Notre Dame African missions. What began as a simple trip by three Sisters of Notre Dame from India to Africa has evolved into an enduring mission – educating the African people. In 25 years, the Sisters of Notre Dame have built schools, educated thousands of children in need, taught young women vocational skills so they can support themselves and their children, and educated African women about the SND charism: a deep experience of God's goodness and provident care. Many of these women have entered the Sisters of Notre Dame as a vocation. The work the Sisters of Notre Dame began 25 years ago continues today, and the impact can be seen generationally. What a glorious milestone for Africa and the Sisters of Notre Dame. “In 25 years, we have grown from a mission, to a delegation, to a General Delegation; from one place of ministry to nine places of ministry in Montessori, primary and secondary schools; and we have founded a women’s center where women learn skills that can help them survive. We have also begun an Associate Program in Kenya,” says Sister Rashmi Poriyath, SND, Delegation Superior in Africa. On her trip, Sister Karen observed first-hand the impactful work of the Sisters of Notre Dame in Simanjiro, where they are educating poor Sister Karen Somerville, SND, visits with children in Africa.
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beyond measure. This is what we celebrate in this year of Jubilee,” says Sister Roshini. “We continue to seek help from donors so that we can continue to educate children in need in our schools.”
children of the tribal Maasai people. She visited Aloysia Home, where 21 girls, whose parents may have died from HIV/AIDS or who are living in difficult environments, live. In addition, Sister Karen joined in and taught local children music and gave a presentation to their parents on the SND charism and educational principles. “The Maasai people in the village I visited are very poor and still live in mud huts. It is not dangerous for us to be there. The Sisters are protected by the Maasai tribe because they love us. We are bringing education to their children. They are opening their arms and hearts to us,” describes Sister Karen. “I know the African mission of the Sisters of Notre Dame will continue,” she states. “I am confident that one day the
Sisters Karen Somerville, Rashmi, and Roshini enjoy spending time with the Maasai people
African Sisters of Notre Dame will start a mission somewhere new. The women are on fire and in love with the charism of the Sisters of Notre Dame.”
Sister Karen served as principal at three northeast Ohio Schools: St. Helen School, in Newbury; St. Francis of Assisi School, in Gates Mills, and St. Francis School, in Cleveland. She continues to serve as advancement coordinator at St. Francis.
“Twenty-five years is the silver lining which will move to gold in the coming years. The beauty of our mission is the number of people who reach out to us. God has been so good and generous
Beautifying CLE! EC GROWS COMMUNITY GARDEN (est. 2007) Sister Marie Manning, Global Missions Coordinator, is a member of EC Grows Community Garden, which helps to beautify East Cleveland. Located at Coit Rd. and Woodward, the garden not only beautifies the neighborhood, but also provides fresh vegetables and herbs for the urban farmers and their neighbors. While this garden is not a formal ministry of the Sisters of Notre Dame, Sister Marie believes it is an opportunity to get to know people in East Cleveland, in order to share and receive God’s goodness in this vibrant but economically struggling area. EC Grows Community Garden, an intiative spearheaded by Gladys Walcott in 2017, began in a vacant asphalt lot across from Coit Rd. Farmers Market. Now, more than 40 gardeners grow flowers and vegetables, which are shared with EC neighbors. A wonderful video, posted on the website ecgrowscg.org, shows the progress of this garden. Sister Marie Manning, SND Global Missions Coordinator
In addition to beautifying the neighborhood, gardening offers opportunities to build community, promote environmental and food sustainability, provide an alternate source of food, and promote physical health. It’s fun and also therapeutic!
EC Grows gardeners meet at the garden to clean up, plant and harvest. Newcomers are welcome! For more information, go to the website, ecgrowscg.org or contact Gladys, gwalcott@att.net, or Sister Marie, mmanning@ndec.org, 440-279-1160.
Save the Date Sunday, August 27th Harvest Festival Gardenia Witherspoon, an SND Associate
Sisters of Notre Dame
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Gladys Walcott, Founder of EC Grows Community Garden
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Partners in Mission
The Blessings of Giving:
Jeffrey Mitchell; Ken and Norma Kerwin SND Donor Reception recognizes individuals who have been a blessing
Jeff Mitchell with friends and family
Jeffrey Mitchell Jeffrey Mitchell visited the SND Education Center in 1984 as a new contractor with Hamann Construction. He met with Sister Margaret Hess to discuss a small remodeling project in the grade school bathroom. This simple, one-time job was the start of a professional and personal relationship with the Sisters of Notre Dame that has spanned 33 years.
Sister Margaret Gorman presents Jeffrey Mitchell with a token of appreciation.
Nicknamed “Mr. Clean,” Jeff has been involved in such building projects as extensive chapel and narthex renovation; resident room renovations; installation of an elevator in the Education Center; and extensive storage, housing and lavatory renovations at the SND Education Center, area convents and Bethany Retreat Center. This work was accomplished with a handshake and level of respect for what each party brought to the project at hand. Jeff was interested in getting to know the sisters on a personal level, enabling him to reconnect with his Catholic upbringing. “The nuns got me back to Mass,” he says, “at a time in my life when I was struggling to find some grounding.” Jeff’s renewed interest in his Catholic faith inspired him to include the Sisters of Notre Dame in his yearly philanthropic efforts for the past 20 years; Jeff’s gifts have supported SND ministries in education and global missions, to name a few. What began as a “potential” job for Jeff, turned into a life-changing relationship for both Jeff and the Sisters of Notre Dame.
Jeff Mitchell and his family celebrate Mass.
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Ken and Norma Kerwin A chance encounter with a fellow volunteer at Heather Hill Hospital led to a wonderful friendship and a 20-year commitment to support efforts of the Sisters of Notre Dame in Tanzania and Kenya, Africa. While volunteering at the Heather Hill Gift Shop, Norma met Sister Julianne Toth, SND. Each week, the two women spent time together. Sister Julianne shared stories of the Indian SNDs who were responding to Pope John Paul II’s invitation to religious congregations to send missionaries to Africa. In turn Norma shared with her husband these stories she heard about the growth of the Africa missions and Sister Annete Adams, a Chardon SND, becoming a missionary in Africa. Norma and Ken Norma Kerwin, Sister Marie Manning, and Ken Kerwin continued to learn about the Indian Sisters who started an elementary school and a boarding school for high school girls in Tanzania, and constructed homes for orphans. In response, for the past 18 years the Kerwins Ken and Norma Kerwin consistently supported the SND African missions. “Ken and I thought it was wonderful that sisters from one impoverished country would go to another impoverished country to help their women and children,” Norma shares. Thanks to a chance encounter, Sister Julianne Toth sparked a friendship with a couple who would become such a blessing to the global mission work of the Sisters of Notre Dame.
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“ My experience of living out our charism? As a Sister of Notre Dame, I experience the ‘grace’ of absolute, trustful abandonment to God –the gift given to the Sisters of Notre Dame by the Holy Spirit, the common thread among us. Our charism, a deep experience of trusting in God’s goodness and provident care, is experienced and lived out in many different ways, although it unites us worldwide. I experience the core of our charism, “a transformation in Love” through trustful abandonment to the Triune God living with a deep interior peace, joy and freedom which enables me to live more gently and love more deeply.”
Sister Kelley Rush, SND
(center) Sister Kelley Rush
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Your Will Can Keep Giving After You’re Gone
Come grow with us and create a legacy… provide a future.
A will or living trust allows you to protect your loved ones long after your lifetime. These documents can also give you the power to provide vital resources for the causes you care deeply about when you no longer need those resources. Here are a few basics about using your will or trust to make a lasting connection to the Sisters of Notre Dame. How to Make Your Gift: Including the Sisters of Notre Dame in your will or trust is incredibly easy. Contact us to request official wording for your gift. Then ask your estate planning attorney to use this language when you create your will. If you have an existing will, simply ask your attorney to update the existing document. Your Benefits: It’s worry free. You won’t give anything away until after your passing, so you can keep your assets if you end up needing them. You have choices. You can give a specific item, amount of money, or make the gift contingent upon certain events or a percentage of your estate. The impact you can have through your will or living trust is priceless. For more information, please contact Carrie Higginbotham, Director, Strategic Initiatives, at 440-279-1177 or chigginbotham@ndec.org
Your gift makes the difference! Joining the Sisters in Notre Dame in bringing God’s Goodness and Provident Care to those in need provides important dollars for ministry programs and global outreach. Our shared mission celebrates all people and helps to provide education, pastoral care, comfort to children in crisis, programs for those trafficked and incarcerated, and many more. If you would like to participate in our giving program please call Dena Adler, Director of Advancement at 440-279-1176 or email at dadler@ndec.org. You can also make a gift online at www.sndchardon.org. Our Mission is Full of Life – and we are grateful for you!
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SND community thanks
Sister Jacquelyn Gusdane for her gift of service
More than a thousand attended an open house on May 7 at the Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin Sisters of Notre Dame Learning Commons to thank Sister Jacquelyn Gusdane, SND, for her 10 years of service. Transformational changes occurred on campus under Sister Jacquelyn’s watch including the new Pat and Janet O’Brien Center for the Performing Arts, Annunciation Chapel, Father Jim O’Donnell Campus Ministry Center, cutting-edge cafeteria renovations, a new athletic field with lights, tennis courts, and the spectacular Sisters of Notre Dame Learning Commons, complete with a renovated Broadcast Studio, distance learning room, collaborative learning spaces, touch-screen computers, smart TVs, seminar rooms, and more. “The educational vision and principles of the Sisters of Notre Dame are rooted deep in my heart and always will be. As President of NDCL and Notre Dame Schools, the greatest gift to me has been the experience of our mission living and pulsing in Board members, faculty, students, families and alumni. From a personal perspective, what I will miss most are the relationships I have been privileged to share with those working with me on a dayto-day basis. Together, we collaborated, visioned, designed, planned, and activated what constitutes the heart of our school community, the strength of our educational program, and the core of our students’ faith formation,” reflects Sister Jacquelyn.
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welcome Welcome Notre Dame Schools' President
Dr. Michael J. Bates
The Sisters of Notre Dame are excited to welcome Dr. Michael J. Bates as the next president of Notre Dame Schools in Chardon, Ohio, commencing July 1, 2017.
Studies degree at Loyola University, Chicago. Returning to California, he taught at Louisville High School, an independent Catholic
Dr. Bates previously served as interim President of Notre Dame Academy, Los Angeles, and was formerly Head of School at La Reina High School & Middle School, Thousand Oaks, California. Both schools are sponsored by the Sisters of Notre Dame. He has been engaged in Catholic education as student, teacher and administrator since 1989, when he first attended the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., receiving a BA in History and four years later, Master of Pastoral
“ My thoughts on charism? The way I witness to God’s goodness, compassionate love, and provident care is by immersing myself. I immerse myself in what I do, who I meet, the cultures I encounter, and the love I receive. My attention to others and willingness to listen and be with them is an intimate expression of God’s love for us. God has taught me how to do this by listening to me and tenderly loving me.”
Sister Nicole Varnerin, SND (L) Sister Nicole Varnerin, SND
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college-preparatory school in Los Angeles while earning his Doctorate in Educational Leadership for Social Justice (Ed.D.) at Loyola Marymount University. As president, Dr. Bates will be charged with a wide range of responsibilities including implementing the new strategic plan, Better Together, 2016-2019, directing the advancement and finance teams, and overseeing marketing and enrollment management. “I believe in the transformational education that the Sisters of Notre Dame inspire and engage. How thankful I am to be entrusted to lead our Notre Dame Schools in the coming years. I look forward to all that we can accomplish together on behalf of our students and community,� Dr. Bates says. Dr. Bates and his wife Nancy have two boys, Peter and Brian. The family has relocated to Northeast Ohio.
Sister Karen Dolovacky named 2017
Outstanding High School Chemistry Teacher
Congratulations to Sister Mary Karen Dolovacky, SND, recipient of the 2017 Irene C. Heller Award, presented by the Cleveland Section of the American Chemical Society. This award is presented annually to the Outstanding High School Chemistry Teacher in the Cleveland Section. Sister Karen was honored for her professional experience in the classroom, specifically for her role as a science teacher at Cleveland Central Catholic High School where she has taught Integrated Science I and II for two years and Chemistry I and II since 2012. Sister Karen also held the role of Science Department Chair and LPDC Representative. Sister Karen received the award at the American Chemical Society meeting on April 19th. Congratulations to Sister Karen on this prestigious achievement!
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of St. Sebastian Parish, Akron
Julie Billiart School Expands their Compassionate Education Julie Billiart School (JB), located in Lyndhurst, Ohio, has been offering alternative education opportunities to children with unique learning and social needs in the Cleveland area for more than 60 years. Staying true to this tradition, JB is excited to be expanding into Summit County. “Our Strategic Growth Committee identified the Akron area as having a large need for quality special education opportunities,” says JB President Lannie Davis Frecker. “Many families are unable to access the resources at our Lyndhurst campus because the commute is too far. The timing was right when pastor Fr. Valencheck, from St. Sebastian Parish, approached us about bringing our program to Akron.” Julie Billiart School of St. Sebastian Parish will open the doors of their 380 Mineola Avenue facility in August of 2017 to kindergarten, first-, and second-grade students. The expansion plan includes additional classes
Julie Billiart School opens a second school in Summit County.
Educational Retreat at Bethany Empowers & Inspires “Experiencing God’s Goodness and Provident Care” provided a formative opportunity for 26 lay collaborators and Sisters of Notre Dame to reflect on the charism of the Sisters of Notre Dame by becoming aware of their own personal goodness and experiences of provident care at the 18th annual Charism Experience on April 5-7, 2017, at the Bethany Retreat Center. The day included hearing about Sister Maria Aloysia Wolbring, Sisters of Notre Dame foundress, and St. Julie Billiart, SND spiritual mother. Retreat participants discovered the compelling power of God present in their lives as goodness and provident care.
One of the highlights of the Charism Experience retreat was meeting with the sisters from the SND Provincial Center who have ministered at their schools in the past. These photographs show the resonance of charism alive in past and present educators.
Sisters Mary Lisa Novak and Donna Paluf have facilitated the “Charism Experience” for educators since 2000. This year individuals from the following schools attended: • Cardinal Gibbons High School – Raleigh, NC • Clearwater Central Catholic High School – Clearwater, FL • Cleveland Central Catholic High School – Cleveland, OH • Julie Billiart School – Lyndhurst, OH • Metro Catholic School – Cleveland, OH • Notre Dame Academy – Covington, KY • Notre Dame College – South Euclid, OH • Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin High School – Chardon, OH • Notre Dame Elementary School – Chardon, OH • St. Helen School – Newbury, OH
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Michele Johnson, Sister Maria Francine Stacy, SND, Bridget Price – NDA – KY
L-R Sisters Lisa Novak and Donna Paluf
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Mission Statement: Julie Billiart Schools nurture and empower students in grades K-8 with special learning needs. As Catholic schools rooted in the educational principles of the Sisters of Notre Dame, we welcome diverse faith traditions. We strive to build self-confidence, inspire Christian values, and empower students with skills, knowledge, and enthusiasm for learning.
each year until 2020, when all grades, K through 8th, will be available. Rooted in the beliefs of the Sisters of Notre Dame, Julie Billiart School of St. Sebastian Parish is committed to providing the highest level of education for children of all faiths who have special learning needs including autism, ADHD/ADD, specific learning challenges, dyslexia, and social delays.
“We provide a whole-child approach to learning,” School Principal Jason Wojnicz states. “Our low student-teacher ratio, 6:1, allows for individualized attention and nurturing. By incorporating speech, occupational, and behavior therapies with a curriculum that meets common core state standards, we see students succeed beyond their Individualized Education Programs (IEP).”
Julie Billiart School of St. Sebastian Parish is a registered Jon Peterson and Autism Scholarship provider and is accepting applications for the 2017-2018 school year. For more information, to schedule an appointment, or to attend an upcoming open house, please call (234) 206-0941 or email akron@jbschool.org. More details about JB School admission process and learning environment can be found at www.juliebilliartschool.org.
Deb Ganim, Sister Agnesmarie LoPorto, SND – JB School
Sister Kathleen Lyons and a retreat participant
SND-Row 1: Sister Mary Teresita Gresko, SND, Sister Mary Annfrancis Demming SND – Row 2 : Sister Mary Jean Korejwo, SND, Rachelle Garbarine, Sister Mary Lenette Marcello SND-Row 3: Sister Ann Marie Teder, SND, Mark DeLaRosa, Sister Mary Laura Wingert
Sister Mary Carol Marek, SND, Kayla O’Brien – NDES Sister Joanne Marie Zeitz, SND, Suzette Fisher – CCC- FL Sister Patricia Garahan and a retreat participant
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Congratulations
2017 Jubilarians Pictured left to right are: Sisters Susan Wolf, Stefana Osredkar, Patricia Garrahan, Mary Anne Blasko, a diocesan theology student, Dan, Sisters Marie Helene Minut and Ellenann Mach
Jubilee of Grace–70 years Sister Jean Marie Dick
(formerly Sister Mary St. William)
(L-R) Sister Johnica D'Amico, Sister Anne Maline, Bishop Anthony Pilla, and Sister Judy Bucco
When asked what compelled her to join the Sisters of Notre Dame, Sister Jean Marie says, “My first grade teacher, Sister Agnes, HM, and her kindness. And the love I saw of the sisters in high school at Notre Dame Academy.” • 49 years, devoted herself to the role of teacher or principal in several schools • Taught at St. Peter, Canton; Gesu, University Heights; Campus School, Washington, DC; and others
2017 Ju Sister Jean Marie Dick
• Principal at St. Michael, Canton; St. Joan of Arc, Chagrin Falls; St. Margaret Mary, South Euclid; Guardian Angels, Clearwater, FL; and St. Helen, Newbury • Served as Administrative aide in Notre Dame Skills Lab • Local Superior at St. Gabriel Convent, Mentor
• Worked at Provincial Center as assistant in the Finance Office and Facilities Office, ministry to the homebound for 18 years • Since 2012, dedicated herself to prayer, presence and praise
Sister Pat Garrahan, Bishop Roger Gries, and Sister Mary Anne Blasko
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For inspiration, Sister Jean Marie looks to the life and example of St. Thérèse, The Little Flower, who wrote: “What matters in life is not great deeds, but great love.”
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Sister Marie Soboslay Sister Merita Strahler
Sister Marie Soboslay
Sister Merita Strahler
As a young student at St. Benedict Catholic School, Cleveland, Sister was drawn to her Sisters of Notre Dame teachers. “I felt the grace of God within my heart to become a Sister of Notre Dame and I loved the SNDs who taught us,” she says.
As a child, Sister Merita had a great desire to become a religious and spend her life teaching children. Having SND teachers at St. Joseph, Suffield Township, OH, and Notre Dame Academy helped strengthen her aspiration.“I knew the sisters all along,” she says. “I always desired to be a teacher and wanted to teach older children about God, Christianity and the good life.”
• Entered the order from St. Benedict Church • Ministered within the Cleveland Diocese • Worked in food service at several Cleveland-area convents, including Our Lady of Lourdes, SS Cyril & Methodius and St. Francis (Gates Mills) • Served at St. Aloysius, Youngstown and St. Agnes, Arlington, VA • Dedicated herself to sewing and community service in 1968 at the Provincial Center • Volunteered in the Notre Dame India Mission Office; spent three years assisting in the Global Missions Office • Today, devotes her time to the prayer, presence and praise ministry “I want to do everything for the honor and glory of God and the salvation of souls,” she says. “I thank God for my vocation. If it weren’t for Him, I would not be a Sister of Notre Dame.” As Sister Marie reflects upon her 70 years in religious life, she remains ever grateful to her fellow SNDs. “Every sister is wonderful, moving and prayerful. I thank God for each and every one of them.”
• Taught in Florida, Virginia and several Cleveland-area schools: St. Benedict, St. Michael, and St. Margaret Mary • In 1998, relocated to Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Clearwater, Florida and dedicated 11 years to the parish archive books and school clerical ministry • At St. Michael the Archangel School, Clearwater, was an English as a Second Language tutor and a taskforce member for the Clearwater Taskforce Against Human Trafficking • Today, is an English as a Second Language tutor at the Literacy Council of Upper Pinellas in Dunedin, FL
ubilarians Sisters of Notre Dame
“I’m still teaching, so when there’s a chance to bring in Catholicism or religion, I speak in regard to that and living a good life in the way God wants us to,” she says. Sister Merita finds comfort in the powerful words from Isaiah 49:15-16: “I will never forget you… I have carved you upon the palm of my hand.”
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Sister Mary Rose Anne Webb
Iron Jubilee—65 years Sister Mary Rose Anne Webb
Sister Mary Anne Blasko and
Sister Mary Rose Anne credits the kindness and understanding of her teachers at Immaculate Conception School, Cleveland, with sparking her desire to become a religious. • Taught at several schools in the Cleveland Diocese for 65 years: St. Wendelin; St. Mary, Avon; St. Mary, Chardon; and St. Vitus, Cleveland • Principal at St. Francis of Assisi, Gates Mills; Holy Name, Gulfport, FL; and St. Paschal Baylon, Highland Heights • Taught at several Youngstown-area schools
Diamond Jubilee—60 years Sister Mary Anne Blasko (formerly Sister Mary Emeric)
Sister Mary Anne joined the Sisters of Notre Dame along with her biological sister, Sister Veronica Blasko. “I wanted to dedicate my life to God as a Sister of Notre Dame or as a nurse,” she says. “Sisters were in my nursing class and my sister was an aspirant.”
• Librarian and computer coordinator for St. Thomas the Apostle, Sheffield Lake
• Continued her nursing vocation and ministered at the Provincial House and Marian Hall in Cleveland
• Technology coordinator for St. Justin Martyr, Eastlake
• Ventured abroad to serve as health care assistant at Terme Apollinari, Vicarello, Italy
• Since 2013, ministered at the Provincial Center as Archives assistant and Health Care Center therapy dog handler; prayer phone line and prayer, presence and praise ministries
• Returned to the Provincial Center, Chardon, and for the next 44 years, ministered as a nurse
“The loving hand of God is behind all that happens in our lives, even if we don’t necessarily see it,” says Sister Mary Rose Anne. “God is good, all the time.”
• Held many posts during this time, including assistant head of Infirmary, charge of patient care, Provincial Center health consultant, charge of St. Joseph Hall, assistant sacristan, and assistant health coordinator
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• Now devotes her time to the prayer phone line and to prayer, presence and praise ministries When seeking spiritual guidance, Sister says, “I made the prayer of St. Francis my inspiration and goal: ‘Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.’”
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Sister Mary Therese Brown
Sister Mary Therese Brown
(formerly Sister Mary St. Pius) Sister Mary Veronica Blasko
Sister Mary Veronica Blasko
(formerly Sister Mary Thaddea)
During her years at St. Catherine School, Cleveland, and Notre Dame Academy, Sister Veronica was attracted to the sisters’ generosity and their eagerness to help. “I felt called when I was in sixth grade,” she says. “I just knew I wanted to be a sister. It’s something that I always wanted.” • Six decades of religious life • Shares her Diamond Jubilee with her biological sister, Mary Anne Blasko – though four years apart, the Blasko sisters entered the order together • Ministered in food service at the Provincial House, Cleveland; Notre Dame College; Provincial Center, Chardon; Regina High School, South Euclid; and Notre Dame Academy, Middleburg, VA • Served as an aide at St. Michael's, St. Peter School, Canton, St. Jude, Elyria: Our Lady of Lourdes Parish, Dunedin, FL, and Notre Dame Elementary School, Chardon • Ministered in boutique crafts, reception and crafts room coordinator at Provincial Center, Chardon • Now devotes her time to the prayer, presence and praise ministry and the SND BBQ & Boutique
During her student years at Cleveland’s St. Gregory School and Notre Dame Academy, Sister Mary Therese had SND teachers for every grade. She appreciated that the sisters were hardworking and thorough in their teaching, not to mention a lot of fun. “You’ve got to work hard and give people room to learn,” says Sister Mary Therese. “I think you have to want to learn in order to learn. Also, we do things not because they are jobs but because that’s what we need to do to know God better and to teach others to know God.” • Taught at several Cleveland high schools, including Notre Dame Academy, Our Lady of Lourdes, and Cleveland Central Catholic • Ministered in schools in Virginia and Florida as well • Served as pastoral minister and Director of Religious Education at St. Therese Parish, Wilson, NC • Worked as adult faith formation director at St. Andrew the Apostle Parish, Apex, NC • Returned to Ohio, and tutored in the Notre Dame Skills Lab • Devoted five years to boutique crafts at the Provincial Center • Assisted in the Mission Advancement Office After 60 years in the order, Sister still looks to the SND constitution and charism for guidance. “We know that even though some things don’t look so good at a specific time, they are good because He is good,” she says. “Provident care is trusting the Lord that He will guide you.”
ubilarians Sister Veronica’s favorite scripture passage is that of the lost sheep and the good shepherd who finds it and brings it back to the crowd. “In a sense that’s what happens to us. We go astray and need some help getting back. Sixty years went awfully fast!” she adds. “The fact that we’re in a group of sisters who entered on the same day—I think that’s a constant source of energy and prayer life that I get from them and they get from me.”
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Sister Donna Galetovich
Sister Donna Galetovich (formerly Sister Mary Rachel)
As a child, Sister Donna was fascinated by the Sisters of the Precious Blood at her parish school, Our Lady of Good Counsel (later renamed St. Leo the Great), Cleveland. She admired their long dresses and the rosaries that hung at their sides. Sister Donna looked forward to her piano lessons which were held in the convent. “I played at being a ‘sister’ by pinning my mom’s babushka on my head for a veil,” she says. “Then, at Notre Dame College, I met the Sisters of Notre Dame, one of whom—Sister Christopher Rohner—said to me, ‘You have a vocation.’ I guess that was the prod I needed to bring forward the idea that was in the back of my mind for a long time.”
Sister Katherine Mary Skrabec
Sister Katherine Mary Skrabec (formerly Sister Mary David Anne)
From the time she was a first grader at St. Vitus School, Cleveland, Sister Katherine loved spending time with her Sisters of Notre Dame teachers. She recalls knocking on their doors, offering help. Her admiration blossomed when she attended Notre Dame Academy. “I met a whole new group of SNDs in high school,” she says. “They were just a lot of fun. I was attracted to the sisters. I always wanted to help them.”
• Taught in several schools within the Cleveland Diocese, including Gesu, University Heights; St. Joseph, Amherst; Holy Redeemer, Cleveland; St. Michael, Cleveland; St. Paschal Baylon, Highland Heights, and in Youngstown and Arlington, VA
• Taught at St. Vitus and St. Joseph, Cleveland; St. Justin, Eastlake; St. James and Christ Our King, Warren; St. Aloysius, East Liverpool; St. Michael, Canton; as well as in Arlington, VA and Winter Haven, FL.
• Principal of St. Margaret Mary, South Euclid; St. Anselm, Chesterland; and St. Paul, Euclid
• Served as a driver and hospitality coordinator • Since 2006, ministered as an Archives assistant
• Worked for the State Dept. of Education, supervising teachers in the public schools • Currently, work with an international political group called Results doing advocacy work with them, lobbying the Congressmen to improve the plight of the poor. • Served as a teacher assessor for the Diocese of Cleveland
“I am very happy to be a Sister of Notre Dame,” she says. “I’ve appreciated every day being an SND. I knew the sisters from early on, so I was very comfortable right from the beginning. Entering the convent wasn’t strange; I could blend right in. I never met a sister that I couldn’t live with.”
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• GED tutor for Seeds of Literacy, Cleveland, for the past five years
“Through long years of living and learning, I am convinced that the purpose of every created being is to show forth the love and beauty of God,” says Sister Donna. “I want my life and the service I give to bring about more love in our world.”
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Sisters of Notre Dame
Sister Mary Ann Baran Sister Mary Cora Skrivan
Sister Mary Cora Skrivan Ever since she was a second grader, Sister Mary Cora knew she wanted to be a sister. When she was older, she was asked by another order to join their community. Her father talked to their vocation director, but Sister Mary Cora had her heart set on the Sisters of Notre Dame. “Every first Friday since I can remember, we knelt before an altar in our home with a vigil light before the statue of the Sacred Heart and my dad would consecrate us to the Sacred Heart, thus my name Cora (Latin for heart),” says Sister Mary Cora. • Taught at St. Benedict, Cleveland; St. Joseph, Lorain; St. Mary, Chardon; St. Paschal Baylon, Highland Heights; in the Youngstown Diocese; and in California and Virginia
Golden Jubilee—50 years Sister Mary Ann Baran (formerly Sister Karen Marie)
Sister Mary Ann wanted to be a sister since she was in the second grade. During her high school years, she considered entering several other religious congregations. She attended Notre Dame Academy for three years until it relocated from Ansel Road to Chardon. “Like the sisters, I wanted to give my life to God and do this type of teaching and caring for students, too,” says Sister Mary Ann. “I could do so as a Sister of Notre Dame. This is what compelled me to join the Congregation of the Sisters of Notre Dame.”
• Served as Director of Religious Education at St. Justin Martyr, Eastlake and St. Bede, Mentor
• Entered the order from Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church, Cleveland
• Ministered in the Mission Effectiveness Office and Ministry to the Homebound at the Provincial Center
• Taught junior high for five years before teaching at several high schools within the Cleveland Diocese, including Regina High School, South Euclid; Notre Dame Academy and Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin, Chardon; Cleveland Central Catholic; and in Virginia and North Carolina
• Devoted to prayer, presence and praise and Health Care Center pastoral ministries Though she has endured three cancer diagnoses and a serious automobile accident, Sister remains certain of God’s love and care. “I know each of us is deeply surrounded by the love of God,” she says. “My one daily prayer is to Mary. I place myself and my concerns into Mary’s hands. As she held the child Jesus many times, even in death, so she also holds me close. In her motherly role she knows my needs and is already there with her aid and support. She really is!”
• Adjunct faculty member at John Carroll University, Cleveland • Director of Religious Education at St. Justin Martyr Parish, Eastlake
ubilarians • Director of Center for Pastoral Theology and Ministry; assistant professor of Theology, and Philosophy, Department chair, Notre Dame College, South Euclid
• Ministers as a spiritual director and currently assists at Collinwood Neighborhood Catholic Ministries, focusing on outreach to the elderly
A life lesson that Sister embraces today: “Loving God and loving people are what make for real joy and happiness and give meaning and purpose to a person’s life. They do to mine!”
Sisters of Notre Dame
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(R) Sister Carol Brandt Sister Mary Ann Brewster
Sister Mary Carol Brandt • Taught grade school throughout the Cleveland Diocese including St. Anselm, Chesterland; Gesu, University Heights; St. Justin, Eastlake; and St. Mary, Elyria; and in Youngstown and Virginia • Principal at Our Lady of Victory, Washington, DC; St. Mary, Chardon; and St. Michael, Canton • Assistant Principal at Notre Dame Elementary, Chardon • Associate Director at Famicos Foundation in Cleveland • Served as the SND congregational NGO representative for the United Nations, New York Since 2009, Sister Carol has devoted herself as the Institutional Advancement Director of Metro Catholic School, Cleveland.
Sister Mary Ann Brewster (formerly Sister Mary Orrin)
Sister Mary Ann was drawn to religious life while under the tutelage of her sister-teachers at St. Mary School, Elyria. She felt that calling even more as she observed the peace and centeredness of her seventh grade teacher, Sister Mary Eunice Finsel. “Her whole demeanor drew the respect and love of every student...all of this between the beginning of the school year and around Christmastime when she told us she needed to be away,” says Sister Mary Ann. “We found out she had cancer and died at the beginning of our eighth grade year. We were taken to Ansel Road for her wake. This was my introduction to the convent.” • Entered the order during her senior year at Notre Dame Academy • Began the ministry of sewing at the Provincial Center as a novice • Was a member of the Apostolate of Prayer at the Sisters of Notre Dame Generalate, Rome • Resumed her sewing ministry • Attended D’Youville College in Buffalo, NY • Served as an occupational therapist in the Health Care Center • Assisted at St. Helen School, Newbury
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• Receptionist at the Provincial Center
• Involved in making craft items for the Boutique • Currently ministers as member of the Pastoral Care Team in the Health Care Center
“My life as a Sister of Notre Dame is one of graced blessing, gift and love where we can always experience and count on the prayers and support of our sisters,” says Sister Mary Ann. “It is amazing to me that these past 50 years of vowed life have sped by so quickly. I am in the hands of our good God, no matter what is happening within or around me.” 18
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Sisters of Notre Dame
Sister Mary Judith Bucco
Sister Mary Judith Bucco
(formerly Sister Mary St. Albert)
As a student at St. Peter High School, Sister Judy was attracted to the spirit of joy and simplicity of the Sisters of Notre Dame. One of her teachers, Sister Nathan (now Sister Margaret Hess), heard she was considering religious life and asked if she had ever thought of the Sisters of Notre Dame. She suggested Sister Judy speak with Father Louis Trivison, then associate Pastor at Holy Redeemer Church. “After speaking with him, he suggested I make a novena to the Holy Spirit, which I took very seriously—although I wasn’t too sure what a novena was!” says Sister Judy. “After the nine days of prayer, I knew in my heart that God was calling me to religious life, specifically to the Sisters of Notre Dame.” • Taught at Our Lady of Mount Carmel , Cleveland; St. Mary, Massillon; St. Margaret Mary, South Euclid; St. Peter, Lorain; St. Francis of Assisi; Gesu, University Heights; St. Jude, Elyria; St. Helen, Newbury; and St. Gregory the Great , South Euclid • Taught first grade at St. Mary, Massillon • Spent three decades preparing children for First Eucharist
Sister Mary Johnica D’Amico
Sister Mary Johnica D’Amico
(formerly Sister Mary John Robert)
Inspired by her parents’ dedication to faith and giving, Sister Johnica was led to inquire about religious life. “I grew up in Little Italy. My mom was a very devoted Catholic, so faith was always a part of my life,” she says. “We regularly attended Mass at Holy Rosary Church.” • Attended St. Peter High School, entered the order after graduation • Taught at schools throughout the Cleveland Diocese, including St. Margaret Mary, South Euclid; Notre Dame Elementary, Chardon; St. Michael, Cleveland; and Metro Catholic, Cleveland • On the original staff that started Metro Catholic • On the Leadership team and board that brought the Montessori School at Holy Rosary to little Italy • Established and administrates the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd at St Ladislas Parish
• Director of Religious Education at St. Dominic Parish, Shaker Heights
• Pastoral Associate at her home parish of Holy Rosary • Currently, Director of Religious Education and pastoral minister for St. Ladislas Parish, Westlake
• Postulant Director for the Chardon Province • Currently, Director of Religious Education at St. Joan of Arc Parish, Chagrin Falls
“One of my favorite scripture thoughts is, ‘What is faith without works?’” she says. “This quote always reminds me that yes, I need to grow spiritually in my personal life, but I must not forget to give of myself to God’s people. I am always aware that my love for God goes way beyond my personal growth and prayer in the faith. Ministry and reaching out to others is an integral part of my relationship with God. I would like to thank the Sisters of Notre Dame for always guiding and supporting me physically and financially. I feel blessed to have shared my life’s journey with many women who have loved and cared for me.”
bilarians “I have truly been blessed in my life,” says Sister Judy. “I learned that if you work hard, pray daily and count on God to lead you, and be with you, and trust Him, so many good things happen. Yes, there have been sufferings and losses in my life, but through it all, our God is there, within and among us. I have always had the support of my parents and family and the Sisters of Notre Dame in my life. My gratitude for them and the many laymen and laywomen that I have ministered with in my teaching and Parish ministries, has also sustained me.”
Sisters of Notre Dame
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Sister Mary Ellenann Mach
Sister Regina Davala
Sister Regina Davala
Sister Patricia Mary Garrahan
(formerly Sister Mary Glenda)
(formerly Sister Mary Manon)
From the time she began the first grade, Sister Regina felt the desire to be a sister. It was a call that only grew stronger and more defined throughout her elementary and high school years. “It was nurtured by my family’s love for God and my Catholic education,” she says. “It was about loving God with my whole heart and life and serving others.”
"Our mission is full of life." Arriving as an aspirant from St. Agnes parish in Arlington VA in 1961, Sister Pat was drawn by the lives of SND educators and the power of a religious congregation engaged in communal ministry.
• Taught at St. Francis, Gates Mills; Holy Trinity, Avon; and St. Michael, Cleveland.
• Regional superintendent for the Catholic schools of Washington, DC
• Served in various roles as secondary teacher and principal in Ohio, Florida and Maryland
• Principal at St. Michael for six years
• Executive director of a Boys Hope home in Colorado
• Served on the administrative team that helped establish Metro Catholic Parish School, Cleveland
• Associate in the Xaverian Brothers School Sponsorship office in Maryland
• Attended graduate school at John Carroll University
• First director of the SND National Education Office
• Worked as a counselor for Catholic Counseling Services, South Euclid
• Today, a member of the Chardon Provincial Leadership team
• Since 2000, ministered with the SND Associates as administrative assistant and co-director On her 50 years as a Sister of Notre Dame, Sister Regina says, “I am so grateful for the many opportunities I have had to grow as a person and to serve God’s people…My every act of love and hate impacts the whole world. I want to choose love each moment.”
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Sister Patricia Mary Garrahan
Sister Pat finds life and goodness in her interactions with individual sisters, the new Notre Dame Village project, and working with the sponsored schools to expand and sustain their mission. She has learned that fidelity does not mean remaining oneself; it means becoming oneself and finding God in all along the way.
Sister Mary Ellenann Mach The opportunity to do something good for others and the loving encouragement of her great aunt, Sister Mary Priscilla, SND, motivated Sister Mary Ellenann to pursue religious life. “Visiting my aunt at Notre Dame College gave me more contact with the sisters other than the contact I had with the St. Joseph nuns at my high school, Nazareth Academy,” she says. “It nurtured my longing to be a sister. Her loving support through the years helped me to do what I like to do best—to cook for the sisters.” • Dedicated 42 years to cooking for the sisters and students in the Cleveland Diocese and Virginia • Served at the Provincial House; St. Paschal Baylon Convent, Highland Heights; Our Lady of Lourdes, Cleveland; St. John, McLean Virginia; Notre Dame Academy; and Regina High School, South Euclid • Food service co-director at the Provincial Center for 12 years • Currently, administrative assistant for the Aladdin Food Service Company
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“My biggest goal has been to continue to keep the community celebration alive as we move ahead,” says Sister Mary Ellenann. “Being a member of the Sisters of Notre Dame and my spiritual journey has enriched the way I look at all the events in my life, family, friends, and opportunities for growth.”
Sisters of Notre Dame
(center) Sister Anne Mary Maline
Sister Marie Manning
Sister Anne Mary Maline
Sister Marie Manning
Before she entered the SND order from St. Christine Parish in Euclid, OH, Sister Anne was determined to make a difference in her tumultuous mid-century world. “Our country’s leaders in the early ‘60s were calling for a commitment to work for a better society,” she says. “I saw the Sisters of Notre Dame doing just that. I wanted to be a part of such a group.”
Sister Marie joined the Sisters of Notre Dame community through her home parish of Gesu, University Heights, OH. It was a decision that she had contemplated since she was a teen. “During a retreat when I was 16, a deep experience of God’s goodness led me to discern how I might respond to such goodness with my life,” she says. “Since being a sister was really not in my plan, I struggled for a couple of years before Francis Thompson’s poem, ‘The Hound of Heaven,’ inspired me to surrender to God’s call.”
(formerly Sister Mary John Steven)
• Taught at St. Mary, Chardon; St. Gregory, Cleveland; Holy Redeemer, Cleveland; and Notre Dame Elementary, Chardon • Principal at Holy Redeemer, Metro Catholic Parish School, and Our Lady of Lourdes, Raleigh, NC
(formerly Sister Mary Alice Patrick)
• Ministered for nine years at the Province -- first as community elementary education supervisor and then as provincial councilor
• Taught at several schools, including St. Margaret Mary, South Euclid; St. Mary, Elyria; and St. Michael, Canton; Cleveland Central Catholic, Cleveland; and Notre Dame Academy, Middleburg, VA
• Assistant for the Notre Dame India Mission Office
• Director of Religious Education at St. Margaret Mary
• Since 1994, has served at Metro Catholic School as director and co-director
• Pastoral Associate at both St. Julie Billiart, North Ridgeville, and St. Louis, Cleveland Heights
As she reflects on five decades as a Sister of Notre Dame and contemplates the decades to come, Sister Anne says, “The line from the vows, ‘the support of my community’ has become more and more meaningful over the years. I believe it is important that I continue to search for the Holy Grail. To me, finding the Holy Grail enables one to hold opposites in balance. This is a lifelong quest.”
• Served in the Faithjustice outreach ministries at Communion of Saints Parish, Cleveland Heights • Vocation team member for the Chardon Province
ubilarians Sisters of Notre Dame
• Since 2010, coordinated the Notre Dame Global Missions Office
“I am grateful for the many ways God’s goodness and provident care have blessed me and called me to be a blessing to others,” she says. Sister cites Hebrews 12:1 as scripture that inspires her: “Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us…persevere in running the race that lies before us while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus.”
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Sister Marie Helene Minut
Sister Marie Helene Minut
Sister Mary Jeanne Moenk
(formerly Sister Mary St. Clement)
During her 12 years as a student at St. Stephen School, Cleveland, Sister Helene was greatly influenced by her teachers, the Sisters of Notre Dame. They had a peace about them, she says, and they always had time to help anyone in need. After graduation, Sister worked at Charity Hospital and met the Sisters of Charity of St. Augustine. They had the same peace about them. Sister then met a distant cousin, Sister Mary Clement, who advised her to pray about a vocation. “She prayed for me and wrote me letters of encouragement until her death,” says Sister Helene. “I wanted to grow in the sisters’ peace and help others. I wanted to be a teacher and I chose Notre Dame.” • Taught middle school and junior high grades at St. Joan of Arc, Chagrin Falls; St. Francis of Assisi, Gates Mills; St. Paschal Baylon, Highland Heights; St. Helen, Newbury; and others • Taught in the Youngstown Diocese • Assistant principal at St. Mary Middle School, Warren
Sister Mary Jeanne Moenk
(formerly Sister Mary Bede)
At the time she entered the order, Sister Jeanne’s family resided in Williamsburg, Virginia and attended St. Bede parish. Sister Jeanne started hearing the call around the time of her First Holy Communion. Her parents gave her various books on the lives of saints, including The Little Flower, St. Teresa of Avila, St. Ignatius, and St. Francis. “By the time I was in high school, it was fairly clear to me that I was called to religious life and needed to decide between the Carmelites and the SNDs—the fact that I also wanted to be a teacher helped with that decision,” she says. As St. Bede is the patron of historians and Sister’s father was a historian, she took Bede as her religious name. When Sister joined the SNDs, she also joined three family members in the order: her aunt, Sister Mary Patricius Moenk, and cousins, Sister Mary Georgiana Dietz and Sister Mary St. Richard Dietz. • Taught for 50 years and her ministry continues today • For 26 years, taught at two Cleveland high schools, Regina and Notre Dame Academy
• Principal at St. Thomas the Apostle, Sheffield Lake • Since 2005, teacher, tutor and administrative assistant at Metro Catholic School, Cleveland
• Served as an instructor and assistant professor at Notre Dame College
“Remember, there’s no such thing as a small act of kindness,” Sister Helene says. “Every act creates a ripple with no logical end.”
• Attended Central Michigan University and received her doctorate in mathematics • Returned to Notre Dame College in 2002 as assistant professor of mathematics • For the past seven years, has been an associate professor of mathematics at the college One life lesson that Sister Jeanne lives by today: “No matter what, there is always a blessing to be found in all circumstances. Sometimes not easy to find, it is there and worth finding.”As for her blessing of five decades in the SND order, Sister adds, “I’d do it over in a heartbeat.”
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Sisters of Notre Dame
Sister Jane Marie Reisinger
Sister Jane Marie Reisinger (formerly Sister Mary Brian)
Sister Mary Stefana Osredkar
Sister Mary Stefana Osredkar Impressed by her sister-teachers’ family spirit and dedication to their St. Peter High School students, Sister Stefana was drawn to the SND community. She entered the order from her home parish of St. Mary, Collinwood. • Devoted herself to food service at the Provincial House; St. Paschal Baylon, Highland Heights; Notre Dame Academy, Middleburg, VA; Notre Dame College, South Euclid; and Regina High School, South Euclid
Reflecting upon the influences that drew her to the order, Sister Jane says, “It was the love of the Sisters of Notre Dame who taught me in elementary school, and the prayers of my grandmother.” She entered the community from her home parish, Holy Trinity Church, Avon. • For nearly 30 years, taught middle school and junior high grades at St. Gregory the Great, South Euclid; St. Mary, Chardon; Holy Trinity, Avon; St. John, McLean, VA; St. Mary Middle School, Warren; St. Paschal Baylon, Highland Heights; St. Justin, Eastlake; and St. Peter, Lorain • Driver and Archives Assistant at the Provincial House
• Ministered at St. Joseph School, Amherst, in before- and after-school care for 15 years
• Pastoral ministry student at the Center for Pastoral Leadership, Wickliffe
• Serves in pastoral ministry at St. Joseph Parish, Amherst “The life lesson that I learned was that God gives us the strength and grace to always remember that, no matter what we encounter in our lives, God provides people that motivate and encourage,” says Sister Stefana. “My motto is ‘God will provide.’”
• Since 1997, served as the Director of Religious Education for St. Mary of the Falls Parish, Olmsted Falls “Life is all about our stories (I love telling mine and hearing others), and Jesus is the Greatest Story.”
“ To me, the Sisters of Notre Dame charism is very simple. It is spreading the knowledge that God is a loving and caring God.
Charism We spread this knowledge through education and in the parishes. At our African missions, the Sisters are on fire and in love with the mission of the Sisters of Notre Dame.”
Sister Karen Somerville, SND
Sisters of Notre Dame
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Sister Mary Margaret Ann Schlather
Sister Mary Margaret Ann Schlather (formerly Sister Mary Newman)
Sister Kathleen Mary Ryan
Sister Kathleen Mary Ryan
(formerly Sister Mary Norah)
“The Sisters at St. Stephen High School were strong role models who provided many opportunities for young women to lead within the school and create bonds of lifelong friendship,” says Sister Kathleen. • Entered the order from St. Ignatius of Antioch Parish • Taught middle school and junior high grades throughout the Cleveland Diocese, serving at St. Margaret Mary, South Euclid; Gesu, University Heights; St. Mary, Avon; and St. Gregory, South Euclid • Director of Education and Legislative Affairs at Cleveland Catholic Charities
When asked what drew her to the Sisters of Notre Dame, Sister Mary Margaret Ann says, “Mary, God’s mother, was a close friend to me from my earliest memory. Then, the joy and friendship of the sisters at St. Jude Parish and Elyria District Catholic High School were a great inspiration to me; I also knew that only in giving my life to God would my deepest yearnings be fulfilled. Being invited to be a Sister of Our Lady was a perfect fit!” • Taught middle school and junior high grades at St. Mary, Chardon; Our Lady of Lourdes, Dunedin, FL; St. Francis, Cleveland; and St. John, McLean, VA • Principal of St. Michael School, Canton • Director of Religious Education at St. Agnes, Arlington, VA • Dean of catechetical programs at Catholic Distance University
• Served as a Notre Dame College, Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin and the SND Board of Members Trustee • Provincial Councilor, Chardon Province • Executive Director of the Cleveland Diocese Social Action Offices and member of the Leadership Team of Catholic Charities
“God’s will is always better,” says Sister. “That is, whenever God invites a change in our lives, one can trust it will always be better—not worse than what we already are experiencing—because His love and goodness are so beyond what we can imagine.”
• Coordinator of the Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation Committee for the Chardon Province
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“St. Paul reminds us to ‘Live a life worthy of your calling,’” says Sister Kathleen. “Being a Sister of Notre Dame provided me with strong, sustaining community support professionally, spiritually and personally. Not only are we sisters, we are also lifelong friends and collaborators on the journey. A year of Jubilee creates a sense of wonder; a time to remember all the gracious and generous acts of love and service bestowed upon me by my parents, my family and friends, coworkers and sisters. All this love and support enabled me to strive to live a life worthy of the calling.”
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Sisters of Notre Dame
Sister Mary Susan Wolf
Sister Mary Susan Wolf
(formerly Sister Mary Avery)
Sister Mary Patricia Sipan
Sister Mary Patricia Sipan (formerly Sister Mary Gloria)
Sister Pat joined the SND community from St. Francis of Assisi Parish, Gates Mills, OH. “I thought God was calling me to be in service, but it was only once I found a sense of belonging in the Sisters of Notre Dame that I knew my first steps of following God’s call were authentic,” she says. • Taught at Immaculate Heart of Mary, Youngstown; Christ Our King, Warren; SS Cyril & Methodius, Warren; St. Joseph, Randolph; St. Helen, Newbury; St. Margaret Mary, South Euclid; St. Francis, Gates Mills; and St. Joseph, Winter Haven, FL • Pastoral associate at Resurrection Parish, Winter Garden; St. Anthony Parish, Lakeland; and St. Teresa Parish, Titusville • Coordinator of the SND Associates in Florida • Faith formation director of Resurrection Parish, FL When asked to reflect on her golden jubilee, Sister says, “I have been blessed with health, enthusiasm and energy to serve God’s people. My prayer and life experiences speak to me, like two of my favorite mystics have been known to voice: ‘How Good is our good God!’ and ‘All will be well.’”
Once she joined the SND community from Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish in Youngstown, OH, Sister Susan was able to share her faith in ways she could not have imagined. From classroom catechism to social media evangelization, Sister has helped spread the Good News to multitudes of people. “I entered the convent because I felt that I would have the greatest freedom and opportunity to share the Catholic faith with others as a Sister of Notre Dame,” she says. “Today I can say that I have experienced both the freedom and opportunity, as well as the support of my community, to do that throughout my entire religious life.” • Taught junior high within the Cleveland Diocese • Director of Religious Education and assistant principal at Immaculate Heart of Mary, Austintown • Director of Religious Education at St. Bede, Mentor • Authored the first editions of sixth grade, eighth grade and Confirmation texts and manuals of the Christ Our Life religion text series • Pastoral Associate at St. Julie Billiart, North Ridgeville, and St. Peter, Lorain • Executive Director for the National Council of Catholic Evangelization, Washington, DC • Over a span of 19 years, held several posts at the Paulist National Catholic Evangelization Association, Washington, DC, including senior vice president and executive director
ubilarians
• Province’s technology planning team coordinator and social media liaison * An internet and social media specialist, is founder and director of Catholic Web Solutions, an organization that helps parishes and religious communities integrate the Internet and social media into their missions
After five decades as a Sister of Notre Dame, the words from Mark 16:15 never cease to inspire and motivate Sister Susan: “Go out to all the world and tell the Good News.”
Sisters of Notre Dame
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(L) Sister Mary Carol Ziegler
Sister Mary Carol Ziegler
(R) Sister Linda Marie Gecewicz
(formerly Sister Mary John Edward)
“The Sisters of Notre Dame at St. Francis of Assisi in Gates Mills and Regina High School exemplified a professional, prayerful and joyful spirit,” says Sister Carol of her former teachers. “The sisters were well educated and engaging teachers. I loved the annual high school retreats. The sisters took a real interest in every Regina student… The women were amazing. I stand in awe of them today.” • Joined the community from St. Anselm Church, Chesterland • Ministered at several Northeast Ohio schools, including St. Margaret Mary, South Euclid; Notre Dame Elementary, Chardon; St. Mary, Elyria; St. Stephen, Cleveland; and St. Michael, Canton • Principal of St. Agnes School in Arlington, VA • Earned her PhD from Boston College • Held positions at Lesley University, Cambridge, MA, including program director for elementary education and associate professor • Special Assistant to the President for Mission Effectiveness; Education Department Associate Professor; National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education chair; and Director of Education at Notre Dame College • Today, serves as the College’s Chief Mission Officer and Abrahamic Center Executive Director When it comes to understanding and deepening her faith, Sister looks to God’s artwork for answers. “Nature has always served as a teacher in my life, from my wandering and reading in the woods of Chesterland as a high school student to my kayaking on the ocean today,” she says. “The evolutionary nature of all life and my life, of new paths opening each day, and of the limitlessness of compassion challenge me daily to be more like Christ as documented in the Gospels. The boldness of Christ in embracing our humanity keeps me working each day to contribute a bit more wherever I minister and to be a bit more kind.”
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Ruby Jubilee—40 years Sister Linda Marie Gecewicz
(formerly Sister Mary Robert Francis)
Sister Linda Marie first encountered the Sisters of Notre Dame while attending Notre Dame Academy. “Having already sensed a call to religious life, I was drawn to the order by the simple joy of the sisters and their total commitment to serving God and the Church,” she says. • Entered the order from Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish, Cleveland • Taught at Regina High School and Notre Dame Academy • Proofreader for the Christ Our Life religion series and a Spanish tutor at Notre Dame College • Assistant in the Pastoral Planning Office of the Diocese of Cleveland • Spanish to English translator; tutor; Development Office assistant; and Adult English as a Second Language teacher at Metro Catholic School • Receptionist at the Chardon Provincial Center • Involved in the Ministry to Hispanics at St. Francis Parish • English as a Language teacher for Painesville City Schools • Currently holds that role at Metro Catholic School “A passage of Scripture that speaks to me is, ‘Be still, and know that I am God,’” says Sister Linda Marie. “It has carried me through many a trial and challenging time, and reflects the Notre Dame charism of God’s goodness and provident care. It is a great blessing to share life with so many inspiring religious women. It is only by God’s grace and the prayer and support of my sisters that I offer my life to God in Notre Dame.”
www.sndchardon.org
Sisters of Notre Dame
Sister Mary Julie Smith Sister Mary Sherly Kodiyan
Sister Mary Julie Smith
Silver Jubilee—25 years
(formerly Sister Mary St. Julie)
When asked to reflect on her call to the Sisters of Notre Dame, Sister Julie admits that she was not sure what to expect. “I really had very little idea of what I was getting into when I came to Notre Dame,” she says. “I only knew the sisters who were assigned to Winter Haven, Florida. But this was something I felt that God was calling me to do, and I had to come and see and find out why I felt called to Notre Dame.” • Joined the community after entering from St. Joseph Parish, Winter Haven
Sister Mary Sherly Kodiyan In 1989, Sister Mary Sherly entered the Sisters of St. Joseph of St. Mark, from her home parish, St. Francis Xavier, South Thanissery, India. • Ministered as a nurse for the next 8 years • Served as a nurse at St. Joseph Care Center – Sisters of St. Joseph of St. Mark, Louisville, OH
• Taught at several schools: Notre Dame Academy/Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin, Chardon; Regina High School, South Euclid; and Elyria Catholic
• Tranferred to the Sisters of Notre Dame and continued her nursing vocation at the SND Health Care Center, Chardon; University Hospitals Geauga Medical Center, Chardon; and Pleasantview Care Center, Parma
• Served in maintenance and as a community officer at the Chardon Provincial House
• Just received her master of science in nursing degree and was licensed as a nurse practicioner
• Information technology director at Clearwater Central Catholic High School, FL
“My favorite scripture is, ‘I have called you by name, you are mine (Isaiah 43:1),’” says Sister Sherly. “I have found joy, happiness and peace as I ministered to others, especially as a nurse. I have been blessed with community support and the love of my sisters. I have found happiness in my call to become a woman religious, especially a Sister of Notre Dame.”
• Technology coordinator and records coordinator of Cleveland Central Catholic High School • Currently part of the Health Care Center Pastoral Care Team Sister’s life motto: “Live simply. Appreciate what you have and all the gifts that God has given to you. If you have enough to meet your needs, you will be more free to enjoy the fullness of life and joy.”
“ Charism is the key to continually becoming, realizing and responding to what God wants me to become, and
Charism the venue for doing what God wants me to do through promoting and proclaiming my lived experiences of God’s goodness and provident care.”
Sister Debra Doig, SND
Sister Debra Doig and Mr. Petter Kelly at SND groundbreaking ceremony.
Sisters of Notre Dame
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A Lasting Tribute
A Lasting Tribute SISTER MARY RANDAL Born Theresa Anna Sup on June 18, 1925 Entered into Religious life, August 16, 1945 Entered into Eternal life, April 6, 2017 From first grade through high school, Theresa was educated by the Sisters of Notre Dame. In her senior year at Notre Dame Academy, Cleveland, she became an aspirant and entered as a postulant on February 2, 1943. At investment, Theresa received the name Sister Mary Randal. Sister Mary Randal taught primary grades at 10 different elementary schools while studying to earn a bachelor’s degree in education. In 1958, she volunteered for and was chosen to serve in the province mission in India, the 1st SND to minister in Africa. From 1960 to 1981, Sister ministered as director of the Primary School, director of junior professed sisters, and teacher of candidates, provincial secretary and conductor of retreats. In 1981, Sister Mary Randal traveled to Rome to assist with secretarial duties at the Generalate. For eight years, Sister was on the library staff of the Pontifical North American College.
SISTER MARY LAURIE Born Madelynn Therese Divoky on November 25, 1942 Entered into Religious life, January 3, 1963 Entered into Eternal life, March 31, 2017 After graduating from public elementary school, Madelynn attended Regina High School where she came to know and love the Sisters of Notre Dame. Madelynn entered religious life on July 2, 1960. At investment, Madelynn received the name Sister Mary Laurie. Sister received a bachelor’s degree from St. John College in Cleveland, Ohio, and a master’s degree from John Carroll University in University Heights, Ohio. She taught junior high students for 12 years and then ministered as principal for 18 years. Sister loved her role as a teacher in suburban, inner city, and small town schools. Sister became a spiritual care coordinator for the Hospice of the Western Reserve in Ashtabula, Ohio. Sister also assisted with prison ministry for more than 10 years.
The History of Our Land Sisters of Notre Dame celebrate 60 years in Geauga County
150 acre, “Ivanhoe Farm,” purchased. Notre Dame Elementary School founded.
1957
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Provincial Center moves from Ansel Road, to Munson Township, Cleveland
1960
Sisters of Notre Dame
A Lasting Tribute Born Nenita G. Ranes on August 18, 1943 Entered into Religious life, August 15, 1973 Entered into Eternal life, March 2, 2017 Nenita earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education at Philippine Normal College. In 1968, she immigrated to the United States. While living in Chicago, Illinois, Nenita taught elementary school for two years and began to recognize her call to religious life. She made contact with the Sisters of Notre Dame and asked for entrance into the community. At investment, she chose the name Sister Mary Niño. Sister Mary Niño received a master’s degree in education from the University of Dayton, Ohio. For almost 30 years, Sister Mary Niño taught the primary grades, preparing hundreds of children for the reception of the Eucharist. In 2000, Sister Mary Niño was missioned as a member of the pioneer team of Sisters of Notre Dame to the island of Guimaras, Philippines. From her native land, Sister returned to Chardon in 2004 and assisted in the sacristy and art activities in the Health Care Center.
SISTER MARY JOSELLEN
A Lasting Tribute
SISTER MARY NIÑO
Born Isabel Josephine Dajer on May 4, 1928 Entered into Religious life, August 16, 1950 Entered into Eternal life, February 15, 2017 As a second year high school student, Isabel enrolled at Notre Dame Academy. Isabel graduated in 1946, and entered the Sisters of Notre Dame on September 8, 1947. At investment she received the name Sister Mary Josellen. Sister earned a bachelor’s degree from St. John College, Cleveland, and a master’s degree in education from Loyola University, Chicago, Illinois. She ministered as an elementary school teacher for 15 years before being missioned in the Apostolate of Prayer at the Motherhouse, Rome. For the next 25 years, Sister Mary Josellen immersed herself in prayer for the Church, the international SND community, and the needs of the world. In 1991, Sister Mary Josellen returned to the U.S. to minister as Coordinator of Guides and Events at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, Washington, DC. With fluency in Spanish, Italian and Portuguese and a working knowledge of other languages, Sister welcomed and guided pilgrims from all over the world.
Sisters purchase 212-acre property on Butternut Road.
First SND C hicken BBQ
18 teachers and 100 students at Notre Dame Academy say goodbye to the beloved “Castle Ansel.”
January 4, first day of classes and what is now known as NDCL.
NDA boarding school closes. Bethany Retreat Center opens in its place.
March 14, affiliation agreement is signed between the Sisters of Notre Dame and Cathedral Latin Alumni Association Trustees, resulting in a co-ed high school, Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin School. continues on next page
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A Lasting Tribute
A Lasting Tribute SISTER MARY HELEN Born Helen Chasar on May 27, 1920 Entered into Religious life, August 16, 1941 Entered into Eternal life, May 16, 2017 Helen transferred to Notre Dame Academy her senior year of high school. After graduation in 1938, Helen entered the Sisters of Notre Dame on September 8 and at investment received the name Sister Mary Leanette. Later, she returned to her baptismal name, Sister Mary Helen. Sister Mary Helen received a bachelor’s degree from St. John College in Cleveland and a master’s degree in education from Loyola University in Chicago, Illinois. Her involvement with parents, teachers and children, especially in the primary grades, spanned 67 years. Sister was teacher, principal, catechist, tutor and aide; she ministered at schools in Ohio, Virginia and Florida. She had an innate respect for younger children and considered it a privilege to share God’s goodness and love with them. Through supervising and working with beginning teachers, Sister gained new insights and discovered a variety of activities that would help the children receive God’s message of love. During the years when she ministered in the classroom as teacher, tutor or aide, Sister Mary Helen created teaching materials, and assisted the editor of Mine magazine (a periodical then published for children in the primary grades). She also contributed to the revision of the Christ Our Life religion series and took advantage of many opportunities to deepen her spiritual life. When she returned to the Provincial Center in 2003, Sister continued to be a woman on mission. She assisted as a classroom aide, answered the phone for the prayer line, made crafts for the community boutique and devoted much time to the ministry of prayer, presence and praise.
The History of Our Land Sisters of Notre Dame celebrate 60 years in Geauga County
Lion Stadium is built to meet the needs of the growing athletic programs
1998
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Sisters of Notre Dame
2017 Scholarship Winner
Rebecca Vober, who graduates in June from St. Matthew School and will continue her education at Hoban High School in Akron, has received the 2017-18 Alumnae Legacy Scholarship. Rebecca maintained first honors for the past three years, is a basketball player, Student Council President, is in the children’s choir and is a cantor. She received the St. Teresa of Calcutta Award from her school for her service work. A few additional activities of Rebecca: serving meals at soup kitchens, bell ringing for Salvation Army, parish volunteering at various events, and packing food for those in need. Rebecca is the daughter of Sandra Trausch Vober’87 and niece of Dianna Trausch Kemmerer’05. Congratulations, Rebecca!
Retreat 2017 Our annual Alumnae Retreat was held at the Bethany Retreat Center in Chardon in February. The theme was “Christ Has No Hands On Earth But Yours.” We explored the many ways we can be of help to those in need. Responding to Pope Francis’ call to help refugees worldwide, David Rathz and his wife (Regina graduate) Patty O’Malley told us about the project they started at St. John Vianney Parish sponsoring a refugee family from Burundi, Africa and how some of us might be able to do the same in their parishes. They will be more than happy to meet with your parish and share their information! After Mass in the sisters’ chapel, the organ started the Regina School Song. Regina alumnae, plus many of the Sisters who graduated from or staffed Regina, joined in! Think about joining us next year! Sister Kay O'Malley, center, celebrates Mass with Regina alumnae
Construction of tennis courts and an all-purpose athletic field with artificial turf and lighting completed.
Construction begins on Notre Dame Village
Notre Dame Village becomes a reality on campus.
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Reunions Class of ’57 (60th Reunion) Friday, September 7 Acacia Reservation 26899 Cedar Rd. in Lyndhurst, Ohio Cost: $25.00 Gather and Chatter at 11 and luncheon at noon Please respond to Pam Wright Waitinas before Sept. 1 10215 Chardon Rd. Chardon, Oh 44024 Make checks payable to Pam Waitinas If you can’t make it, please send a photo, note or letter to us to share with classmates. Email Laraine Valerian O’Brien at obrien@ earthlink.net or Carol Prochaska Smith at cpsmith3@roadrunner.com Class of 67 (50th Reunion) Saturday, September 16 • Ladies’ Luncheon 10:00 - 2:30 Acacia Reservation of the Cleveland Metro Parks (formerly Acacia Country Club) 26899 Cedar Rd., Lyndhurst, OH 44124 Come enjoy nature, share memories, have some laughs, rekindle old friendships, and perhaps even make some new ones. • Tour Regina as it is today - 2:30 Check out: ThisisCleveland.com for exciting evening options with family and friends. Sunday, September 17 • Gather together for Mass at 11:00 Communion of Saints Parish (St. Ann’s Church) 2175 Coventry Road, Cleveland Hts., OH 44118 Coffee and donuts to follow Please remit $40.00 to cover expenses by August 15 to Laurie (McCormick) Lafferty, 11303 South Forest Dr., Painesville, OH 44077
Class of 87 Reunion Date: August 5, 2017 Location Nighttown, Cleveland Hts, (www. nighttowncleveland.com) Dress: casual Cost:$40 per person (includes 2 drink tickets and heavy appetizers). Cash bar after you use your tickets. How to pay: PayPal - even if you do not have a paypal account, it is easy and free to set up. You can then pay with credit card. paypal.me/LizbethHartranft Spouses/significant others are welcome but not necessary! Let’s have a great night and stroll down memory lane of 30 years ago! Questions/problems contact: Liz Phillips Hartranft – lizhartranft@gmail.com Class of 92 (25th Reunion) We decided to have a two-day reunion. Friday, July 28 - just the girls will meet at Paninis on Coventry starting at 7pm-until ? Order from the menu and cash bar. Saturday, July 29 - we want to have a family-friendly pot luck picnic. Place to be determined. Contact Rose Budas at lifeisrosies@gmail.com or Alumnae Office at rhsalum@reginahigh.com. Please let your friends know. Other Reunions? If other classes are planning reunions, please contact the Alumnae Office with the information so we can pass it on when asked about reunions or if we can be of help with addresses and emails. Also, if the classes of 1958, ‘68, ‘78, and ‘93 are planning anything – we’ll be happy to help in any way!
Alumnae Association 2017-2018 Calendar
Dates for 2017-18
Girls Night Out October 20 Pizzazz across from John Carroll 5:30 until ? Cost $20.00 includes food, soft drinks, tax, gratuity. Cash Bar Reservations due October 13. * We listened to your suggestions, and the evening will start earlier so you can come straight from work! Looking forward to seeing you. Bring your friends! If some anniversary classes want to come, we will reserve space for your group but please let us know. Regina Alumnae Retreat February 16 to 18 Bethany Retreat House in Chardon, Ohio Reservations due by February 1, 2018 If you are interested and want more information, contact Sister Kay at rhsalum@reginahigh.com or 216-905-4851.
(L) Sister Karita enjoys time with her classmates.
Email and addresses If you have email or address updates, please contact Sister Kay at rhsalum@reginahigh.com
Transcripts If you need your transcript please follow the new directions: Go to ndcl.org When you get to the site, scroll over to alumni and down to Regina. Fill in the information and submit. There is no longer a fee for transcripts Not on the internet: Contact NDCL Registrar at 440-279-1055.
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Sisters of Notre Dame
BBQ 55th Annual BBQ and Boutique Chicken Ad Already designed will go Sunday, September here 17 & 24 Noon-5pm
Tickets available at the door
Chicken $13 Ribs $16 Takeout available! Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin Gymnasium on the Notre Dame Education Center Campus 13000 Auburn Road, Chardon South of Mayfield Road Handicapped Accessible Details visit www.sndchardon.org
13000 Auburn Road Chardon, OH 44024 www.sndchardon.org
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One Heart, One Hope, One Mission