MARKING MILESTONES
The uniquely human practice of noting milestones in our lives is a way to honor the passage of time. When we celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, holidays and other occasions, it quietly reminds us that our moments on earth are precious and limited. Celebrations speak to the significance of what has passed and offer hope for what comes next.
This year, we celebrate the Sisters’ 75 years of ministry in Arizona and their dedication to making known God’s goodness. The number of lives they have impacted is countless. If you ask the Sisters who have served or continue to serve in the Phoenix area, those experiences made a profound mark on their hearts as well.
Besides a history lesson of the Arizona years, this issue also brings news of current ministries happening in the Ohio Province and elsewhere. We are actively taking our mission around the world just as the Sisters have done since St. Julie’s time.
The Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur live in service, in community and in prayer, faithful to their commitment to God. We are blessed to share their stories with you.
Director of Development
By Tami McMann
Mid-century Arizona was a boomtown of growth in industry, population and cultural institutions. Enter four Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, and a 75-year legacy of making known God’s goodness was born there too.
Recently, many Sisters joined their friends in the Phoenix area to reflect on the work and impact of ministries in Arizona, from the cities to the ranches to the reservations. More than 150 guests attended the Mass, reception and luncheon at the Biltmore Hotel on February 23, 2025. For all, it was a look back at how the Sisters shaped the course of Catholic schools and religious education in the Phoenix area and beyond.
Sister Mary Lucille, SNDdeN, leads a junior high geography lesson in 1953.
THE FOUNDATION: THE 1950s
Missioned to Glendale, Arizona, at the request of Reverend Charlie Towner, four Sisters arrived by train in their black habits and veils on a blistering August day in 1950.
Their assignment was to staff the school at Our Lady of Perpetual Help. The doors opened only weeks after their arrival when more than 120 students in grades 1-3 were greeted by Sister Mary Lucille (Marie Tarpy), the principal and Superior, and Sisters James Marie (Marie Hoelle), Ignatius Marie (Catherine Wulftange) and Eleanor Frances (Mary Egger).
The Sisters’ efforts were so successful that just three years later, they were invited to Most Holy Trinity Parish in Sunnyslope to teach grades 1-6 at the parish school. To staff the new location, more Sisters came from the Ohio Province. Sister Angelina Wald was the principal and Superior, and Sisters Ann Timothy (Ruth Ellen Evers), Paula Marie Becker and Mary Joachim (Dorothy Stang) joined her on this adventure.
“We felt like real missionaries as we boarded the train and arrived three days later in Glendale, Arizona,” Sister Paula Marie once wrote. “A whole new and
wonderful world opened up to us! I was fascinated by the desert, the mountains, the grapefruit grove next to the school, the sand and tumbleweeds which were the playground, the road runners which we saw often in our yard and the tarantulas and scorpions which we saw only occasionally — but enough to satisfy me!
“I think I can speak for all four of our group when I say we loved the early years in Arizona. They were fun, invigorating, and adventuresome for us.”
In 1955, Sister Mary Lucille welcomed the community's first postulant in Arizona, Sister Maria Celia Molina, SNDdeN. Maria's desire for religous vocation was recognized and confirmed by Father Eugene Lafitte, who introduced her to the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur. She was 18 years old.
“My dad interrogated me about why I wanted to join, and what this order was all about,” says Maria. “After he was finished, he said, ’OK, you may go.’ I needed that, because without his permission, I could not have joined.” She became a second grade teacher and later a respected instructor in the formation of Catholic Hispanic leaders with the Phoenix Diocese and elsewhere.
Sisters Paula Marie Becker (left) and Dorothy Stang stopped en route to Glendale in 1953. The Phoenix area was part of the diocese of Tucson until 1969.
THE 1960s
The work continued to accelerate in the next decade as more parishes were added to the Sisters’ responsibilities.
They served the community in other ways as well. Sister Margaret “Mag” Campbell, SNDdeN, particularly enjoyed visits to the Juvenile Detention Center where she prepared inmates for First Communion.
Each week, Sisters also visited the nearby migrant camps to teach the children and to practice speaking Spanish with the mothers.
According to Sister Paula Marie, “At first, our main objective was to teach the children in their Catholic faith, to show the people that they were, indeed, members of the Catholic Church about whom we cared very much. Our contact with the migrant families gradually made us more and more aware that social justice was an arm of education — and we could not do one without the other.
“One of our goals was to empower the people and bring them to a realization of their true worth.”
Many involved in this ministry have said those experiences outside the formal classroom were the most memorable. Sister Angelina Wald once recalled: “How darling they [the migrant children] were — friendly but somewhat shy. They didn’t know what to make of us! We went to the areas where the migrants worked and
“Our contact with the migrant families gradually made us more and more aware that social justice was an arm of education — and we could not do one without the other.”
—Sister Paula Marie Becker, SNDdeN
A Sister Dorthy and Samuel Clements caption to be placed here
The Arizona community poses circa 1960 in the more comfortable and suitable gray habits.
Outside the classroom, Sisters had a dedicated weekly ministry to migrant families at the local “ranches.” Pictured in the back: Sister Marguerite Julie, SNDdeN, in 1956.
lived. There was no classroom (of course!) for us to use, so we all sat on crates in the field. They were eager to learn from us.
“Life in Arizona was the best time of my life.”
Sister Maureen Sweeney, SNDdeN, arrived in Arizona in 1967 and spent 18 years in ministry there. She once shared, “One memory that I cherish is the small child [in a migrant camp] who saw me approaching; he was very happy to see me and ran to his mother saying, ’Mama, Mama, here comes the Church!’ ”
Sisters also had permission to enter the Navajo reservation to instruct the children of Catholic families living there. Over the years, they visited other tribes as well, such as the Pima Indians and Pima-Maricopa Indians.
By 1964, Sister Dorothy Stang was principal at Most Holy Trinity, where 500 children were enrolled, and Superior of 11 Sisters. The school year 1965-66 was her last before volunteering for the mission in Brazil.
Her close friend, Sister Paula Marie, said, “For Sister Dot, the Arizona years led her to push forward in a strong desire to work with the marginalized and the poor and certainly laid the foundation for her future work in Brazil.”
Dorothy’s heart for indigent families was as wide as the world, and it was a calling that, almost 40 years later, led to her martyrdom. Today, she is the first woman from the United States to have her relic
Visits to the Grand Canyon were a special treat for the Sisters. Pictured: Sister Agnes Immaculata, SNDdeN, in 1970.
Many Sisters thrived under the Arizona sun, where their efforts to build the Catholic community and educate for life in the Phoenix area were impactful over the course of more than seven decades. Photo taken in 1985.
enshrined in the Sanctuary of the New Martyrs in Rome.
THE 1970s
By the 70s, Sisters were permitted to use their baptismal names and to exchange their habits for modest street clothes. What never changed was their mission to make known God’s goodness in Arizona. Dozens of Sisters worked in day care centers at Catholic Charities and in parishes, health care facilities and schools.
Their numbers also grew as more women joined the Congregation, some through the Associates program. Other Sisters moved from Ohio to the Grand Canyon State. Sister Olivia Pacheco, SNDdeN, joined after meeting the Sisters through their pastoral work in her hometown of Sonoyta, Mexico.
Sprinkled in with their ministries, they also went on adventures.
Sister Nancy Wellmeier, SNDdeN, recalls one summer when a small group of Sisters traveled in the back of Father Jerry Yeager’s pickup truck for a five-hour drive to the Grand Canyon rim at Peach Springs. They spent the first night in the truck with their
bedrolls, then hiked the Havasupai Trail, camped out for four days and interacted with the Native American community.
“I will never forget seeing the unbelievable blue water at Havasu Falls,” says Nancy. “The canyon and all its beauty — that was God’s gift to us in Arizona.”
THE 1980s
“Mama, Mama, here comes the Church!”
—a migrant child, seeing Sister Maureen Sweeney, SNDdeN
Sister Dorothy “Dottie” Deger, SNDdeN, is an 18-year veteran of Arizona ministry. Her most meaningful assignment was the five years she spent as parish administrator at San Martin de Porres Parish in south Phoenix where she “ran everything except [administering] the sacraments.”
“I loved the whole Hispanic culture,” she says. “The people of that parish were just wonderful. They gave me life.”
Dottie describes one aspect of
her work as placing people into the ministries where help was needed. She remembers one Filipino parishioner who wanted to get involved, so Dottie asked if she would take Holy Communion to shut ins.
“This woman had never been inside the home of someone living in poverty,” Dottie remembers.
“It opened her eyes and changed her life.”
THE 1990s
Sister Pat Pieper, SNDdeN, was featured in the Winter 1994 issue of “Cross Currents” for her work as a Catholic chaplain at Arizona State Hospital in Phoenix. With a master’s degree in pastoral counseling, she worked closely with court-ordered patients who were managing a variety of life
In the 1990s, friends of Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur (back row) visited the Guadalupe House in Mesa, Arizona. Front row, left to right: Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur Pat Pieper, Geri Bolzan and Dolores Lintner.
Although the Sisters in Phoenix are no longer full-time teachers, they continue to impact the community in a number of ways.
histories, experiences and mental health diagnoses. Separately, she worked in a group setting with women who had suffered childhood trauma and abuse.
In both ministries, she says her role was simply to be present and to listen:
“Those patients needed someone to recognize them as individuals — as humans who still had goodness in them. You can’t cure everything or solve all their problems, but I helped them come to new insights about themselves and their experiences.”
MINISTRY TODAY
Fast forward to 2025. While the Sisters in Phoenix are no longer full-time teachers, they continue to impact the community in a number of essential ways.
Sister Meg Walsh, SNDdeN, has been involved with immigrant welcome services in Phoenix for three years. The future of these programs is currently in limbo, but she’s not idle in the meantime.
Meg ministers through the Justa Center to seniors experiencing homelessness, especially those who have recently transitioned from unhoused to housed. On her weekly check-in visits, she brings groceries and cheerful greetings. She is also engaged in vocation ministry, inviting young women to deepen their spirituality and to consider religious life.
Sister Sarah Cieplinski, SNDdeN, ministers as an in-home care provider.
“The biggest impact I see with this
Each month, Sister Meg Walsh, SNDdeN, organizes volunteers to work alongside neighbors building homes with Habitat for Humanity Central Arizona. Their service helps bring hope and stability to families in the community.
While in Phoenix for the 75th celebration, Sisters, Ohio Province staff and volunteers spent a morning beautifying the grounds at Most Holy Trinity Catholic School where the Sisters once taught. Pictured are Susie Wittig (left) and Sister Nancy Wellmeier, SNDdeN.
work is a better quality of life,” she shares. “My clients need daily support to complete activities that many people take for granted. I foster a graceful and good presence to serve the people I encounter every day.”
Sister Liane Delsuc, SNDdeN, of the U.S. East-West Province is closely involved with multiple nonprofits in the Phoenix area that serve people seeking asylum in our country and refugees already resettled in the U.S. A sample of her work includes teaching English as a second language and sorting and distributing clothing and
household goods.
The Sisters certainly have secured a place in the history of Arizona, just as Arizona remains in the hearts of the Sisters.
Sister Paula Marie once reflected, “I’m not sure if the Sisters of Notre Dame ‘tamed the West,’ but I am sure that our contributions had, and continue to have, lasting effects on many children and adults.
“For me, they have provided wonderful memories, lasting friends, and a great sense of accomplishment.”
With gratitude to Sister Mag Campbell, SNDdeN, for the resource material found in her 2000 account of Arizona ministries.
Not pictured: Sister Sarah Cieplinski, SNDdeN.
Many Sisters attended the celebration of SNDdeN Arizona ministries. Pictured left to right: Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur Meg Walsh, Pat Pieper, Donna Jurick, Kristin Matthes, Nancy Wellmeier, Dottie Deger, BJ LeTourneau, Rebecca Trujillo, Carmen Silva. Seated: Sister Liane Delsuc, SNDdeN.
SIX QUESTIONS WITH SISTER CARMEN SILVA, SNDdeN
While many Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur joined the Congregation after being taught by the Sisters, there are exceptions. Keep reading to learn more about Sister Carmen Silva, SNDdeN, and her experiences with the ministry in Phoenix. Before you became a Sister, you had a career in law enforcement. What changed?
I was born and raised in Springerville, Arizona, and got my bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Northern Arizona University. I went straight to work as a deputy sheriff and then as a probation officer. While I was still in college, I became involved in the Cursillo Movement. It sent my life in a whole new direction.
What is the Cursillo Movement, and how did it impact you?
Cursillo is a weekend retreat that encourages people to deepen their Catholic faith. I was part of the formation teams at the Mount Claret Cursillo Center for 20 years, and that was when I met the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur. Sister Jan Bohn, SNDdeN, was one of the spiritual directors at the Center. She formed a prayer group and from that group evolved the first Associates in Phoenix. Sister Meg Walsh was in that group too.
How did you first recognize the call to religious life?
Sister Jan asked me, “Have you ever considered religious life?” I told her, “Not really.” I was very satisfied in my professional life at the time. Then I began to see religious life as a way to use my gifts and talents for a bigger purpose. I really loved how the Sisters were very welcoming to me, my family and my culture, and I loved St. Julie’s call to embrace diversity.
You celebrated your final vows at the Cursillo Center chapel in 1999. Then what?
The Sisters were invited to build a house in the
country’s first planned community designed by Habitat for Humanity, and I was the point person for the Sisters’ house during construction. There were around 200 homes, and we lived among the people we were serving there in south Phoenix. We later purchased another house in the neighborhood, and it allowed us to open a Notre Dame Ministry Center. I was the first director of Notre Dame Mission Volunteers-AmeriCorps in Phoenix for 12 years.
What aspect of that ministry are you most proud of when you look back?
I loved working with young people to help them become leaders, learn job skills, get their GED certificates and see them become employed. Every day, we demonstrated our charism without ever speaking of it directly.
What are you most grateful for?
I look back at the blessing of the Sisters who I journeyed with in Arizona. In my culture, the extended family is very important, and the Sisters became part of my extended family. My entire family embraced them. It’s a unique story, and I’m proud of the special connections I have made.
Posing in front of the Habitat House in Phoenix, left to right: Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur Noreen Joyce, Dottie Deger, Carmen Silva and Jan Bohn (circa 2000).
SISTERS ON THE GO NEWSBRIEFS
Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur in the Ohio Province have been busy as they continue to live the mission of making known God’s goodness. Here is a sample of their recent activities.
Sister Patricia Loome, SNDdeN (left), participated in a leadership meeting in Nairobi with congregational leaders from around the world. She is pictured with Sister Sylvie Nkosi, SNDdeN, from the Democratic Republic of Congo. Ohio Sisters Kathleen Harmon, Provincial, and Donna Jurick also attended the meeting.
Learn more about our Sisters online at sndohio.org
Sister Judith Clemens, SNDdeN, gave a presentation to a large group at the Notre Dame Mission Volunteers retreat in Cincinnati.
Sister Thérèse DelGenio, SNDdeN, was recognized with the 2024 Transformation Award for Volunteer of the Year from the Center for Respite Care in Cincinnati. She has been volunteering regularly at the center in pastoral care, activities and transition since July 2023.
JOIN US IN MAY: ECO-SPIRITUALITY
Registration is now open for “Being a Neighbor to Nature: Loving Solidarity for All Creation,” a discussion with Dr. Marcus Mescher, associate professor of Christian ethics at Xavier University. This presentation will draw from Scripture and Tradition to explore how to build relationships and shared practices that move us toward “ecological communion.” The event is Saturday, May 3, at 9:30-11:30 a.m. at the Province Center in Cincinnati. Register online at sndohio.org. The discussion will also be shown via livestream; details are online.
LITURGY FILM
Recently, Sister Kathleen Harmon, SNDdeN, Ohio Provincial, was interviewed for a documentary featuring women who have contributed to liturgical renewal.
“Through her music, workshops and ministry, Sister Kathy formed people in the liturgy and her work aimed to help people celebrate the liturgy in the fullest way possible,” says Deanna M. Keefe, the film’s director.
“Her contributions have been significant, and she continues to be a source of wisdom to those that know her and those who are now discovering her work.”
While the topic of liturgy is of particular interest to clergy, music directors and others in ministry, the documentary depicts Church history in a way that will also appeal to everyday Catholics.
Produced by Liturgy Training Publications and the Archdiocese of Chicago, the film is scheduled for release in 2026.
SISTER DOROTHY JOINS SANCTUARY OF THE NEW MARTYRS
An entourage of more than 50 people including Sisters, Stang family members, students and teachers traveled from the United States to Italy for a oncein-a-lifetime experience. They witnessed the induction of Sister Dorothy Stang, SNDdeN, into the Sanctuary of the New Martyrs at the Basilica of St. Bartholomew. The shrine and museum are cared for by the Community of Sant’Egidio.
The evening prayer service on January 10, 2025, was led by Archbishop Fabio Fabene who said Sister Dorothy “defended the life and dignity of the poor and of the Earth, because God created it for the benefit of all.” She was killed in 2005 for her commitment to justice.
Students and teachers from Mount Notre Dame High School in Cincinnati and Emmanuel College in Boston also attended the Rome event.
Two representatives from the Ohio Province, Sister Kathleen Harmon, SNDdeN, and Teresa Phillips, joined others in Rome to honor Sister Dorothy. The province provided two relics, blood-soaked soil from the site of Dorothy's death and a sweater she owned, for the shrine and a museum display.
“It has been so impactful getting to know Sister Dorothy on a more personal level,” reflected Kathleen Jennings, a senior at Mount Notre Dame High School.
“Not only do we hear about her in school, but I was able to hold her relic in the presence of those who love her. Meeting her brother and her fellow Sisters showed me once again how much love she has spread all around the world.”
Additional activities in Cincinnati that surrounded the 20th anniversary of Sister Dorothy’s martyrdom included a blessing of the relics sent to Rome, a memorial Mass and luncheon and a panel presentation titled, “Seeds of Inspiration: The Growing Legacy of Sister Dorothy Stang.”
NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL NEWS FROM THE SISTERS
JAPAN: Last October, Sisters in the Japan Province marked a milestone — the 100th anniversary of our mission in Okayama. We pray for our Sisters involved in this ministry.
KENYA: Sisters in leadership from around the world met in Kenya last January for a global meeting of the Congregation.
ITALY: The international Congregation has launched a new website. Use the QR code to explore our worldwide mission and ministry. See also sndden.org.
The U.S. East-West Province marked the 175th year since Sisters from Ohio began ministry in New England. Pictured are Sisters Kathryn Keenan (second from left), Patricia Butler and local students at the gala in October 2024.
WE WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER
We pray for our deceased Sisters and remember with gratitude their lives of dedication. For complete memorials, please visit sndohio.org.
SISTER MARY PATRICIA DONNELLY, SNDdeN
March 17, 1935 to July 18, 2024
Sister Mary Pat completed her earthly pilgrimage on July 18, 2024, at the age of 89 and after 70 years of faithful service as a Sister of Notre Dame de Namur. She had a bachelor’s degree in Education and was a licensed practical nurse (LPN). Mary Pat loved her various ministries which included teaching young children and caring for the elderly. She especially relished caring for our Sisters at Seton Center in Emmitsburg, Maryland, a retirement center owned and operated by the Daughters of Charity. Mary Pat loved her family, with whom she maintained close contact all her life.
SISTER AGNES FRANCIS JUNG, SNDdeN
November 29, 1934 to September 27, 2024
Sister Agnes Francis, an SNDdeN for 72 years, died peacefully at the age of 89. She was a woman of quiet prayer. Using her bachelor's degree in Education and master’s in Reading, over the years Agnes Francis taught primary grades in a number of parishes and ministered as a catechist. She was a beloved teacher who taught with gentleness and patience. Preparing children for the sacraments was her joy. She also enjoyed visits from her sister, Julie, and her nephew, Rick, who often came from Texas to see her and to play Scrabble.
SISTER PAULA MARIE BECKER, SNDdeN
January 15, 1931 to November 1, 2024
Sister Paula Marie, an SNDdeN for 74 years, died on All Saints Day at the age of 93. Paula Marie once identified the “triumph” of her life as being an educator. Having earned both a bachelor’s degree and a master’s in Education, she believed education to be “instrumental in setting a foundation for the future.” Whether in Ohio or Arizona, Paula Marie educated her students toward justice. Her commitment to God, to Sisters who accompanied her in community, to all those whose lives touched hers was most meaningful. Her family held a special place in her heart.
SISTER MARY BRIDGET MURPHY, SNDdeN
December 31, 1939 to December 7, 2024
Sister Mary Bridget, an SNDdeN for 67 years, died at the age of 84. With a bachelor’s degree and a master’s in Education, Bridget was an educator par excellence — a teacher, reading specialist, elementary and high school principal and president. Her family was most dear to her, and she was proud of her Chicago roots. As moderator of the Notre Dame Alumnae Association for many years, Bridget was greatly loved and admired by the graduates of Notre Dame High School in Chicago.
SISTER MARY ADELE WHITE, SNDdeN
December 17, 1928 to December 25, 2024
Sister Mary Adele White, died on Christmas night at age 96 and in her 78th year as a Sister of Notre Dame de Namur. While ministering in primary education, Mary Adele valued children’s “simplicity and straight-forwardness,” and she believed that God was using them to help prepare her for ministry to older adults. Following prayerful discernment and professional training, she gradually moved into eldercare. With a bachelor’s degree in Education and a master’s in Studies of Aging, she served throughout the East Coast. Mary Adele was a woman of whom it might be said: “God loves nothing so much as the one who dwells with wisdom” (Wis 7:28).
REFLECT AND RENEW
Springtime brings new life and new growth to our Earth — and often spiritual renewal as well. The act of observing Lent and Easter can inspire a mindful approach to living and a thoughtful approach to estate planning.
If this is where God is leading you, we invite you to think about how your support can impact the ministries of Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur. We are deeply grateful for the ongoing gifts of those who believe in our mission and vision. Your contributions have helped us make a transformational difference in our community, our country and the world.
Spring is also the ideal time to ask if your charitable giving aligns with tax planning for the year.
For example, you may want to review your investment portfolio. If you have publicly-traded stocks held for more than a year that have appreciated in value, consider making a gift of these stocks to the Sisters. You will avoid capital gains tax and receive a charitable deduction for the full fair market value.
Even if your securities have depreciated, selling them and donating the cash proceeds allows you to claim a capital loss on your return, which is not possible if you donate the securities directly.
As always, consult your CPA, attorney or financial advisor before making significant gifts. These experts can help you understand the impact on your tax return and estate plans.
At Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, we aim to make your giving experience prudent, generous and joyful! We are here to assist you and your advisors with planning and making gifts that support our mission. Have a blessed season of renewal!
To discuss including Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur in your estate plans, contact Development Director Kevin Manley (kmanley@ohsnd.org or 513-679-8117).
Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur
Florence Maier (standing) and Betty Ann Zengel enjoy the beautiful grounds at Mount Notre Dame Health Center. Your thoughtful estate planning can help ensure our Sisters retire with dignity at this top-rated facility.
BE OUR PARTNER IN ACTION
Save the date, Wednesday, May 7, and join Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur for our annual event, Partners in Action luncheon. It will be held at Cintas Center on the Xavier University campus from 12-1 p.m.
At this inspiring, mission-focused networking event, you’ll learn more about the Sisters’ educational work and their mission to make known God ’s goodness around the world. Reservations are required. Please contact Karen Hadden, associate development director (khadden@ohsnd.org or 513.679.8106), for more information.
SCAN TO LEARN MORE ABOUT PARTNERS IN ACTION ON
OUR WEBSITE
COMING HOME CAMPAIGN
Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur recently began a campaign to fund needed updates to the Mount Notre Dame Health Center. “Coming Home ” has a goal of $1.5 million.
“To date, we ’ve raised $632,550 for safety, comfort and energy efficiency improvements,” says Kevin Manley, director of development. “Some early projects made possible by this support include shower and elevator upgrades and renovations to the HVAC system.”
There are more needs on the horizon, such as the fire alarm equipment, nurse call system and LED lighting. To get involved in the Coming Home campaign, visit our website, sndohio.org.
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