Sowing Goodness - Summer 2023

SowingGoodness

women of influence,

prophets of hope

SUMMER2023

1Welcome to Sowing Goodness

6

Women of Influence, Prophets of Hope

Sister Ginny Scally reflects onher pastoral ministry.

2 Finding Prophetic Voices: Teaching Philosophy, Religion andIdentity

Courageous Women

Lead the Way

Sister Gillian Wallace connects with students at Notre Dame High School – San Jose in a powerful way.

1899

TheSisters open TrinityCollegein Washington, D.C. as thenation’s first Catholicliberal arts collegeforwomen.

TheSisterspurchasetheSwanFarm in Worcester, Massachusettsandin 1906the Sisterscomplete the workon NotreDameduLac,designed tobe a placeof restforillandailing sisters.

The Sistersacquire propertyinTyngsboro, Massachusetts and the estate isused to providerestand retreat for Sisters. In 1927, Notre DameAcademyinLowell, Massachusettsrelocates to thesiteand becomes NDATyngsboro where it remainstoday.

as thesisters neartwodecades ofgrowth intothe 20th century,theycontinue toexpandacross the U.S.andbeyondtoserve those ingreatestneed.

1919

TheSisters open EmmanuelCollegein Boston, the firstCatholicwomen’s collegein New England.

1923

Massachusetts Sistersareinvited to Okayama,Japanto takeover a schoolthathadbeen runbythe Sisters of theInfantJesus.

OURCOMMUNITY

2Prophetic Voices in the Classroom

3NDMVA—BigLaurelConnections

4The Call to Association

5Healthcare—HopeandHealing

5OUR 2023 JUBILARIANS

SPIRITUALITY

6PastoralLeadership

7Standing with Those Made Poor

EDUCATION

8Celebrating 100 Years in Belmont

10Trinity Washington University

11EmmanuelCollege

12Campus Chronicles—News and Updates

TheSisters begin their first mission in Maryland when twoSisters travel bytrainfromWashington, D.C. toGaithersburg to teach Sundayschool classes atSt. Martin of Tours Parish.Aconvent is openedin 1926.

SISTERS IN MINISTRY

15Luda’sJourney

15Nativity Schools Breakfast Program

16Pajaro Valley Shelter Services

18Celebrating Our Impact and EnduringLegacy

TheSistersacquire theWilliamRalston propertyinBelmont,California. The College ofNotreDame (including the highschoolandelementary school),thenovitiateandprovince administration movetoRalston Hall.

Celebrating Centuries of Impact and Our Enduring Legacy

Many thanksto archivists:Nancy Barthelemy,Ipswich,Massachusetts(EWProvince); SisterKim Dalgarn,SNDdeN,Cincinnati(Ohio Province);SisterMary Hayes,SNDdeN,Washington,D.C. (Trinity Washington University);andKathleen O’Connor,Belmont,California(EWProvince).

26ImmigrationMinistry—Reflection fromPhoenix

To supporttheirexpansion,the Sisters establish theBaltimore Provincein1934 (laterthe Maryland Province in1959) andtheConnecticut Provincein1959.

27DonorProfile

28St. Julie Billiart Legacy Society

29InMemoriam

Mrs. MargaretMorelandbuilds Moreland NotreDameElementary inWatsonville, California in honorof herdaughter, Josephine,astudent at theCollege of Notre Dame,whodied at ayoungage.

Propertyis purchasedin Moylan, Pennsylvania as a summerresidenceforSisters. In 1926, NotreDameAcademy, Moylanopens hereand laterbecomesNotreDame High School—open to all—intheArchdioceseofPhiladelphia.At any given time45–50Sistersareon faculty.

Welcome to the Summer 2023 issue of Sowing Goodness

magazine!

SowingGoodness

Volume2,Number1

TheSistersofNotreDamedeNamur(SNDdeN)makeknown God’sgoodnessthrougheducatingforlifeandtakingastand withpeoplelivinginpoverty,especiallywomenandchildren.

SowingGoodness ispublishedtwiceayearforfriendsofthe

SistersofNotreDamedeNamurU.S.East-WestProvinceby the Mission Advancement office.

SistersofNotreDamedeNamur

U.S.East-West Province www.snddeneastwest.org

RegionalOffice

351Broadway

Everett,MA 02149-3425

RegionalOffice

1520RalstonAvenue

Belmont,CA94002-1908

LeadershipTeam

SisterElaineBain,SNDdeN

SisterBarbaraBarry,SNDdeN

SisterEileenBurns,SNDdeN

SisterPatriciaChappell,SNDdeN

SisterMaryFarren,SNDdeN

MissionAdvancementExecutiveTeam(EMAT)

MicheleForté,Exec.DirectorofMissionAdvancement

Susan Dennin, Director of Communications, Editor

Jen Pearce, Director of Development, Editor

Contributors

AdamEvertz

SisterAnnHoward,SNDdeN

ElizabethNawrocki

KathyTerranovaNoether

SisterGwynetteProctor,SNDdeN

SisterGinnyScally,SNDdeN

SisterGillianWallace,SNDdeN EMAT

Design

StoltzeDesignGroup

Photography

SNDdeNandstaff

ElizabethNawrocki

OnourCover

Clockwise from top:SistersGillian Wallace,Ginny Scally andGwynetteProctor,SNDdeN.

SistersofNotre Dame de Namur U.S.East-West Province is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Our tax identification numberis04-3210469.

©Copyright2023SistersofNotreDamedeNamur, U.S.East-West Province.

We seek to be Prophets of Hope engaging in true dialogue that leads to deep encounter with others.

Our province theme for this year ties closely to the call of our Foundress St.Julie Billiart who asks us to seek out those in the most abandoned places and carry the light of God’s goodness in our hearts, as wide as the world. The timeline in this issue illustrates how St.Julie and her congregation, past and present, are courageous women of influence, standing up to barrierswhethereconomic,genderbased, or from within the Catholic Church. St.Julie saw the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur as a hopeful “light of revelation” going across the seas to unknown parts of the world. Her vision continues today as the Sisters serve in 14 countries and on five continents, places where we continue to positively influence others and serve with hope and courage.

To be influential prophets carrying that light of hope in the world today, we are called to engage with those impacted by poverty, violence and lack of respect for their human dignity. They are crying out for help. We respond by bringing

the goodness of the Gospel into ourencounters.Inanincreasingly remote and digitized world that is often lacking personal relationships, we minister by sharing a welcoming smile with an asylee, a hot breakfast before school, compassionatehealthcareduring the pandemic and educating for life no matter what age the student enters our classroom.

This issue highlights the many ways our extended community seeks to live as women of influence and,indeed, prophets of hope, helping those in need achieve and sustain fullness of life. Our Sisters, Associates, educators, volunteers and staff members create meaningful opportunities where powerful life-affirming influence is fostered, whether in a traditional leadership role, as a mentor or companion, or as former client who can now give back to the community where they were served.

We hope you find inspiration in these stories of deepencounter and dialogue and see the profound impact of our work.

Withgratitude,

The Leadership Team of the U.S. East-West Province

“Come, my dear daughters, we must have courage in the century we live in. Great souls are needed, souls having the interests of the greater glory of God at heart.” —Saint Julie Billiart

sisterelainebain

sisterbarbarabarry

sistereileenburns

sister mary farren

Our Community

The photoyou see is of us finishing the unit on African American W.E.B. DuBois’theoryofdoubleconsciousness. The idea is that we have two identities; how we know ourselves and how others perceive us.

FindingPropheticVoices:Teaching Philosophy, Religion and Identity

BYGILLIANWALLACE,SNDdeN,Ph.D.

when i started teachingatNotre Dame HighSchool (ndsj) in San Jose, California, little did I know that I would be getting a fluorescent vest… free! This perkis because I am atraffic guard. Wow! Who knew my vocation would lead me to this unexpected role?

I love using my prophetic voice cheerfully to greet our students and staff as they arrive. It’s gratifying to see students who look sad or anxious smile.

This weekI greeted groups by saying, “Welcome to the Good Place,ndsj!” This got the best response yet!

In case you don’t know, “The Good Place” isa sit-com about philosophy. Juniors and seniors watch it in the philosophy classes I teach.A number of students report to it beingthe main reason they chose to take philosophy.

Students investigated the impact this philosophy had on the U.S. civil rights movement all the way to Black Lives Matter. Students also identified double consciousness’impactoncontemporary African American literatureand films. Discussing race and identity in the U.S. today is no easy task. Yet these prophets of the future did just that. Many shared theirownexperiencesofdiscrimination based on their ethnicity orreligion. One also shared her vision of how the future might look if we could move beyond viewing our differences in a negativeway.

Freshmen religion students are also finding their prophetic voices in The Woman’s Place Project. Inspired by the artist Judy Chicago’s art installation “The Dinner Party,” each student researches a woman of impact. She then creates a place setting as if that woman were being honored at the dinner. Our entire gym is filled with these place settings. On the night of the program, families walk around the installation whilst the freshmen stand by their place setting and wax lyrical about their woman of impact.

Only a few of the biblical prophets were women. Thanks tondsj, I am hopeful that there will be many more modern women prophets in the future. These prophets will reflect the various faith traditions of our students. May their impacts be positive and long lasting. ❊

“Onlyafewofthe biblicalprophets werewomen.Thanks to ndsj,Iamhopeful thattherewillbe manymoremodern womenprophetsinthe future.Theseprophets willreflectthevarious faithtraditionsofour students. May their impactsbepositive and long lasting.”

sistergillianwallace,snd de n

At Home in the Web of Life

REFLECTION FROM ELIZABETH NAWROCKI NOTREDAMEMISSIONVOLUNTEER

it’s nearly impossibletoavoid running into a few spider webs when walking through the woods behind Big Laurel in early September. One web caught the bill of my hat so perfectly that its weaver dangled just inches from my eyes. After a moment of panic, I quickly realized that most of my attention and energy on this fall walk would be directed toward detecting the almost invisible webs and stepping under and around them as best I could.

Preservingthese intricate webs hearkens back to an image thathas shaped ourwork here at Big Laurel and beyond. In 1995, the Catholic Committee of Appalachia published “At Home in the Web of Life,” a pastoral message reflecting on the importance of building and maintaining sustainable communities. A sustainable community, an

interconnected and interdependent ecosystem, a “web of life” offers a path forward. It is only through careful ecological and social connections thatlife can survive and flourish.

But this web of life is just as delicate as those I was dodging in the woods. Too often instead of careful consideration for the preservation of these webs, we forge straight ahead, waving a macheteat anything that arises on the path, plowing through the delicate systems of interdependence that have been established for generations. And the uncertainties and difficulties presented in the pastoral message have only multiplied in the intervening decades.

The work of Big Laurel seeks to mendthisdelicateandbrokenweb.We weave connections and communities that span time and space. We build

relationships that transform individuals and shape the world around us. We consider our place in the natural world and take seriously our role within it. The web of life maintains us if we maintain it.

By the end of September, the webs were completely gone from the path and I could walk again without the hyper attention that was previously necessary. Their season came and went in the cyclical web of life. To what other silks in the web should I turn my attention, now? What structures can I help preserve in service to the web of life? Which have been damaging the web and deserve to be dismantled? What wild and sacred places can be left alone to flourish without the threat of my accidental destruction?

May our existence serve only to strengthen, preserve, and weave the delicate web of life. ❊

ElizabethNawrocki serves at Big Laurel Learning Center in Kermit, West Virginia. She has spent time studying theology, working with the L’Arche community, community organizing, making lattes, and traveling the country. She was drawn to ndmva at Big Laurel because of her passion for education, the environment and creativity.

TheCalltoAssociation: My Journey as a Woman of Influence

BYKATHYTERRANOVANOETHER SISTERSOFNOTREDAMEDENAMURASSOCIATE

long before i was an associate of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, Iwas a Sister. The Sisters have been part of my life since first grade at Sacred Heart in San Jose. With my parents’ blessing, from Notre Dame High School, I entered at our provincial house. I loved learning about what religious life is all about and was amazed by some of the brilliant Sisters who trained us and how far ahead of their time they were as they modeled how to be a daughter of Julie—the foundress of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur—in an ever-evolving world.

Valley to name a few—and, coupled with changes in the Catholic Church andreligious life, I saw that itwas right forme to leave the congregation and take a new path. I continued my career as a teacher, married and started our beautifulfamily.

I kept in contact with several women in my band, including a good friend, SisterJoan Burke, SNDdeN and Iasked her if there was anything the Sisters had considered creating as a bridge for former Sistersand others to be more connected to Notre Dame. She shared that a new movement had been forming in Europe and some of the eastern U.S. provinces in the congregationcalledAssociation. Becoming an Associate gave me the opportunity to be connected again to the Sisters.

As Associates of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, we model St.Julie’s vision, live our vocationaland prophetic

call through the values and Hallmarks of the Sisters, and work towards tearing down unjust barriers. We support the Sisters in their mission, assist with the formation of candidates for Association, and parallel the charism of the Sisters.

Since I first made my commitment almost five decades ago, Association has gradually evolved. We have an awareness of mission and spirituality that is global, particularly in supporting our congregation in the southernhemisphere.

Being an Associate of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur has become a mantra of joy for me. I bring my life experiences of family, career, music, and volunteer work, all under the umbrella of the charism and vision of St.Julie. I am honored to share this call with the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, whose hearts are as wide as the world and who always sing the goodness of God! ❊

I started as a voice and music student at the College of Notre Dame and, due to a need for teachers, left early to work in a number of musicrelated teaching roles. Around this time there were also tremendous troubles in the world—the Vietnam War, racial unrest, andthe unjust conditions with farmworkers of the California Central

“AsAssociatesoftheSistersofNotreDame de Namur, we model St. Julie’s vision, live our vocational and prophetic call through the values and Hallmarks of the Sisters, and work towards tearing down unjust barriers. We support the Sisters intheirmission,assistwiththeformation of candidates for Association, and parallel thecharismoftheSisters.”

kathy terranovanoether

Kathy Noether with Jim, her beloved husband of fifty years.

A Nurse’s Calling of Hope and Healing

BY ADAMEVERTZ

sister vivien echekwubelu, sndden,a veteran nurse of 33 years, was serving at a critical care unit at St.Agnes Hospital in Baltimore when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Sister Vivien’s unit was converted into a COVID-19 unit, and she found herself at the forefront of the battle against the virus.

Despite the challenging and frightening conditions, Sister Vivien continued to work tirelessly, putting in twelve to fourteen-hour shifts at the heightofthecrisis.Shedrewinspiration from the charism of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, which emphasizes putting others first. With turmoil building around her, Sister Vivien sought to be a beacon of strength and stability for her fellow nurses and for the patients fighting for their lives.

At the peak of the crisis, the nurses would gather each morning and begin their meeting with a prayer. Sister Vivien’s strong faith in God was a source of inspiration and influence for her colleagues, who often waited to begin the meeting until she arrived.

For Sister Vivien, nursing is not just a career, but a calling. “I feel deeply called to serve God through healing,” she says. Through her work as a nurse,Sister Vivien expresses her commitment to healing and to serving others. In the face of the pandemic, she remained steadfast in her faith and her commitment to her patients, drawing on her own strength and the support of her colleagues.

As we continue to navigate the challenges of the pandemic, we can

draw inspiration from Sister Vivien’s example. We can strive to put others first, to remain steadfast in our faith, and to be a beacon of strength and hope for those around us. And we can take comfort in the knowledge that, no matter what challenges we face, the good God is with us always. ❊

CelebratingOurSisters ofNotreDamedeNamur

East-WestProvince 2023Jubilarians

85 Years

ElizabethO’Connor

CatherineOwens

80 Years

CatherinePanetta

75 Years

Mary Elizabeth Delaney

MaryDoyle

Teresa Trayers

Christina Marie Trudeau

70 Years

Mary Louise Blanchard

YvonneBondi

Natalia Carrasco

Roseanne Murphy

MaryCatherinePero

Francis Timothy Quinn

MichelaSheehan

60 Years

PatriciaButler

Ann Daly

Phylis D’Anna

Mary Friel

Ellen Keane

KathleenLeary

MaryReardon

VirginiaScally

Paula Tinlin

CatherineWaldron

50Years

RosemaryReynolds

40 Years

Learn more about the work of the Sisters: snddeneastwest.org/our-impact

Kathryn Keenan

“Ifeeldeeplycalled to serve God through healing and that findsexpressionin mynursingcareer.”

sistervivienechekwubelu, snd de n

Spirituality

Women of Influence, Prophets of Hope

BYGINNYSCALLY,SNDdeN

asireflecton my faith development, I am reminded of the women who haveinfluenceditthemost.Mymother was the first Woman of Influence in my faith life. She introduced me to a God of Blessing and taught me how to offer my day to Him. On walks to Church for Benediction, she explained the significance of the priest raising the monstrance and the lamp beside the altar. Her spirituality opened my heart and soul to the Person and Presence with whom I have journeyed ever since.

In my parish Catholic schools, I encountered more women of influence who were Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur! Their lives were a witness to their relationship with Christ, and their mentoring introduced me to “spiritual exercises” and supported my discernment for my vocation as a Sister of Notre Dame. Their humanity and holiness helped in creating in me a new woman of influence for the future.

In the mid-70s, I joined a team of six co-pastors in an experimental parish on the south side of Chicago. We were a true Vatican II parish where all members were empowered to be People of Influence. We rotated weekend preaching, and liturgical ministers would meet to reflect on the Scriptures with their homilist.

During the 80s, I joined the pastoral team at St.Anne University Parish in

Boston. The women on the team could only preach at Evening Prayer, but my mostsatisfyingministrywassupporting the journeys of students as they explored issues of identity, gender, and faith. My journey gave me a grounded spiritual experience that I could use to help those who confided in me.

But I was ready for more, and that “more” came from the Diocese of Saginaw in Michigan. Bishop Ken Untener was appointing women as Pastoral Administrators (read “pastoring persons”) in priestless parishes, and I was one of them. We were directly accountable to the bishop, just like our ordained counterparts, and our responsibilities included the

spiritual, educational, and financial operations of the parish. In this role, for over 20 years, I had the best opportunity to influence the lives of others. I was able to preach on weekends on a bi-weekly basis until the introduction of the new Roman Missal.

I never took this privilege lightly. In the parish, I wore an alb, a vestment I associate with my baptism, at weekend LiturgiesandwhenIpresidedatEvening Prayer. I sat in the sanctuary beside my Sacramental Minister in a presider’s chair identical to his. I received the gifts my parishioners brought forward and stood just behind my Sacramental Minister from the ambo when I proclaimed the Gospel. I led prayer serviceswhen my Sacramental Minister was unavailable, and I visited the sick and homebound with the Eucharist.

As I turned 70 and concluded my ministry in Saginaw, I sent a letter to Pope Francis. This letter detailed my experiences and the conviction that many people of God would accept women in ordained ministry if the Spirit of God has called them to that role. I don’t know if the Pope ever received that letter and only time will tell if the Catholic Church recognizes the God-given gifts of its many women of influence and answers their call to be prophets of hope through ordainedministry.

Through all these experiences, Ilearned that women can and do make a significant impact in the Church. Women of Influence have shaped my faith life from my mother’s early teachings to the spiritual and mentoring guidance of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur. ❊

“Theopportunitiesfor pastoralleadership haveshownmethatitis possible to lead a life offaith,service,and influence, and for that, Iameternallygrateful.”

sisterginnyscally,snd de n

Standingwith ThoseMadePoor: ASpirituality of Presence

BYGWYNETTEPROCTOR,SNDdeN

for the past forty-two years, Ihave felt a calling to follow in the footsteps of St.Julie Billiart and stand with and for the poor and oppressed in the most abandoned places. As a member of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur,I have worked as an educator and administrator serving diverse populationsinvariouslocations.

I began work in Baltimore city as a public school teacher before becoming thePrincipalofAcademyofNotreDame, aCatholichighschoolforyoungwomen in Washington,D.C. Later, Ibecame the Executive Director of Notre Dame Education Center in Lawrence, Massachusetts, where we established programs such asesol(Englishfor Speakers of Other Languages), occupational training for Certified Nursing Assistants, and citizenship classes. Through these programs, we were able to break the generational cycle of poverty in families by creating a pathway to a more secure life.

My work in New England brought me closer to people who were new to the country and struggling to maneuver through the community safely. The inability to speak English was a source of insecurity, isolation, and fear, which relegated them to living their lives in the confines of a four or five-block area.

At the Notre Dame Education Center, we refocused our mission to provide programs that would broaden engagement in the community. English classes helped expand their access, breaking the isolation. The Certified Nursing Assistant program provided skilled jobs paying higher wages to support the family, and citizenship classes helped pave the way toward navigating the community without fear.

Later, my ministry experiences placed me back on the streets of Baltimore city, where I engaged with people who lived in underserved areas and were often invisible to society.

As the Director of Our Daily Bread, a soup kitchen that provided more than just soup, I encountered individuals from all walks of life, including the homeless, the employed, the underemployed, and the poor. Our meals, often the only one of the day, consisted of bread, casseroles, a dessert, and a drink for our 700 guests. Instead of feeling the ridicule and disgust of strangers in their lives, they were greeted by the volunteers and staff with kindness, care, and the human dignity and respect that each one deserved but rarely experienced.

My work then shifted to the Christopher Place Employment Academy,aresidentialemployment program for formerly homeless men that provided addiction recovery services and future employment opportunities. Here, I encountered men whose troubled lives had almost used them up, and I felt privileged to sit among them, listen to their stories, and focus them on a future filled with promise and possibilities.

Reflecting on my ministry experiences, I realized that the most important element of my outreach was the consistent presence I provided to different segments in society. This spiritualityofpresenceknowsno boundaries and has served me well in the past and will continue to guide me forward in life. As I walked the streets in New England and now Baltimore, I continue to feel St.Julie’s presence as my companion guiding me along the way. ❊

“I encountered men whose troubled lives had almost used them up, and I felt privilegedtosit amongthem,listento theirstories,and focusthemonafuture filled with promise and possibilities.”

sistergwynetteproctor, snd de n

Celebrating 100 Years in Belmont: A Legacy of Courage Looks to the Future

dayafterdayfor over six months, Sisters would pile into a truck and trailer for the daily journey from San Jose to Belmont, California to clean Ralston Hall, a mansion at a property the Sisters purchased, and prepare itto welcome students and Sisters. It was 1923—a century ago— and the dawn of a new era.

But the story began in 1851, when two Sisters journeyed from Oregon to San Francisco to meet Sisters arriving from Belgium. They had planned to return to Oregon but instead, with only 25 cents in their pockets and an abundance of faith, theSisters remained and opened a boarding school, the College (high school) of Notre Dame (cnd) in San Jose. In 1868,cnd was chartered as the first college in California authorizedto grant the baccalaureate degree to women and it would soon become knownas the “best school for young ladies” in the west.

By 1923, the block in San Jose was full and the Sisters needed more space. They found the expansive Ralston property,built by William Ralston a successful San Francisco businessman, in what would later become the city of Belmont, California. In the fall of that year, the day students remained at Notre Dame San Jose, while the Sisters and boarders moved into Ralston Hall and classes started for the college, high school and elementary school. All remained at Ralston Hall until the high school building was completed in 1928 and the high school andelementary school relocated to the newbuilding. The elementary school remained in the high school building for nearly thirty years

and, in 1957, moved up the street to its current location alongside the NotreDame Preschool.

Throughout the years, all the schools have grown and thrived as partners in the community and with each other. Many Sisters attended Notre Dame Elementary School (nde), Notre Dame Belmont High School (ndb), orcnd (laterndnu), and many have taught at the schools and served in leadership roles.

The College of Notre Dame has evolved as an institution of higher education, including going co-educational in 1969 and, in 2001, becoming Notre Dame de Namur University (ndnu) and moving from a departmental framework to a structure of four schools each directed by a dean.

ndnu President Beth Martin, Ph.D., who was founding Dean ofndnu’s School of Sciences and served in that capacityfrom 2001 to 2006,returned in her new role as president in September 2021. She has always admiredthe Sisters’ drive to reach marginalized populations. She said, “Rather than say ‘We have apackage of thingsthat we have been teaching for 200 years,’ instead the Sisters say, ‘I need to learn what you need to knowand teach you what you needfor your life because life changes constantly.’”

ndnu continuesto embrace this spirit and resiliency asit enters a new era. “The population and needs are changing and we are adapting with the times,” said President Martin. ndnu is offering more online courses and hybrid courses. ndnu is expanding its master’s level degrees and offers undergraduate degree completion programs for students

across California. The Sisters have also made the enormous decision and commitment to monetize the campus.ndnu has entered into an agreement with Stanford University that gives Stanford the option to purchase the property in the next few years.ndnu will remain on campus and can channel resources into continuing its transformation to focus primarily on graduate programs. These changes will make education more accessible for a broader population, including some who may otherwise not have had access.

Sister Jean Stoner, SNDdeN, chairperson of thendnu Board of Trustees, attendedndnu (thencnd) and lived on campus in Ralston Hall and later in Toso Namur. Sister Jean is confident thatndnu will successfully navigate this new direction. She draws on the Sisters’ history of adapting to change and their willingness to face challenges head-on. “We can pivot to a different iteration of the university after 172 years because we have done it before. We did it leaving Oregon to come to California, and again leaving San Jose to come to Belmont,” she said. “Often one finds that, although something is not easy to do, accomplishing it leads to the possibility and promise of efforts being able to flourish.”

The students have always been at the heart of all the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur schools. Sister Carol Miller, SNDdeN, who attended Notre Dame Belmont High School and taught atndnu remembers with admiration the dedication of her students, who balanced work, family and education with unwavering commitment. “They would arrive to class at the end of their workday and, just ahead

of class beginning, they wouldcall to be sure the babysitter had arrived and during the 15-minute break they would call their elderly parents to be sure they had a good day and bless them,” she said. “They would get out of class at 9:15p.m. and commute home andhave to get back upin the morning for work. I was always impressed by the dedication of the students.”

As we near the 100th anniversary in Belmont, on September 16, 2023, we are grateful to the community that has welcomed the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur and our schools and embraced us as essential partners. The Sisters look back with pride on the rich history and forward with tremendous optimism to the future possibilities where our schools will continue to be a beacon of educational excellence and opportunity for all. ❊

“Wecanpivottoadifferentiteration oftheuniversityafter172years becausewehavedoneitbefore. We did it leaving Oregon to come to California, and again leaving SanJosetocometoBelmont.”

sisterjeanstoner,snd de n

NDNU President Beth Martin, Ph.D., pictured with her dog Bella.

Persistence:Buildingon Mission to Grow and Thrive

trinity washington university,aCatholicwomen’s college in Washington, D.C., owes its existence to the persistence of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, who arrived in the city in 1873 and established several schools for women. Three industrial schools quickly evolved to St.Aloysius Elementary School for girls and then the Academy, all at North Capitol and K Streets. In 1897, after learning that women were being rejected from Catholic University, the Sisters were determined to start their own Catholic college for women. Despite opposition from some conservative individuals who went all the way to the Vatican to try and block the plans, the Sisters persisted and even made a trip to appeal to the Cardinal in Atlantic City. They returned successful and Trinity was founded.

Trinity Washington University President Patricia McGuire, who assumed the role in 1989, is amazed by what the Sisters accomplished and said, “It would be hard for us to replicate today what they were able to do on their own. Part of what keeps us focused and moving forward is the memory of the grit, determination, and courage of our founders.”

As an alumna and member of the Trinity Board of Trustees, President McGuire knew that the school she

attended in the 1970s was facing so many societal changes. She saw anopportunity for thecollege to enter a new chapter including a shift in focus towards recruiting lowincome women of color from thelocal area. She also discovered that many of the working women who had once participated in the innovative Weekend College that began in the 1980s had daughters who now also wanted to come to Trinity. The combination of going out to the local schools and the Weekend College legacy recruiting grew enrollment and changed the student body profile.

Trinity now enrolls about 2,000 students in three academic schools: College of Arts and Sciences, School of Nursing and Health Professions, and School of Professional and Graduate Studies. The vast majority of the student body are Black and Hispanic lower-income students,making Trinity one of only three private colleges to be classified by the U.S. Department of Education as both a Predominantly Black Institution and a Hispanic Serving Institution. A new tuition assistance program, encouraging students toapply for grants, along with a successful scholarship program supported by philanthropists in the D.C. area has made the dream of a college degree a reality.

Sister Ann Howard, SNDdeN, has served as the Director of Campus Ministry at Trinity since 2016. She knows how hard the students work and that many might not have the opportunity to study at Trinity were it not for the generosity of benefactors. She was reminded again of the positive impact this has on the students when she recently overheard a young woman sharing why she chose to attend Trinity, saying, “Iam a strong woman, and I wanted tobe surrounded by strong women.” Sister Ann is very optimistic about the future of Trinity and said, “These young women will be running Trinity one day. I think of President McGuire, for example, who was a graduate herself. I have great faith in thefuture.”

Trinity proudly celebrated its125th anniversary in October 2022 and alumnae were invited to explore campus, visit classes and talk with anyone. They had the opportunity to connect with current students and faculty and the alums were dazzled and so proud. Today, the school is thriving and there is a great deal of pride in and affirmation of Trinity.

President McGuire regularly reminds students of the importance of the founding mission of Trinity, and said, “The Sisters ofNotre Dame de Namurwould not have flourished if foundress St.Julie Billiart had stopped when the bishop told her to doso. And Trinity would not have beenfounded if they stopped when the pope said he didn’t want them to start this college. We are all here today because they persisted.”

Trinity Washington University President Patricia McGuire and students.

FindingPurposeand Connection to a Legacy of Influence

INTERVIEWWITHEMMANUELCOLLEGEPRESIDENT MARYBOYD,PH.D.

President Boyd said, “The College is the place where people, like my mother who couldn’t afford to go to college, would have come to find themselves and develop as whole people.” She shared this with the Sisters at the Christmas Tea and noted that her mother’s birthday, May 13, matched the date St.Julie was beatified. “It was a powerful moment for me, and I felt like my mother was guiding my life and helping me find a path forward,” she said.

In her role, President Boyd is responsible for upholding and cherishing the history of the Sisters. Part of this responsibility is finding ways to align with the Sisters of Notre Dame’s mission and ministry. She shares that this will be achieved through continuing to provide a robust wholestudent experience, support for faculty and staff and building partnerships with Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur schools. One of the greatest challenges is to create an educational experience that is compelling to all students.

emmanuelcollegewasopenedby the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur in 1919 as the first Catholic college for women in New England. Over the decades of history, which included becoming a co-educational institution in 2001, one of themore noticeable changes is the hiring ofits first lay leader, President Mary Boyd, Ph.D., who took the helm in the fall of 2022.

She was drawn to the College while discerning her next role. As part of this process,she attended the Council on Independent Colleges’ year-long Presidential Institute on Missionof Vocation program. It was where she was introducedto an article on the institutionalsaga that describedhow an institution talks about itself and how it was developed. “This article struck me and, when I considered a presidency, I wanted to know about the institutional saga, who they were, and how they talked about themselves,” saidPresidentBoyd.

Shortly after leaving the program, she saw the opportunity at Emmanuel College. “I read about the College’s history, the Sisters of Notre Dame, and everything I could find online,” said President Boyd. “As I learned more about the institution , and its saga, what it meant for its students and how it integrated care and mission, I felt increasingly more attached to it.”

“Going forward, we will continue to connect our students to the Hallmarks (of a Notre Dame Learning Community) and provide opportunities for people to engage directly with the Sisters, ensuring an ongoing relationship and our enduring institutional saga,” said President Boyd. “The Holy Spirit speaks through all of us, and it’s our responsibility to carry forward the mission and charism of theSisters.”

President Boyd believes students crave this kind of experience and are looking to her as a role model and, indeed, a woman of influence. She understands the power and reach of social media and often shares her personal experiencesonher eponymous social media account, highlighting her travels, her cooking—a personal passion—and her interactions with students. She brings her whole self to the role along with her husband, John Quinn, who is often spotted alongside her on campus. She wants to be approachable and have students see her attending and engaging in events.

It is an exciting time for the College, now in its second century, guided by an energetic and engaged leader whose vision is to build the preeminent Catholic institution in the heart of Boston. ❊

Campus Chronicles — News and Updates

Notre Dame High School – San Jose

Notre Dame High School San Jose’s Senior Service Learning Project asks each senior to stand up for social justice as a “Woman of Impact.” Calling upon their talents, interest and knowledge, students engage in service learning to address a social need in the local or global community. At the Young Women’s Advocacy Summit, each student presents reflections on her service and justice journey and dialogues with community leaders about how she has grown as a justice advocate, community leader, spiritual seeker and lifelong learner.

Notre Dame Academy – Hingham

Notre DameAcademy in Hingham celebrated Founders’ Week in February to commemorate the 170th anniversary of its founding by the Sistersof Notre Dame de Namur. The event honored women trailblazers, change-makersand school leaders who have dedicated their lives to making a difference. The activities also highlighted the importance of critical thinking and open-mindedness in shapingfuture leaders who can create positive change in the world.

Beginning with a Founders’ Day Liturgy and Lunch that welcomed almost 20 Sisters to the campus, a Founders’ Day of Giving was held to encourage the community to donate in honor of school leaders. As part of the Billiart Leadership Institute Speaker Series, Lizanne Kindler, Executive Chair of the Talbots family of brands, was invited to speak on campus.Shediscussedthetransformativepowerofwomen’s leadership in making a difference in the world withnda’s PresidentAnnemarieLynchKenneally’80P’13’15.Theweek concluded with students participating in service projects for the Allerton House, End Hunger New England, and the Carolina Hill Family Shelter.

top : NDA Hingham President Annemarie Lynch Kenneally with Lizanne Kindler, Executive Chair of the Talbots family of brands. bottom : Sisters visiting NDA Hingham on Founder’s Day.

NDSJ students (left to right): Sammy Nava Prado, Ally Golez, Victoria Crucius.

Notre Dame Academy – Worcester

Notre Dame Academy in Worcester (nda–Worcester) hosted its largest annual fundraising event Rebel with a Cause—at the Jean McDonough Arts Center in Worcester, raising important funds to benefit financial aid. The event celebrated the many facets of thenda–Worcesterexperience that offers a wellrounded education to prepare graduates to excel in their professional endeavors. The evening paid tribute to incredible graduates who exemplify the tradition of service to others and values of character, community and commitment.

Winnersincluded: Knollwood Award , honoring Paula Robert Bushey’82 and Katherine Kelly’93; Athletic Hall of Fame, inducting Amy Gabrila’93, Maura Marshall McCarthy’80, and Danielle Perron Sikonski’04; and Society of the Arts, inducting Olivia Goliger’13 and Rachel Savage’00.

topleft : Sister Ann Morrison, SNDdeN and Rebel with a Cause honoree Katherine Kelly ’93. bottomleft : Rebel with a Cause honorees Rachel Savage ’00, Amy Gabrila ’93, Danielle Perron Sikonski ’04, NDA – Worcester Principal Dr. Marilyn Tencza ’71, Maura Marshall McCarthy ’80, Katherine Kelly ’93, Paula Robert Bushey ’82, and Olivia Goliger ’13. topright : Rebel with a Cause honoree Paula Robert Bushey ’82, and Sister Martha Lellman, SNDdeN ’83. bottomright : Nicole Lian ’92 and Sister Evelyn McKenna, SNDdeN.

Notre Dame High School – Belmont Students Lead Mock Forensics Trial

Students took to the courtroom this month following two mock crime scenes that were staged on campus in forensics class. Faculty and staff assumed the roles of perpetrators, accomplices and witnesses among staged crimes of vengeance on campus! Students evaluated the crime scenes using their knowledge of fingerprint and bloodstain pattern analysis. Later, students held anongoing mock trial in the courtroom as they played out the roles of courtroom judges, lawyers, clerks and more. Various classes on campus attended the trial each day as the jury, along withAmerican Sign Language students translating the courtroom correspondence. Students exuded exemplary confidence and poise as they presented evidence, recorded testimony, cross-examined witnesses and more!

topleft : Debbie Anderson, Director of Admissions, and Ciara Kingham. bottomleft : Standing Gianna Balestrino (left), Brooke Anderson (right), LaurenFitzgerald. right : LaurenFitzgerald.

Notre Dame Elementary School – Belmont

As part of Notre Dame Elementary’s eighth-grade class commitment to living the Hallmarks, each student is engaged in a personal project of community service to implement and reflect upon. Projects range from playing games with seniors at local senior centers to cleaning up local parks. Students reflect on their choice of project, the impact on the community and what could be done differently to ensure longterm sustainability. The commitment to community service has been demonstrated by these caringand proactiveyoung men and women.

NotreDameSchoolssponsoredby SistersofNotreDame

Academy of Notre Dame – Tyngsboro, Mass.

Cuvilly Arts and Earth Center – Ipswich, Mass.

EmmanuelCollege – Boston,Mass.

MorelandNotreDameSchool – Watsonville, Calif.

Notre Dame Academy – Hingham, Mass.

Notre Dame Academy – Worcester, Mass.

Notre Dame Cristo Rey High School – Methuen, Mass.

Notre Dame de Namur University – Belmont, Calif.

Notre Dame Education Center – Lawrence, Mass.

Notre Dame Educational Bridge – Worcester, Mass.

Notre Dame Elementary School – Belmont, Calif.

Notre Dame High School – Belmont, Calif.

Notre Dame High School – San Jose, Calif.

Notre Dame Virtual School

St. Patrick School & Educational Center – Lowell, Mass.

Sisters Academy of Baltimore – Baltimore, Md.

Moreland Notre Dame School

A group of Moreland Notre Dame School (mnd) 8th graders recently joinedstudents from four California Central Coast counties at a regional ModelUnited Nations conference. During Model UN, which simulates real United Nations meetings, junior high and high school students around the world gather to discuss ways to achieve sustainable development goals. The conference theme was “Climate Justice for All,” and these young leaders had theopportunity to exchange ideas on solutions to critical global issues. As onemnd participant expressed, “This is our future. Model UN gives us a head start to fix the problems of the past.”

Natalie

invited to produce two portraits at the recent Catholic Schools Foundation Gala in Boston. One painting celebrated event honoree, Peter Lynch, and his late wife, Carolyn. The other painting was inspired by theCatholicSchoolsFoundation logo of a child reaching for the stars. Natalie did a “live painting” so guests of the Gala could see her at work! She is on herway to Fordham University in the fall to study Visual Arts and Business.

Academy of Notre Dame – Tyngsboro

Foy, a talented senior at the Academy of Notre Dame –Tyngsboro, Mass. was

(Left to right) Chrislaine Miller, Model UN, and Moreland students Roxy Rocha, Karlee Russell, Hailey Ritter, and Viviana Salas.

Sisters in Ministry

NourishingMoreThan Minds and Souls

BREAKFASTPROGRAM ATNATIVITYSCHOOLS, SAN JOSE

A Partnership of Hope: Luda’sJourney

inapril2022,Liudmyla Zinovyeva arrived in the United States after fleeing her war-torn town in Ukraine that was taken over by the Russians, leaving many dead and the rest without basic necessities. Luda, as she is affectionately known, a former college professor, and her engineer husband left everything behind to seek a new life for their family.

Settling in Ipswich, Massachusetts, Luda found work as a seamstress and house cleaner for the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur at the Ipswich Province Center. Despite the challenges of adjusting to a new language and culture, Luda was eager to learn and improve her English. She was fortunate to come across Sister Ann Brennan, SNDdeN. Sister Ann, who celebrated 70 years as a Sister last year, has years of experience teaching English as a Second Language (esl) in South Boston and Japan, and while retired and suffering from diminished eyesight, she generously offered to help Luda improve her language skills. With SisterAnn’s patient guidance, Luda is workinghard to learn English, attending regular lessons and practicing her language skills whenever she can.

Luda’s journey is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit. And the partnership between Sister Ann and Luda is an example of how the Sisters continue to live the charism, providing hope and compassion and remaining educators throughouttheirlives. ❊

everymorningat 7 a.m. for over four years, Sister Anne Locke, SNDdeN arrives at the cafeteria for Sacred Heart Nativity Schools in San Jose, California, to provide the most important meal of the day. The breakfast menu varies daily and might include scrambled eggs, tortillasand beans, yogurt, cereal, pancakesor waffles and sausage. No matter the offering, Sister Anne and Sister Catherine King, pbvm, a Presentation Sister, ensure a nutritious and filling meal awaits the students along with a warm hello and a smile. These urban Catholic middle schools provide a Catholic educationforlower-income families, with priority given to families of the Sacred Heart Parish community. In partnership with the Society of Jesus, the Diocese of San Jose, and the Parish of Sacred Heart, the schools seek to lay the foundation for young women and men to succeed in college prep high school programs,in college, and beyond.

For many of these students, breakfast at school is an essential meal they can rely on. Without fail, even with the challenges of the pandemic, Sisters Anne and Catherine ensure the 20–30 students arriving each morning are prepared for the day. They enjoy a wonderfulbanterwiththemiddleschoolstudentsandtheenergyin the cafeteria is upbeat. Breakfast for these students not only fills their stomachs but gives them a sense of security and belonging in theirschoolcommunity.Italsoimprovestheirabilitytoconcentrate andlearn.

Sisters Anne and Catherine’s dedication to this breakfast program highlights the importance of community and service in Catholic education. By providing a nutritious breakfast each day, they are helping to lay the foundation for these students’ success and promoting a culture of care and compassion. It is a small act of kindness that has a significantinfluence on the lives of these young women and men. ❊

Luda Zinovyeva works on her language skills with Sister Ann Brennan, SNDdeN.

Sister Anne Locke, SNDdeN serves breakfastdaily to studentsat Sacred Heart Nativity Schools in San Jose, Calif.

Pajaro Valley Shelter Services — Offering Hope for the Future

upon opening its doorsin Watsonville, California in 1983, Pajaro Valley Shelter Services (pvss) quickly grew to be an essential leader in the tapestry of services available to people experiencing homelessness in Santa Cruz county. Over the first ten years, co-founders Sister Susan Olson, SNDdeN, Sister Marie Veronica Wagner, SNDdeN, and AV Coyle worked tirelessly to provide temporary housing for families and break the cycle of homelessness in the area. Sister Susan reflects on her first five years when she lived with program participants at the shelter: “You understand people’s stories on a deeper level than if you were going home at night.”

Todaypvss provides families with a path to stable, self-sufficient futures

through short- and longer-term housing and supportive services. Families build a foundation supported by three pillars: emotional stability, financial stability, and housing stability. Each pillar consists of educational programs specifically designed to help participants learn tools and gain skills necessary to care and sustain a stable future.

pvss has always valued its relationships with the community. Sister Susan said, “Nobody does anything alone. Since the very beginning, there were other supportive entities we partnered with, and wonderful generous donors, and the shelter’s relationship with the community was and remains very important.”

pvss continues to strengthen

existing and build new relationships. Mike Johnson,pvss Executive Director said, “Partnerships have always been a key to Pajaro Valley Shelter Services’ success in delivering a comprehensive program to our participants and the team continues to find ways to more effectively meet the needs of the community by identifying new effective partnerships.” Cabrillo College is an excellent example. The cost of living is high in Santa Cruz County and many students are more vulnerable to homelessness. According to Johnson, about 20% of Cabrillo College’s 11,000 students experience homelessness at some point during the year.pvssand Cabrillo have launched a pilot project to provide transitional housing atpvss for unhoused female Cabrillo students. Currentpvss participants now also have more direct access to Cabrillo College classes and opportunities. pvss’s effectiveness at helping empower families toward selfsufficiency is reflected in the numbers.

“Nobodydoes anythingalone.Since theverybeginning, therewereother supportiveentitieswe partnered with, and wonderfulgenerous donors, and the shelter’srelationship withthecommunity was and remains very important.”

sistersusanolson,snd de n

Staff celebrates PVSS’s Annual Mother’s Day Run and Walk with co-founder AV Coyle.

Participating families in transitional housing atpvss have an average savings of $10,000. 81% of participating families have exited successfully to permanent housing over the past three years, 41 program participants have purchased a home since the program’s beginning, and they will soon celebrate the 42nd who is currently in the process.

Sisters Susan and Marie Veronica believed that a most successful program would see program participants return as staff. Their vision was actualized and today about half of thepvss staff are former participants. AnnetteMelendrez,Directorof Programs, has worked withpvss for nearly 25 years but her connection to the organization began years earlier when she and her children lived at pvss and were program participants.

Today she and her husband—who also works as a building contractor with pvss—are homeowners and have created a new path for their children and grandchildren. “This is a very deep and comprehensive program, it’s not just a roof over your head. At the start, participants are looking for a safe place. As they continue, they start dreaming. In the end, participants are in awe of what seemed impossible at the start,” said Melendrez.

Ofpvss participants returning as team members, Johnson said, “That kindof history gives you huge credibility. To be able to say, ‘I have been whereyou are and I know what you’re going through.’” Melendrez sums it upbeautifully, sharing that pvss offers people: “Hope where there is no hope, future where there is no future.” ❊

Learn more about the work of the Sisters: snddeneastwest.org/our-impact

Women of Influence, Prophets of Hope

AcrossCenturies

the following timeline highlights key moments from the arrival ofthe Sisters ofNotre Damede Namurin the United States in the mid-1800s throughtoday.

TheSistersbegin theirworkwithafocusoneducation and serving people, especially women and children, and fulfill this mission by openingandleadingmany schools across the U.S. Theirtirelesseffortssetin placeasolid foundation thatallows the Sisters’ good works toflourishand ensure continuedinfluence fordecades tocome.

1851

Sisters Loyola and Marie Catherine journey from Oregon toSan Francisco to meet Sisters arriving from Belgium for their Oregon mission. The Sisters remain to open the College (high school) of Notre Dame (CND) and boarding school in San Jose.In 1868, CND is chartered as the first college in California to grant the baccalaureate degree towomen, and is known as the “best school for young ladies” inthe west.

1843

Six courageous Sisters of Notre Dame de Namursail for six months on the Indefatigable from Belgium to Astoria, Oregon and opena school and orphanage to serve the Clatsop Indians and settlers.

1849

In 1849, three brave Sisters travel by rail and coach from Cincinnati to Boston to run the church school at St. Mary’sin the North End. They continue to open and serve in leadership rolesatschoolsthroughoutMassachusetts, including St. Patrick’s in Lowell, parish schools in Salemand beyond, Notre Dame Academy (NDA) inRoxbury, St. Mary’s Schools in Lawrence, and Holy Redeemer School inEast Boston.

St. Juliebelieved girls should be able to support themselves, and sewing was part of the curriculum through the mid-20th century. Sample

by Sister Sabina Clancy (1869–1947).

1887

from the mid-1850s through the 1870s, the Sisters respond to the increasing needs for Catholic education to serve thegrowing immigrantpopulations in the mid-Atlantic. In 1856, they open The Academy, a school for girls at the Assumption Parish in Philadelphia, followed by three industrial schools for women in Washington, D.C. in 1873. Recognizing a need, the Sisters open St.Peter Claver School in Philadelphia in 1878 to educate Black students.

CourageousWomen Lead the Way

Mrs. Margaret Moreland builds Moreland Notre Dame Elementary in Watsonville, California in honor of her daughter, Josephine, a student at theCollege of Notre Dame, who died at a young age.

1899

1897

The Sisters open Trinity College in Washington, D.C. as the nation’s first Catholic liberal arts college for women.

1908

The Sisters acquire property in Tyngsboro, Massachusetts and the estate is used to provide rest and retreat for Sisters. In 1927, Notre Dame Academy in Lowell, Massachusettsrelocates to the site and becomes NDA Tyngsboro where it remainstoday.

The Sisters purchase the Swan Farm in Worcester, Massachusettsand in 1906 the Sisters complete the work on Notre Dame du Lac, designedto be a place of rest for ill andailing sisters.

1899

1902

Property is purchased in Moylan, Pennsylvania as a summer residence for Sisters. In 1926, Notre Dame Academy, Moylan opens here and later becomes Notre Dame High School—open to all—in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. Atany given time 45–50 Sisters are on faculty.

as the sisters near two decades ofgrowth into the 20th century, theycontinue to expand across the U.S. and beyond to serve those in greatest need.

1925

1919

1924

Massachusetts Sisters are invited to Okayama, Japan to take over a school that had been run by the Sisters of the Infant Jesus.

1923

The Sisters acquire the William Ralston propertyin Belmont, California.

The College of Notre Dame (including the high school and elementary school), the novitiate and province administration move to Ralston Hall.

The Sisters begin their first mission in Maryland when two Sisters travel by train from Washington, D.C. to Gaithersburg to teach Sunday school classes at St. Martin of Tours Parish. A convent is openedin 1926.

1934

To support their expansion,the Sisters establish the Baltimore Province in 1934 (later the Maryland Province in 1959) and the Connecticut Province in 1959.

The Sisters open Emmanuel College in Boston, the first Catholic women’s college in New England.

Planting Roots and ReadyforChange

throughout the 1940s and 50s, theSisters continue to open schools todevelop young, confident women, who are curious learners, spiritual seekers and compassionate global citizens.

These schools include JulieBilliart Country Day School (Trinity Elementary School)in Ellicott City,Maryland, Maryvale Preparatory Schoolin Lutherville, Maryland, and Notre Dame Academy in Worcester, Massachusetts.

In 1954,nda Boston andnda Roxbury merge. A decade later, in1965, the school relocates to and remains as nda Hingham today.

1959

As a wartime measure, the Sisters allow Villa Angelica—a beautiful property in Carmel, California gifted in 1930—to become Junipero Serra Elementary School to serve children of the nearby Army base.

1943

1941

After theattack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, twelve Sisters teaching in Japan are arrestedand moved to a concentration camp. In September 1943,eleven of the Sistersare freed and sent home to the U.S. while one Irishnational Sister is held captive until the end of the war.

1946

Adventurous Sisters expand the Mission to Hawaii, teaching at Star of the Sea in Honolulu and Holy Family School inPearl Harbor.

Sisters open

Institute in Washington, D.C. and are pioneers in programs for special needs children that become amodel in D.C. and beyond.

The Sisters purchase a beautiful property in Ipswich, Massachusetts that includes an estate, a dairy barn and a carriage house. The Sisters live in the manor until the novitiate is completed in 1962. Today the property also includes the Notre Dame Spirituality Center, Julie Billiart Resident Care for Sisters, the province and international offices, and the Cuvilly Arts and Earth Center at the former dairy barn.

1959

Lt. Joseph P. Kennedy

the 1960sand 1970s are a time of significant change. Vatican Council II (1962–1965) calls for a renewalof the Catholic Church in response to the needs of the times. Religious congregations are encouraged to recommit to their founding charisms and update their way of life. Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur takethis seriously and explore new ways to proclaim God’s goodness, taking more active roles incommunity engagement, parish life, retreat work and a broad understanding of education.Community life becomes less cloistered andthe now familiar Notre Dame cross becomes the recognized symbol of the Congregation.

1975

The Julie Community Center isestablished in East/SoutheastBaltimore to help community membersaccessneeded resources and support, combat poverty and urban decline, and foster individual and neighborhood pride, participation, andself-determination.

1976

Over thenext two decades, 18 Sisters serve in the Diocese of Fairbanks. Five Sisters spend several years in “bush”Alaska, living and working with Athabascan Indians and Inupiat and Yup’ikEskimos.

Sisters Josita Colbert and Martin de Porres Coleman join other Sisters as founding members of theNational Black Sisters’ Conference (NBSC), an inclusive Catholic organization of vowed BlackCatholic Women Religious and Associates across the U.S. Pictured: Sister Josita Colbert accepts the JusticeSeeker award fromNETWORK on behalfof NBSC.

1972

1976

1968

Sister Louise Kearns moves into the D Street Project in South Boston to teach and serve in the community and, overthe years, many Sisters follow to live here and in other poor neighborhoodsin Boston and Dorchester.

A community of Sisters begins in Hunters Point, a neighborhood in San Francisco, as a ministry presence with those who suffer from poverty. They work closely with the Redemptorist Fathers in this vibrant faith community.

Big Laurel School (now Big Laurel Learning Center) is founded to educate the children of rural Appalachia in West Virginia.Sisters remain active today working in summer camps andaddiction recovery.

Prophets of Hope in the Wider World

the end of the 20th century and the beginning of the new millennium find the Sisters responding to new technology, changing local and global conditions, and expanded opportunities for service in the U.S.

1983

Sister Susan Olson and Sister Marie Veronica Wagner open Pajaro Valley Shelter Services, a shelter for women and children, in Watsonville, California.

1993

The Chesapeake Province Center opens in Baltimore, along with Julie House in Windsor, Connecticut, for senior living.

The Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur receive United Nations accreditation and, in 2002, Sister Joan Burke, SNDdeN (then serving in Nigeria) begins serving as the first SNDdeN NGO Representative.

2001

The NotreDame Virtual School launches to connect the educational ministries of the Sisters, facilitate global networking and collaboration, and provide a forum for teachersand students to shareeducationalresources.

2014

Ipswich,Boston, Connecticut, Chesapeake and California Provinces merge to create the East-WestProvince of the U.S.

1992

The NotreDame Mission Volunteer/AmeriCorpsProgram launches,placing volunteers at sitesnationwidetoworkalongside God’s people, especially the economically disadvantaged.

Sisters across the U.S. form the Anti-Racism Team committed to dismantling racism in all of its forms and to working consciously towards becomingan anti-racist Congregation.

2000

Notre Dame Education Center(NDEC) opens in Lawrence, Massachusetts as a learning community offering English language,citizenship classes and skills training—tuition free or low-cost—for the immigrant community.

1997

SistersAcademyof Baltimore—a collaboration offoursponsoringreligious congregations—opensas a tuition-free, independent middle school for girls in grades 5–8 in Baltimore.

2004

Notre Dame Cristo Rey High School opens in Lawrence,Massachusetts (now in Methuen) serving economically disadvantaged youth and providing a CorporateWork Study program where students work to supplement tuition and gain valuable experience.

FlourishingMinistries and Enduring Influence

acting asprophets of hope across the U.S. andinternationally, Sisters continue to serve where the need is greatest, fulfilling the call to Renew, Transform and Respond

Today, there are 16 Notre Dame Educational Communities sponsored by the U.S. East-West Province. Sisters serve in 14 countries andon five continents, places where we create impact not only through our ministries but through the young people who are formedand encouraged to be an influence for positive change.

The Sisters formalize theircommitment to the Laudato Si’ Action Platform (LSAP)— a global appeal to all Catholics and persons of goodwill to join together to form a movement based on the Laudato Si’ agenda— by enrolling on Earth Day, April 22nd.

we are proud of our heritage and excited for the future where our ministries, schools and organizations supported by the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur will continue to flourish.

joinus —as a Sister, an Associate, andmva, Student, Alumna/Alumnus,Volunteer,Donor,orCommunity Member—and help us ensure our enduring legacy. Visit our website at www.snddeneastwest.org.

Welcoming with Dignity

Encounter and the Power of Hope: Reflections from Phoenix

BY ANNHOWARD,SNDdeN

However, the overall experience was positive as I met gratitude and gentleness in moms helping their little girls and boys pick out clothes to wear, utilize the shower rooms and the supply cart, and rest and wait for supper. Within 24hours or so, most folks were on the move to their next destination—taking the bus to the airport or a flight to their chosen city, where their ‘probable cause’ hearings would take place and family members would be waiting to welcome them.

Preparing to assist at the WC, I wondered who I would meet there. The first week, there were very few people arriving. A new app for peopleseeking asylum has been developed and people need to navigate the technology on their phones to apply. During the second week of my service, there were a hundred or more people at the WC each day and I could see how well the system of welcoming, assisting,feeding, and supporting the families entering the U.S. worked.

asanamerican,I saw many news stories about the people at the border seeking entryto the United States. Our Sisters ofNotre Dame de Namur in Phoenix send out a regular invitation to come and serve. I am celebrating my 45th year as a Sister so the timing was ripe for a new challenge. I hoped to see the people and witness their welfare as they make the journey on their quest for asylum in the U.S. I was not disappointed as I saw young families, parents with young children, and a few young adults traveling alone, some from China, from Mexico, from Russia, Peru, and the DominicanRepublic.

I was frustrated with my inability to speak Spanish and to interact verbally with the clients at theirc—International Rescue Committee—known as the Welcome Center (WC). Still, without language, there are activities and gestures of caring; like handing a towel to someone on their way to the shower or admiring an article of clothing that they just selected among the “Ropa Room” donations. Smiles and eye contact communicate welcome. Nonverbal communication is something, at least.

In orientation, we were told that these folks are on a long journey, and this is one point on the pathway toward a new future, where safety and well-being are the goals. I realize there are many questions still to be answered in the lives of these people in transition, seeking asylum, and so the story is unfinished. I did see people making their way to the bus, the big black bus that offered a ride to the airport each hour. I trust and pray that their travel has borne fruit and their journey has a sense of accomplishment for the time being. People expressed gratitude and openness while at the WC and I can only hope that they are met with a warm welcome and a chance to realize their dreams in the coming days. ❊

Sisters Meg Walsh, Ann Howard and Liane Delsuc gather towels from IRC to take home and wash.

Sister Ann Howard joins Sister Liane Delsuc in the winter harvest at the gardens near Habitat House.

DonorProfile

Kathleen and Peter Muller

Dedicated Supporters of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur

Peter’s mother and her sisters graduated from Notre Dame San Francisco, and they instilled their values in him. Later in life, he was asked to be on the Board at Notre Dame San Jose, where he came to know Sister Virginia Unger, principal of the school. Kathy subsequently served on the Board ofndsj from 2013–2018, including two years as Chair of the Board.

Kathy andPeter’s motivation to continue supporting the Sisters stems fromtheir admiration forthe dedication and work of Kathy’s sister, Sister Nancy O’Shea, and other Sisters who have inspired them over the years, including Sister Anne Stubbe andSister Mary Laxague.

Kathy and Peter Muller’s journey with the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur is a reflection of the profound influence that the Sisters have had on their lives and the lives of their family and community. ❊

kathleen (kathy) and peter mullerare longtime supporters of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur. Their journey with the Sisters started from a young age for Kathy and secondhand for Peter, but the influence they havehad on their lives is immense.

The summer before Kathy started high school at Notre Dame San Jose, her sister, Nancy, joined the Sisters of Notre Dame, entering the novitiate in Saratoga after her own high school graduation. Atndsj, Kathy found two Sisters particularly influential, Sister Mary Ancilla (SisterDiane Reese), who taught English, and Sister Marie Robert, who taught U.S. History. They were inspirational teachers, giving her a strong foundation in subjects she came to love, and both were wonderful rolemodels.

Notre Dame San Jose was founded in 1851, and the generations of women who have attended the school have provided a lasting legacy in San Jose. The Mullers are proud that their two granddaughters have now graduated fromndsj, in 2019 and 2021, and each benefited from a strong academic program, along with a focus on women’s leadership.

Outside of education, Peter and Kathy admired and supported the work of Sister Geraldine Harris and Sister Claire Spellman who opened a house for disabled young women in the early ’80s in Campbell, California. The Sisters housed six to eight young women,foundthememployment at the Hope Rehabilitation Center, and taught them the skills to live independently. The Sisters operated this shared home for over 20 years.

SUPPORT OUR MISSION

Generousbenefactorsare at the heart of the Sisters’ work today just as they have always been, making it possible for the Sisters to continue their mission of education and service to the poor.

For more information or to support the Sisters please contact Jen Pearce at jpearce@ewsndden.org or 617-387-2500.

To make a gift online or see more stories of the incredible impact your support has made, please visit:snddeneastwest.org/ our-impact.

Legacy Profile

JoAnnShaw

atbjc Healthcare in St.Louis, one of the largest health systems in the U.S. Earning honors for her advocacy, she received a hearty “You go, girl!” from SisterAnn Louise, who added, “If you do it with grace, there is nothing you cannot accomplish.”

YOU TOO CAN CREATE A LASTING LEGACY

joann shawand her husband, don, are longtime members of the St.Julie Billiart Legacy Society, having remembered the Sisters in their estate plans. An alumna of Notre Dame High School San Francisco, class of 1964, JoAnn originally aimed to become ansnd herself, but a cancer diagnosis duringher early novitiate changed her life plans. Throughouther lengthy hospital stays, Sisters Ann Louise Schlitt and Claire Spellman (her sophomore-year high school teacher) were at JoAnn’s side whenever her mother and grandparents couldn’t be there. The bonds formed were unbreakable.

JoAnn believes her education prepared her well for an amazing life and career. She started work atfmc in San Jose before becoming the first woman promoted to its corporate headquarters in Chicago. Shifting to healthcare, she served at Children’s Memorial Hospital, the University of Chicago Medical Center, and finally

The bout with cancer left JoAnn unable to give birth, but in her daily prayers toSt.Julie, she vowed that if ever she adopted a daughter, the child would bearthe saint’s name. In 1976, JoAnn and Don brought home Julie Louise, named for both St.Julie and SisterAnnLouise. SisterClaire Spellman was not forgotten, aslittle Julie Louise later named her favorite German toy bear Claire Bear, who would be passed down to her own two children. Claire Bear nowresides in a treasure box, still a member of the family.

JoAnn continues to see the values she learned from the Sisters realized in both her own life and her daughter’s. She is thevolunteer Arizona coordinator for a national nonprofit focused onchildhood cancer. Now an attorney in Los Angeles, Julie Louise andher children have volunteered at food banks and bring meals to homeless veterans.

Of the Sisters, JoAnn says,“I believe the most important lessons they taught me were about compassion, social justice, and tenacity—when you hear ‘no,’ you find another way to get a ‘yes.’ They have been so important to us, truly part of the fabric ofour family.” ❊

St. JulieBilliart Legacy Society was founded to recognize generous donors who have made a commitment to the future of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur through a planned gift. Every gift to the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur is critical in helping the Sisters continue the good work in their ministries and care for the Sisters in retirement. For more information about your options or to notify the Sisters ofyour estate plans please contact Jen Pearce at jpearce@ewsndden.org or 617-387-2500.

Support the work of the Sisters and leave a Legacy at snddeneastwest.org/ways-to-give

InMemoriam

We prayerfully remember our Sisters who have died since January of 2023. The following brief obituaries are testament to the rich lives that SNDdeN lead fulfilling their vocation of service to God. Please remember them in your prayers.

Anne

Gabrielle Gagnon, SNDdeN

Sister Anne Gabrielle was an educator at schools throughout Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut. She earned a MA in business and used her skills to teach business, work as a school administrator, and serve as the Province Secretary of Connecticut. Sister Anne Gabrielle passed away on January 21, 2023, at the age of 92 and after72yearsasaSisterofNotreDame de Namur.

Barbara(ErnestMarie) Matasci,SNDdeN

Sister Barbara Matasci was a beloved and respected educator. Her early career took her to schools all along the West Coast, from Los Angeles and San Fransisco to San Jose and Seattle. She spent many years working in Salinas, Calif., as a faculty member, Principal, Assistant Superintendent, and Alumnae and Community Relations Director. In 2022, she celebrated her 70th Jubilee as a Sister of Notre Dame. She went home to her good God on May 3, 2023.

Edna Maier, SNDdeN

Though Sister Edna Maier began her ministry as a teacher, she pivoted into a diverse and fruitful career! For 20 years, she traveled the country with the Family Mission Preaching Team, offering parish retreats. She also worked as a Pastoral Coordinator and as a writer and columnist for both Catholic and secular newspapers! Sister Edna Maier went home to her good God on January 25, 2023, at the age of 85 and after 67 years of consecrated life.

Marie

St. Joseph Santry, SNDdeN

Sister Marie St.Joseph joined the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur in 1950, and began a long career as an educator. She taught at several Catholic Schools in Massachusetts and at Notre Dame Seishin Junior College in Hiroshima, Japan. From 1997 to 2000, she was the Principal at the Holy Family School in Natchez, Miss., the oldest Catholic African-American School in the United States. She passed away at age 91, on Wednesday, February 22, 2023.

Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur

u.s. east-west province

351 broadway

everett,ma 02149

TheSistersofNotreDame deNamur East-West Provincelookforward to celebrating many significantanniversaries in the coming years.

STAY CONNECTED TOLEARNABOUT THEFOLLOWINGCELEBRATIONS:

2023: 100 yearsin Belmont, California

2024: 175yearsin Massachusetts

2026: 175yearsinCalifornia

VISITOURWEBSITEAT

WWW.SNDDENEASTWEST.ORG.