Meet Our Sisters

When and why did you join the School Sisters of Notre Dame?

My journey to becoming a School Sister of Notre Dame (SSND) was driven by a profound desire to serve God and others, and to deepen my relationship with Him. After experiencing the SSND way of life, I joined as a postulant in 2018 and took my first profession of vows in 2022.

I was drawn to the SSND charism of education, which extends beyond the classroom. The sisters' hospitality and humility resonated deeply with me. As a teacher by profession, I felt called to share this gift with others, not just in the classroom but wherever I find myself.

Can you please share with us your academic background or degrees/certificates?

My journey in education includes a certificate in pre-school and a diploma in early childhood education. I am currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education part-time.

What is your current ministry with SSND?

Currently, I serve as a teacher at Mary Queen of Peace Catholic School in the Archdiocese of Cape Coast.

What do you like to do in your free time? Hobbies, interests, etc.

In my free time, I find joy in listening to music, watching movies, and reading books.

Are you currently involved with any committees of SSND?

I am part of the Shalom committee for the Ghana area.

What do you feel is the most important thing for people to know about the School Sisters of Notre Dame?

 I believe it's important for people to know that the SSND go beyond the word "school”. We educate in all we are and do, striving to help individuals reach their full potential. We also actively advocate for social justice, human rights, and environmental issues in collaboration with other congregations.

What do you love most about being a SSND?

What I love most about the SSND is the welcoming spirit that is present in every SSND community.

Finish this sentence: I am proud to be a School Sister of Notre Dame because…

. . .  I am called each day to reach out with love, to share faith and hope.

What inspired you to become a sister?

I entered my community later in life when I was in my forties. I felt that God was calling me to do “more” with my life. During the summer, I attended Marian conferences and I would hear talks about vocations. I wondered if God was calling me.

When and why did you join the School Sisters of Notre Dame?

I joined as an affiliate in 2007. I admired the sisters’ sense of mission. I had been meeting with Sister Cristine Garcia, who was the Vocation Director for the Dallas Province at that time, and she talked with me about the School Sisters of Notre Dame. Plus, I was able to meet with some of the San Antonio sisters whom I found to be gracious and welcoming. Since I was a special education teacher, I valued education as the sisters did, so I thought that it might be a good fit.

What is your current ministry with SSND?

I currently am employed by the Catholic Diocese of Dallas as a hospital chaplain at Methodist Dallas Medical Center.

What do you like to do in your free time?

I enjoy taking walks in my neighborhood to admire the beauty of nature. I like to play games like Qwirkle or Rummikub with my community.

Are you currently involved with any committees of SSND? Have you been involved in any committees in the past?

I am currently a member of the Racial Justice Committee. Also, I recently became an area coordinator of the associates serving Texas, Mississippi, and Louisiana along with Associate Chris Ingrassia. Plus, I am an area vocation minister for the vocation team.

What do you feel is the most important thing for people to know about the School Sisters of Notre Dame?

The most important thing that people should know about the School Sisters of Notre Dame is that we are an international congregation striving to bring unity to our world. We are guided by Jesus’ words to bring all to oneness.

What do you love most about being a SSND?

I love the support of my sisters and the feeling of being “at home” whenever I visit sisters in other parts of the country.

Finish this sentence: I am proud to be a School Sister of Notre Dame because. . .

. . . we are women of courage who are willing to take risks to do God’s will in our world.

What is your favorite memory from your time with SSND so far?

My favorite memory is my first profession of vows. I was able to have the mass and reception at my home parish. Family and friends were able to attend, and I felt their love and support as I began this new path. I believe that the sisters who attended gave a beautiful witness to serving our Lord as consecrated women religious.

What are your special talents or skills?

I enjoy baking and sharing my baked goods with others. I consider myself easy to get along with and strive to be a good listener.

What has been most challenging for you as a SSND?

As a SSND, the most challenging aspects have been to balance community, prayer, and ministry. Through the years, I have done better but there are days when my ministry requires me to stay longer at the hospital and thus reduce my community time.

What inspired you to become a sister?

I joined a group of Pontifical Missionary Childhood (PMC) liturgical dancers when I was a little girl. Our animator was a Little Sister of St. Francis. She loved us so much and I became her close friend. I used to visit her often. The welcome and love the sisters showed me attracted me to religious life.

When and why did you join the School Sisters of Notre Dame?

I started attending come and see seminars with the Little Sisters of St. Francis during my secondary school years. When I went to college, I met the School Sisters of Notre Dame. In visiting them, I felt at home from the welcome from Sister Joan Mukhwana, the vocation director at that time. That’s how I began the journey with SSND in 2007 and joined the postulancy in 2011.

Did you have a career before joining SSND?

Yes, I trained as a primary teacher before joining the SSND

What is your current ministry with SSND?

I am currently a student studying business management at the Catholic University of Eastern Africa.

What ministries have you served in prior to now?

After my first profession, I served in The Gambia as a teacher in Notre Dame School, Soma. I later was sent to St. Kizito Primary School in Kisii, Kenya, to serve as a classroom teacher. I then went to Nyalieng’a as an accountant at Notre Dame Children’s Outreach as well as a bursar at Blessed Theresa Gerhardinger Educational Centre.

Has your ministry in SSND taken you to other cities, countries or continents? If yes, do you mind sharing something about your experience?

Yes, I served as a classroom teacher at Notre Dame School in The Gambia. Although I had taught before in Kenya schools, it was not the same in The Gambia because of differences in curriculum. Also, because of the high temperatures, school closed at 2:00 p.m. each day which was different from the Kenyan system where schools run to evening each day. I appreciated the good relationship between Muslims and Christians in The Gambia where there are many more Muslims than Christians.

What do you like to do in your free time? Hobbies, interests, etc.

I like listening to Gospel music, playing drums, knitting, and running. I also enjoy travelling and seeing new places and new things. I like watching interesting movies and playing games.

What do you feel is the most important thing for people to know about the School Sisters of Notre Dame?

I treasure our mission, and I keep reflecting on it:  “We proclaim the good news as SSND, directing our entire lives toward that oneness for which Jesus Christ was sent.”

What do you love most about being a SSND?

I love our internationality. It is a gift to me interacting with sisters from different nationalities as well as serving in mission. There is beauty in our diversity.

Finish this sentence: I am proud to be a School Sister of Notre Dame because. . .

. . . it has blessed me with richness of diversity, it has broadened my world vision and shaped my perspective.

What is your favorite memory from your time with SSND so far?

My favorite memory so far is my perpetual profession and the celebration of the golden jubilee of SSND’s presence in Kenya two months ago. I experienced great love and joy in the celebration and felt so grateful to be a School Sister of Notre Dame.

What inspired you to become a sister? When and why did you join the School Sisters of Notre Dame?

In elementary school, I was very interested in social studies, the globe, and how people from far away lived. In high school, I learned that the School Sisters of Notre Dame were an international congregation and had missionary opportunities in other countries.  Here was my chance! I joined the School Sisters of Notre Dame in 1963.

Can you please share with us your academic background or degrees/certificates?

I have an Honors BA in History and a Masters in Spirituality.

What is your current ministry with SSND?

I am currently retired from ministry. My volunteer ministry is with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in seeking reconciliation with Indigenous Peeoples of Canada, plus formation in Teilhard de Chardin theology/spirituality.

What ministries have you served in prior to now?

I have been a teacher in grades 1- 10 across Canada, the Dean of women in our Notre Dame College in Ontario,  pastoral services with youth and Christian communities in Bolivia, refugee settlement services in Toronto, Vocation Director and Director of Novices in Ontario, Provincial Council responsibilities in the Atlantic-Midwest Province.

Has your ministry in SSND taken you to other cities, countries or continents? If yes, do you mind sharing something about your experience?

My ministry has taken me to the Western part of Canada, to Bolivia, to the USA, and to some shorter trips to Europe for ministry-related opportunities. Each of these places was a new culture for me and I had to learn to insert myself deeply enough to feel at home with the people there in order to be of meaningful service to the people there.  It is incredible how the land and the air have a distinct fragrance in each country. I had to open my lungs and my heart to that newness and love it all.

What do you like to do in your free time? Hobbies, interests, etc.

I am a reader, a walker, and a visitor of farmers’ markets.

Are you currently involved with any committees of SSND? Have you been involved in any committees in the past?

I am currently on the Dismantling Racism Committee of the Atlantic-Midwest Province. I have always been on a province committee in the social justice field – all my life.  I like committee work and teamwork.  Recently, I find myself co-facilitating book studies.

What do you feel is the most important thing for people to know about the School Sisters of Notre Dame?

The most important thing to know about the School Sisters of Note Dame is that we are international and therefore the whole world informs our world view and the way that we do ministry.  And yes, we are partnering with other like-minded organizations to be advocates on the ground for those who are suffering from unjust global structures.

What do you love most about being a SSND?

We are women who have deep knowing from all our years of learning how to be and do better for others; we refuse to be static and we keep growing from our deep desire to be followers of Jesus in a pain filled world.

Finish this sentence: I am proud to be a School Sister of Notre Dame because. . .

. . . my time for prayer, living a well-balanced life, and focusing on the service of others keeps me young and ever so grateful.

What is your favorite memory from your time with SSND so far?

My favorite memory is the joy of being asked to go to Bolivia. I was young enough to enjoy my best years exploring a whole new world with energy, curiosity, and growing concern for the people living in poverty, feeling for them because our systems are made to keep them in poverty.

What are your special talents or skills?

I like to work in teams, putting our gifts together to do outreach and make a difference.

What has been most challenging for you as a SSND?

Living in community is both a gift and a challenge. Life in community gets messy and learning to live healthy community relationships requires growing in interpersonal living and conflict resolution skills and  doing spiritual inner work. The way I live in community is the litmus test of how I am living with the Triune God.

Anything unique about yourself that not many people know?

The more I practice knitting, the tighter the stitches get. But, I have a dream of knitting multi-colored socks to give to people I meet on the streets or, for variety, giving them shimmering peace cranes as an icebreaker for building conversation.

I am Sister Ann Scholz. I was born in Quincy, Illinois. I am currently living in St. Louis, Missouri.

When and why did you join the School Sisters of Notre Dame?

I entered the St. Louis Province of the School Sisters of Notre Dame in 1969 and was professed in 1972. My commitment to God and the SSND was solemnized in 1982 when I publicly professed my final vows at Sancta Maria in Ripa.

My understanding of God’s call to me has deepened over the years. Initially, there was something about the spirit and commitment of the sisters who taught me that attracted me to the School Sisters of Notre Dame. That, coupled with the desire to serve planted in my heart by God and the example of my parents, led me to search for a way to contribute to the profound social change already underway in the 1960s. By God’s grace, the SSND were a perfect fit for me.

Did you have a career before joining SSND?

I entered the congregation shortly after I graduated from Notre Dame High School in Quincy, Illinois, a high school established as an academy by Mother Caroline in 1859.

Can you please share with us your academic background or degrees/certificates?

I graduated from Notre Dame College, St. Louis with a degree in history in 1973. At the request of the St. Louis provincial council, I took time off from teaching secondary social studies to earn a master’s degree and a PhD in international education from the American University in Washington, DC.

What is your current ministry with SSND?

I am currently the director of corporate social responsibility for the School Sisters of Notre Dame Collective Investment Fund where I advise the fund’s board of directors on how we might use our assets for the common good and engage in shareholder advocacy to encourage companies with whom we invest to respect human rights and mitigate harm to God’s people and our common home.

What ministries have you served in prior to now?

While my ministries have been varied, I am, and will always be, an SSND educator, committed to transforming the world through education. I began my educational ministry as a social studies and history teacher at Notre Dame High School in Burlington, Iowa. I also taught at Helias High School in Jefferson City, Missouri, and Notre Dame High School in St. Louis.

After graduate school in Washington, D.C., I served as associate professor of education and director of study abroad at the College of Notre Dame of Maryland (now Notre Dame of Maryland University). I trained future teachers, taught undergraduate and graduate courses in international and multicultural education, and expanded opportunities for students and faculty to do academic work and research abroad.

In 2002, I accepted the call of the General Council to represent the Congregation at the United Nations in New York. It was a privilege to represent SSND at the U.N. where we sought to bring the charism of the SSND Congregation and the values of the Gospel to bear on the deliberations of U.N. member states. Our work focused on the right to education, gender equality, and the human rights of girls.

I joined the staff of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR) as associate director for social mission in 2011. In that capacity, I coordinate LCWR’s efforts to partner with other faith-based groups concerned with the needs of society and to maximize the efforts of the conference to affect social change.

Has your ministry in SSND taken you to other cities, countries or continents? If yes, do you mind sharing something about your experience?

My ministry to the international SSND community afforded me the opportunity to travel widely throughout the congregation. I learned much from our sisters and their colleagues in ministry in Austria, Italy, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Slovenia, Argentina, Brazil, and Honduras, and came to better understand Blessed Theresa’s charism that binds us and the diverse expressions of that charism that we offer to God’s people.

What do you feel is the most important thing for people to know about the School Sisters of Notre Dame?

We are women of hope committed to Jesus’ mission to bring all to oneness in God. We are women who freely give our lives and our labor in community to build God’s beloved community. We are women who believe that education that liberates and empowers can transform this world. Together with our associates and colleagues in mission, we will continue to make Blessed Theresa’s charism available to the world far into the future.

What do you love most about being a SSND?

My life in SSND has been filled with blessings and adventures. Those opportunities opened my heart to a world longing for communion and hungry for justice and blessed me with SSND companions called to build God's beloved community.

What inspired you to become a sister?

I was inspired to become a sister to serve God through God's people by spreading God's good news of the gospel by my very being, seeing all that God has done in my life and my personal encounter/experience of who God is for me.

When and why did you join the School Sisters of Notre Dame?

I joined the SSND on October 15, 2011. I aspired with them for eight years before joining. The first community I visited was Mkar community Gboko, Benue State, Nigeria. The affectionate and joyous welcome I received from the sisters whom I met warmed my heart so much and made me feel at home. I visited often. I was elated to begin my formative journey with them when the time came in 2004.

Did you have a career before joining SSND?

My career before joining SSND was business. I sold for my immediate elder sister who was an African fabric dealer at that time in Gboko. After college, as a trained teacher, I also taught. I was also involved in farming a variety of crops like groundnut, yam, and cassava.

Can you please share with us your academic background or degrees/certificates?

I am so privileged to share my academic background because it is encouraging for those who might have thought that it is too late for what they want to achieve in life. Indeed, it calls for determination.

I did not have a basic foundation in education as a child. I started school as an adult and eventually, through persistence and hard work, got the necessary qualifications to be admitted into a college of education where I studied business education and obtained a diploma certificate as a professional teacher.

What is your current ministry with SSND?

In my current ministry, I serve as property administrator in Theresa House (former African Novitiate). I also am engaged in some farming and gardening which I am passionate about.

What ministries have you served in prior to now?

As a School Sister of Notre Dame, I have served in various ministries. My first mission after my first vows was in Cape Coast community at Mary Queen of Peace School as a teacher and school counsellor. As a passionate teacher, I spent much of my free time offering lessons to pupils who were struggling, remembering the people who believed in me and gave extra hours for me to become who I am today. I was transferred in 2018 to The Gambia in Soma community to teach at Notre Dame School. In 2020, I was called to serve as a property administrator.

Has your ministry in SSND taken you to other cities, countries, or continents? If yes, do you mind sharing something about your experience?

School Sisters of Notre Dame ministry has taken me to other countries like Ghana and The Gambia. These include the cities of Accra, Sunyani, Cape Coast, Berekum, Elmina, Takoradi and Kumasi in Ghana and Banjul, Basse, Farafenni, Brikama, Bansang, Serekunda, Bakau and Soma in The Gambia.

I am continually enriched by my ministry experiences as a SSND. I found joy and happiness going out in the early hours of Sunday morning to offer communion service to Christians in the out stations. I drove for about 60 kilometers to pick up people from their homes, bring them to church services, and convey them back after the service. My ministry with the youth involved in Missionary Childhood Association was another beautiful encounter for me, teaching me humility as well as patience with myself and others. I enjoyed teaching them devotional prayers like Holy Rosary and training them to animate Holy Mass. I also taught them how to be self-reliant. Visiting with the poor and sick in our Christian communities as well as those of other religions witnessed to my oneness with those to whom I am sent.

What do you like to do in your free time? Hobbies, interests, etc.

I like listening to Christian music. My hobbies are cooking, baking, gardening and dancing.

What do you love about being a SSND?

I love being a SSND because of their values and passion for education that transforms the person. They see potential in every human person and they care for the well-being of Mother Earth. As a happy woman religious with School Sisters of Notre Dame, I feel so fortunate to be part of this noble family and to share the gifts God has given me in service to everyone.

Finish this sentence: I am proud to be a School Sister of Notre Dame because…

. . . of their hospitality and unity which resonate with me.

Anything unique about yourself that not many people know?

I am a gentle woman, full of enthusiasm and positive thoughts, a risk taker. I love honesty and justice and strive for it.

What ministries have you served in as a SSND?

In the poorest section of Chicago, I found my heart’s desire: to teach high school to girls who were seven or eight grades behind in their ability to read and write. I brought bread and peanut butter to first period because they had had no breakfast at home. At the end of the semester, we celebrated awards day. Their progress won them awards and so much clapping.

In 1973, I left for Boston to begin studies in Scripture, including Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek. I finished at Boston University and took a one-year appointment to Marquette University to teach Scripture, moving back to Milwaukee. My next call was to Silver Spring, Maryland, where, for nine years I administered the Ministry Development Program for priests and fully professed sisters and brothers at the Washington Theological Union.

 In 1987, I began another course of study: pastoral counseling, a two-year program just across the Potomac in Virginia. This attracted students from a variety of faith traditions and fed another part of my hunger to learn. By 2006, I qualified to become a Fellow in the American Association of Pastoral Counselors. I spliced that with my Scripture background and offered spiritual direction.

I wrote my first book for Paulist Press in 1984, two more in 1985, making Scripture available to Catholic readers. When I was joined by my friend and colleague, Rachel Callahan, CSC, a clinical psychologist, together we wrote books that combined our two disciplines.

Other adventures in ministry included hospital visitations, lectures in parishes, and retreats in many parts of the country.

What is your current ministry with SSND?

I am currently in the ministry of prayer and presence at Villa Assumpta. I had hoped my retirement would provide time for me to read, especially history. I find that I am just as fascinated by the history of our sisters who have retired here.

When I first arrived at Villa Assumpta, I asked myself, "Now what will be my mission?"  Finally, after noticing so many pushing walkers, so many white canes tapping along, so much pain accumulated in emergency rooms and doctors' offices, I heard my call—so simple, so clear. "Smile,” I heard Jesus say to my heart, “and wish everyone you meet, everyone you see or who helps you, a 'blessed day.'"

I have been doing that and the response has been delightful. Mostly everyone smiles back; folks who share the elevator usually speak to me; and most, whether on the street or in the office, wish me a blessed day.  I am indeed blessed in my new mission.

What inspired you to become a sister?

My first inspiration for becoming a sister came from reading Maryknoll Magazine which came monthly to our house. I was fascinated by the stories of sisters (and priests) going to foreign lands to spread the Good News. My second inspiration came from my 7th and 8th grade teacher, Sister Cecilia Klar. Besides being a good teacher, she was kind and funny.

When and why did you join the School Sisters of Notre Dame?

I joined the SSNDs after high school. I had already applied to the Maryknoll Sisters but was told I would have to wait a year. Since I did not want to wait, I applied to Notre Dame and, fortunately, was accepted. By then, I knew that I wanted to be a teacher and that SSND was an educational community.

Can you please share with us your academic background or degrees/certificates?

I have a BA in elementary education, an MEd in bilingual education, and an EDPL (principal’s license).

What is your current ministry with SSND?

I am officially retired, but I volunteer at Casa Romero Renewal Center in the Spanish spirituality programs. This includes days of reflection, a 6-week Lenten program based on the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola, and individual spiritual direction.

What ministries have you served in prior to now?

I spent 45 years as a teacher and principal in middle schools, mainly in the inner city of Milwaukee; three years in parish ministry—adult education and Hispanic ministry; and seven years as coordinator of the Urban Plunge program at Casa Romero.

Has your ministry in SSND taken you to other cities, countries or continents? If yes, do you mind sharing something about your experience?

I spent several summers on the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota, teaching religion classes in many parishes and doing home visiting. During my years in central Wisconsin, I worked with migrants in the camps during the summer. I participated in a Third World experience in Honduras and taught in a large, poor school in Monterrey, Mexico for several summers. I also accompanied groups of middle school students from the US to this school in Monterrey for an immersion experience with the Mexican students and their families. From these experiences, I have learned what it means to be very poor, and I have seen how Jesus accompanies the poor in their joys and suffering.

During my 25th jubilee year as an SSND, I was able to travel to Rome, Assisi, Florence, and Germany for a renewal program with the sisters from my early years in the community. This was a wonderful opportunity to learn about and celebrate the history, charism, and ministries of our SSND congregation throughout the world.

What do you like to do in your free time? Hobbies, interests, etc.

I have been a volunteer usher at the Milwaukee Repertory Theater for about 40 years, so I get to see five or six live plays a year. I am also a volunteer teacher of English and citizenship at Voces de la Frontera, preparing adult students to take the citizenship test. This is difficult but a lot of fun. I like to read, walk dogs, and keep up with in-depth reporting of the news.

Are you currently involved with any committees of SSND? Have you been involved in any committees in the past?

I was a member of the MAP committee (Mission Awareness Process) for many years, and just finished my term on the Ministry Commission of the CP province. I also coordinate the meetings and activities of the Spanish-speaking associates in the Milwaukee area.

What do you feel is the most important thing for people to know about the School Sisters of Notre Dame?

The School Sisters of Notre Dame are an international community of diverse women who have answered the call from God to enter into a committed relationship with God and with God’s people. It is a life both of joy and of challenge that is worth the risk.

What do you love most about being a SSND?

There are so many things I love. I love being able to grow in intimacy with God through the many opportunities I have had for regular retreats, workshops, SSND events, and community prayer, among other things. Another thing I love is meeting and living with people of many cultures, languages, and opinions which I have experienced through my ministries and living situations.

What are your special talents or skills?

Music, cooking, teaching, being able to speak another language, caring for a dog, opening my heart to others in mutual sharing of love.

What has been most challenging for you as a SSND?

Being separated from the people I have come to love (both sisters and others) because of moving to faraway places, illness, and death.

When and why did you join the School Sisters of Notre Dame?

I was attracted to the love and simple lifestyle of SSND whom I encountered as my teachers and parishioners. I encountered SSND in 1994 and continued to be in contact until 2005 when I became a postulant and professed first vows in 2007. I so much wanted to serve as a teacher in the model of SSND. The SSND truly taught in the broadest sense and touched lives.

What is your current ministry with SSND?

Currently, I minister as the principal of St. Francis Girls Secondary in Kericho, Kenya.

What other ministries have you served in?

Prior to joining SSND, I trained as a secretary, then later as an elementary school teacher. After joining and serving for three years, I was sent to college to prepare for teaching at the secondary school level. I received a bachelor’s in education in 2014. When there emerged a need for administration at our school, I was sent to prepare for that ministry. I received my master’s in educational administration and planning in 2023. Other than my ministry in schools, I have served for three terms as delegate at our provincial assembly, as a vocation director, and as director of our temporary professed sisters in the Kenya Area.

Has your ministry in SSND taken you to other cities, countries or continents? If yes, do you mind sharing something about your experience?

My ministries have exposed me to the reality of SSND as an international congregation focused on enabling persons at different capacities. I served as a delegate in the congregational initiative called CASES of 2008 and in the Interculturality Team of 2018. I have also ministered in The Gambia where I served as a teacher. In the majorly Muslim country, I learned that interculturality is the way to move mission forward at this time. Such aspects of our charism as Eucharist, prayer, unity, and education derived newer meaning for me. Indeed, I felt challenged to move beyond my comfort limits in the way I manifested our charism there.

Are you currently involved with any committees of SSND? Have you been involved in any committees in the past?

Being a person who loves reading, teamwork, making friends and visiting places, I have readily worked in various province committees including the Government Committee and Personal Development in Community (PDIC) Committee. Currently I am a member of the formation team in the Kenya Area as well as PDIC committee in the province.

What do you love most about being a SSND?

I am always thanking God for making me a SSND because it is my point of contact with God in the most unique way. I have been so empowered, and I want to empower others to reach the fullness of their potential. SSND have opened my eyes to look at and experience the joys and pains of our world in a different way. Sometimes I am scared of the potential in me and those I am yet to discover. In Mary's humility, I go on the knees of my heart and surrender to His Holy Design in my life.

Finish this sentence: I am proud to be a School Sister of Notre Dame because…

it is nurturing who I am meant to be.

What is your favorite memory from your time with SSND so far?

My favorite memory is the moment I uttered my vows as a perpetually professed member of the congregation and the sisters accepted me. I felt the awesome responsibility in my heart and the same weight on the sisters.

What inspired you to become a sister?

The School Sisters of Notre Dame that I met in elementary school in South Carolina inspired me to become a sister. They were so joyful and encouraging that I wanted to live a life like theirs.

When and why did you join the School Sisters of Notre Dame?

I entered postulancy in 1967 after graduating from Villa Regina Academy, the Baltimore province Aspiranture. My father’s job in the Navy caused us to move several times so I was taught by five different communities of Sisters before the end of my eighth grade. The SSND were the most human and they laughed. So, I chose to join them.

Can you please share with us your academic background or degrees/certificates?

I have a BS in History from the College of Notre Dame (now Notre Dame of MD University), an MS in Instructional Technology from Towson State University, and a BS in Computer Accounting from Stevenson University.

What is your current ministry with SSND?

My ministry is listening to how God is calling me that day and then responding to each person/situation as it presents itself. In addition, I volunteer with the local homeless shelter, Welcome One, and moderate a genealogy sharing group.

What ministries have you served in prior to now?

I spent many years in education as a teacher, school media specialist, and vice principal. I then ministered as an accountant in nonprofits and nursing homes. When I needed to move to part time ministry, I became a librarian in the county public library. My last formal ministry was as a staff member in the SSND Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation (JPIC) department.

What do you like to do in your free time? Hobbies, interests, etc.

I enjoy family research as well as helping others with their research, getting together with friends, reading, and crocheting. I also enjoy learning new things.

Are you currently involved with any committees of SSND? Have you been involved in any committees in the past?

I am not currently involved in any committees but have been involved in the Heritage, Government/Election, Technology, Budgeting, and Human Trafficking Committees. During my time in the JPIC office I was involved in our four (at the time) commitments.

What do you feel is the most important thing for people to know about the School Sisters of Notre Dame?

We are women who strive for unity of all as we live and share the Gospel message as it resounds through our charism. We listen to the needs of the time and work to allow each person to reach their full potential.

What do you love most about being a SSND?

What I love most are the sisters and other people I have met in my life as a SSND. I also treasure the opportunities and challenges I have experienced both in community and ministry.

Finish this sentence: I am proud to be a School Sister of Notre Dame because…

we are human, we are continually on the road, and we listen to the signs of the time and each other as we respond to the call of Jesus.

What inspired you to become a sister?

I was born into a faith-filled Catholic family grounded in love and care for one another.

My family is very active and devoted in the church, serving God through humanity. This background inspired me right from my childhood to be a sister and to give my whole life to the service of God through humanity. As I was growing up, I belonged to Altar Girls Association, Mary League Association, and Divine Mercy Association in my home parish.

God’s call came to me as I continued to draw closer to God through these different pious associations. The desire to be a sister was in line with my love of serving humanity.

When and why did you join the School Sisters of Notre Dame?

I joined the School Sisters of Notre Dame in 2016 because I felt at home and pleased by my first encounter with the sisters. Also, the charism of unity and the emphasis on community drew me closer.

What is your current ministry with SSND?

I minister as a nurse and care for the wellbeing of our students at Notre Dame Girls' Secondary School, Urua Edet Obo, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria.

What ministries have you served in prior to now?

I have worked as a staff nurse in one of the hospitals in Nigeria. I have also worked at St. Monica's Hospital, Kisumu, Kenya, as a volunteer nurse during my weekly apostolate in my postulancy. I worked as a volunteer at Orthopedic Training Centre (OTC), Nsawam, Ghana, during my novitiate apostolic phase. I learned a lot by working with patients at OTC who are physically challenged. The experience helped me to understand deeply that everyone has something to offer, that being different is an opportunity, and that patience can get me through almost anything.

Has your ministry in SSND taken you to other cities, countries, or continents? If yes, do you mind sharing something about your experience?

My ministry in SSND has taken me to different cities in my country, as well as to East and West Africa, and Europe. I have had very beautiful experiences that have helped to nurture who I am today. Traveling gave me a grounded foundation and deepened my understanding of living interculturally and internationally.

What do you like to do in your free time?

I love caring for flowers and reading both spiritual books and health-related books that update my knowledge of the care of the sick. Other hobbies include watching movies, playing football and volleyball with the students, yoga, and walking.

What do you feel is the most important thing for people to know about the School Sisters of Notre Dame?

We are women religious who have responded to God’s call to make Christ visible by our very being and by sharing our faith, hope, and love.

What do you love most about being a SSND?

I love our sense of community living and the welcoming spirit that I was attracted to on my first encounter with the sisters. Our commitment to education, which is tailored to improving the lives of people and allowing them to reach their full potential, is something I love and cherish about our congregation.

Finish this sentence: I am proud to be a School Sister of Notre Dame because…

it has enabled me to support, nurture, and touch people's lives in positive ways through my various engagements and ministries.

What is your favorite memory from your time with SSND so far?

I have so many fun memories with the School Sisters of Notre Dame. The one that always stands tall for me is my formation experience. The spirit of sharing, togetherness, and caring for one another has never left me. It has grounded and empowered me to have the same spirit whether in community or ministry.

Can you tell us a little bit about where you grew up?

I grew up in the small town of Fallston, Maryland, which is in Harford County—the same county where I live today. During my years in Fallston, it was basically agricultural and dairy farms. Today it is very different —the last planting must have had “seed” for the homes and businesses of today.

What inspired you to become a sister?

My aunt, Sister Mary Benigna Kearney was my ideal, though she never “pushed” religious life. She lived it and I caught on. I also had several other SSND teachers who inspired my thoughts in this direction by their love and enjoyment of teaching.

When and why did you join the School Sisters of Notre Dame?

After completing elementary grades, I went to the Aspiranture in Fort Lee, New Jersey, from 1953-1957 for my high school years.

Can you please share with us your academic background or degrees/certificates?

I have a BA in Elementary Education from the College of Notre Dame (now Notre Dame of MD University), an MA in Religious Education from LaSalle in Philadelphia and a certificate in Spiritual Direction from Washington Theological Union in Washington DC.

What is your current ministry with SSND?

During the past ten years, I volunteered to teach English at Asylee Women Enterprise (AWE) in Baltimore, Maryland. During a medical leave until the present, I have continued to support AWE from a distance and volunteered periodically at Welcome One, a local homeless shelter in Abingdon, Maryland.

What ministries have you served in prior to now?

While teaching grades one and two at St. Mark’s in Catonsville, Maryland, I taught after school religious education to children who attended public school. When the need for a full-time director of religious education arose, the parish council asked me to assume that role. This led to 40+ years as a religious education director in parishes in Baltimore and Silver Spring, Maryland. I spent two periods as the DRE at St. Isaac Jogues in Carney, Maryland, for a total of 28 years in that parish.

What do you like to do in your free time? Hobbies, interests, etc.

 I enjoy reading, meeting with friends, latch hook projects, and walking in the local park.

Are you currently involved with any committees of SSND? Have you been involved in any committees in the past?

I was involved in the Spirituality Committee.

What do you feel is the most important thing for people to know about the School Sisters of Notre Dame?

I would want people to know that School Sisters of Notre Dame are actively involved in today’s local and global concerns around the world as well as continual prayer for God’s blessing and guidance.

What do you love most about being a SSND?

I am grateful for many varied opportunities for an active and contemplative lifestyle.

Finish this sentence: I am proud to be a School Sister of Notre Dame because… of our emphasis on unity, our care and concern for so many current local and global issues. Our presence does make a difference.

What is your favorite memory from your time with SSND so far?

There are many wonderful memories, but one about teaching a blind woman at Asylee Women Enterprise to understand and speak our language stands out. She and the other clients there are a wonderful group of men and women who have experienced much tragedy and yet are anxious to learn and adapt to our country.

What city do you currently live in?
I live in St Paul, Minnesota.

What inspired you to become a sister?
In 1990, I joined a parish committee connecting with a “sister parish” in Nicaragua. Six months later, five of us traveled there to meet the people and see the projects we were supporting. Three sisters from another religious community were our guides while we were there.

I had never been to a developing country.  We met so many wonderful people, which was an impactful experience in itself. But as I traveled home, I realized that something about the sisters had also stayed with me. It wasn’t just about their ministry. It was something about the way they were with each other, how they supported one another. A tiny mosquito of a thought came to me on the flight home: “Jill, would you ever think about being a sister?” Quickly received and quickly dismissed! I was certain that I was just sleep deprived, and I told no one. But the thought would not leave me, and grew louder, so eventually I spoke with our parish priest who had also been on the trip. He directed me to the archdiocesan vocation office. That was the start of my discernment process. From that time on, I was listening, questioning, and praying to know God’s will for me.

Looking back, what had awakened in me during my time in Nicaragua was a desire to be of service in a way that would make a difference in the world, to be God-centered in whatever I might do, and to be part of something larger than just my own wants and needs. I wondered whether life as a vowed sister could be lifegiving for me. It was just one of many possibilities, but it was worth considering as I discerned life choices.

When and why did you join the School Sisters of Notre Dame?
Over time, as I met with various communities, I narrowed my focus to three apostolic congregations and eventually determined that it was with the SSND sisters that I felt most at home. The sisters I met had a strong sense of community. They knew each other. They enjoyed each other’s company whenever they were together. They were prayerful women of action.

I resonated with their mission, “to proclaim the good news… directing our entire lives toward that oneness for which Jesus Christ was sent…. to make Christ visible by our very being, by sharing our love, faith, and hope."  I resonated with their attentiveness to meeting urgent needs; with their Augustinian roots—striving to be of one mind and one heart;  and with their focus on transformation through education, helping people to reach the fullness of their potential and to direct their God-given gifts toward making the world a better place.

Even so, as someone who likes to keep all her options open, it took considerable courage and trust to take the next step, but I recognized I could only learn so much “from the outside.” The sisters in community who had accompanied and discerned with me were open to my continuing discernment through a more formal formation process. To truly know whether I was being called to SSND, I would need to enter. With approval from the community, I entered the School Sisters of Notre Dame in Mankato in 1994, and in 2022 celebrated 25 years of vowed life as a School Sister of Notre Dame. Side note: Only after I entered, did I learn that my mother had been educated by School Sisters of Notre Dame from grades 1-7!

Did you have a career before joining SSND?
I have always enjoyed technology. I was a telecommunications analyst for many years. After joining SSND, I transitioned to providing computer and office support.

Can you please share with us your academic background or degrees/certificates?
I have an undergraduate B.S. in business administration. After perpetual profession, I went back to college for an M.A. in Theology.

What is your current ministry with SSND?
I am in my fifth year as a member of the SSND North American Vocation Team. I also volunteer as local “tech support” for sisters in my area.

What ministries have you served in prior to now? Most of my ministries have involved computer and office support in church-related organizations and for various nonprofits, including MORE Multicultural School for Empowerment and East Side Learning Center, both begun by SSND.

Has your ministry in SSND taken you to other cities, countries, or continents? If yes, do you mind sharing something about your experience?
As a member of the North American Vocation Team, I have had the opportunity to travel to various parts of the US and Canada for vocation events, busy person retreats, discernment retreats, and more. I was also part of an SSND international renewal program in Kenya for several weeks in 2011.

What do you like to do in your free time? Hobbies, interests, etc.
I enjoy national parks, state parks, and/or lake cabins anywhere! I still love learning about technology, and I enjoy photography.

Are you currently involved with any committees of SSND? Have you been involved in any committees in the past?
Currently, I am secretary for the SSNDCP Laudato Si Action Team and I am a member of our SSND Central Pacific Provincial Assembly, including the Dialogue Circle-Logistics committee.

What do you feel is the most important thing for people to know about the School Sisters of Notre Dame?
Our mission and charism are still as relevant in today’s world as when we were founded 190 years ago. We are an international congregation. We are living an interdependent, communal life, striving to bring about oneness, addressing urgent needs, helping to transform the world through education; all is still very much needed.

God is still calling. The world is still in need of healing and transformation. If you are called to it, this way of life grounds and supports you even as it challenges and sometimes draws you out of your comfort zone. Living in community and working together while focused around a common mission can be a fulfilling way of life and service.

What do you love most about being a SSND?
I love being part of a faith-filled community, with all its gifts and challenges. I love the daily rhythm of prayer, community, and ministry. Working together to create a better world, being part of something greater than just my own wants and desires, having companions on the journey—it is all a gift

What inspired you to become a sister?
The Immaculate Heart of Mary Sisters from Immaculata, Pennsylvania. They taught at my elementary school and demonstrated such joy in serving God.

When and why did you join the School Sisters of Notre Dame?
I entered the Affiliate program with SSND in 2010. I was drawn to the focus of educating women and children in various venues. The prominence of the blessed Trinity and our blessed mother, Mary, aligned with my spiritual priorities. The Sisters I was blessed to meet expressed such joy in their lives and commitment to their ministries.

Can you please share with us your academic background or degrees/certificates?
I have a Bachelor of Arts from St. Anselm College in Manchester, New Hampshire, and a Master’s of Arts from the University of Connecticut.

What is your current ministry with SSND?
I am a middle school math and science teacher.

Has your ministry in SSND taken you to other cities, countries or continents?
I taught ESL in Woodhaven, New York, at our SSND Education Center. It was a wonderful experience! The women came from countries throughout the world. They were various ages and ethnicities, but they supported each other in learning English and navigating life in New York City. They were very joyful and encouraging of one another.

What do you like to do in your free time?
I enjoy watching almost any sport, but college basketball and football would be my favorite. I play golf whenever I get the chance.

Are you currently involved with any committees of SSND?
I have been on the End Human Trafficking Committee since 2014.

What do you feel is the most important thing for people to know about the School Sisters of Notre Dame?
The School Sisters of Notre Dame are women committed to living the Gospel in light of the ever-changing conditions of the world.

Anything unique about yourself that not many people know?
I am the middle of nine children- I have four brothers and four sisters. My parents’ names were Mary and Joseph!

What city do you currently live in?

I live in Akwanga, Nasarawa State.

What inspired you to become a sister?

The life and picture of St. Theresa of the Child Jesus inspired me to become a sister.

When and why did you join the School Sisters of Notre Dame?

I started aspiring in 1986 while at university and made my first profession on April 8, 1994. Monk Gerald Ezeodili directed me to SSND through Sister Virginia Brien, SSND whom he met while studying in the USA saying, “I love their lifestyle. They care about people”.

Did you have a career before joining SSND?

Yes, I was a primary school teacher and undergraduate student before joining SSND. I have a Masters in guidance and counseling.

What is your current ministry with SSND?

I am a counselor in Our Lady of Apostles Girls’ College, Akwanga.

Has your ministry in SSND taken you to other cities, countries, or continents? If yes, do you mind sharing something about your experience?

Yes. My ministry took me to Rome for Sedos Programme and on a sabbatical to San Antonio, Texas where I encountered so many sisters, brothers, and priests from other congregations. We shared our experiences, cultures, joys, and challenges with religious life. It was a wonderful experience for me.

What do you like to do in your free time? Hobbies, interests, etc.

I like to read interesting books, take care of farms and gardens, and play games.

Are you currently involved with any committees of SSND? Have you been involved in any committees in the past?

I have been a delegate in the Province of Africa, and I was among those who participated in the first all African meeting in Nairobi, Kenya. I served as vocation, affiliate, and temporary professed director as well as an area leader in Nigeria.

What do you feel is the most important thing for people to know about the School Sisters of Notre Dame?

I want people to know that we are very hospitable and care for the needy, especially women and youth.

What do you love most about being a SSND?

Our hospitality is one of the things I love most about being a SSND.

Finish this sentence: I am proud to be a School Sister of Notre Dame because…

we collaborate with others in making Christ visible with our lives.

What is your favorite memory from your time with SSND so far?

My favorite memory is the way I was received by sisters the first day I visited the SSND convent. My encounters with the sisters, especially Sister Antoinette Naumann and late Sister Sharon Dei, are also special memories for me.

What are your special talents or skills?

Cooking, farming, helping others to grow, reading, project management, coaching, decision making, and team work

What is something that many people may not know about you?

 Many people see me as an introvert, but I am more of an extrovert than they think.

What inspired you to become a sister? 

My grade school teachers were School Sisters of Notre Dame. They were great teachers and seemed happy. I had visited my mother’s cousins who were sisters.

When and why did you join the School Sisters of Notre Dame? 

I went to Caroline Academy, the SSND high school for those considering religious life. I felt that if God was calling me, I needed to give it a try.

Can you please share with us your academic background or degrees/certificates?

BA from Mt. Mary in Elementary Education; MA in Religious Studies from Mundelein College, 4 units of Clinical Pastoral Education and then National Association of Catholic Chaplains certified chaplain.

What is your current ministry with SSND?

In June, I completed 13 years of volunteer ministry at the Arizona/Mexico border. I was also a religious volunteer at the state prison. Now, I tell people that I am taking a “contemplative pause” before I explore my next opportunities to serve.

What ministries have you served in prior to now? 

Teacher of intermediate grades
Retreat leader at TYME OUT youth ministry center
Milwaukee Province Vocation Director
Intern, Clinical Pastoral Education and Hospital Chaplaincy, Children’s Hospital and St. Michael Hospital, Milwaukee
Milwaukee Provincial Council
Sabbatical of Spanish study and living with SSND in Latin America
Program Director of SSND International Program at Generalate in Rome
Volunteer at the border in Douglas, Arizona/Agua Prieta, Sonora, Mexico. During those years I was also editor for the Milwaukee Province Monthly newsletter and spent three years, part-time, in the first North America Interprovincial Vocation Team.

Would you mind sharing something about your experience ministering in other cities, countries, and continents?

Living and working within an international environment is very stretching and enriching! I feel that I have been open to adventure in my life and so I have been open to a variety of ministry invitations—as you can tell from my list above. Each has provided gifts that I could use in the services needed in the next situation.

Living in Rome, experiences in Latin America, a month in a Yukon river-village of Alaska, and especially my last years in the binational, bicultural community of Douglas, Arizona and Agua Prieta, Sonora, Mexico, have taught me the value, truth, beauty, and wisdom of diverse perspectives—about most things in life. Perhaps it is a part of growing older that a sense of “being right” about whatever is not SO important. So many factors inform our present-day opinions, decisions, and actions—religious beliefs, cultural tradition, life experiences, political persuasion, education, geographical surroundings, etc. I hope that I have learned to listen more and not jump to conclusions and judgments. There is much to learn from those who have experienced life differently, trying to see the world through others’ eyes. I hope that my relationships, especially with those who have struggled, have grown and continue to stretch my compassion, patience, and awareness.

What do you like to do in your free time?

I have many interests and hobbies. I play guitar (especially for liturgy) and enjoy photography and making cards with photos. I have been a mime-clown with the name of Heart-Shine. I sew and crochet, have a vegetable garden, and enjoy camping. My latest big camping adventures were to the Sawtooth Mountains in Idaho, national parks in Utah, Yosemite, and the Chiricahua Mountains that were 1 ½ hours from our home in Douglas.

Are you currently involved with any committees of SSND?

It is a privilege to have served most recently on the Preparatory Commission for our General Chapter, which will be held in Rome this coming October.

I’ve always been interested in social justice; I serve now on our SSND Anti-Human Trafficking committee and have served on our PDIC (Personal Development in Community) committee.

What do you feel is the most important thing for people to know about the School Sisters of Notre Dame?

We are an international congregation that is experiencing much membership growth in Africa as our numbers diminish in the northern hemisphere. There is a natural life-cycle evolution for religious life. Right now, we are in a phase of readjusting and transforming in response to the changing needs of our world.  Our charism is a gospel response to society’s needs. I believe that the world today needs the charism of Jesus’ invitation to be agents in creating oneness—unity, wholeness, fullness of potential, community—building on a vision of ALL inter-connectedness. Delving into the challenges of Laudato Si can be part of working that evolution.

What do you love most about being an SSND?

I would not trade any of my 55 years of life as an SSND. Community living, meaningful ministry experiences, a multitude of relationships that have supported and challenged me, wonderful opportunities for spiritual enrichment and growth—all have made me who I am today.

Is there anything unique about yourself that not many people know?

I’m the oldest in a family of 16 children, so my immediate growing family is about 100 in number! The first great, great niece was born last November.

What inspired you to become a sister?
As I was growing up, I was a legionary. There we reached out to many through our service. During that, a religious sister visited us and encouraged us, as she was also a member. After that encounter, I felt that by becoming a sister I would be able to continue with this service to humanity.

When and why did you join the School Sisters of Notre Dame?
I began postulancy in 2003, made my first vows in 2007, and my perpetual profession of vows in 2016.

Did you have a career before joining SSND? 
Yes. I was working in the hospital as a midwife before joining the congregation.

Can you please share with us your academic background or degrees/certificates?
I have a nursing degree.

What is your current ministry with SSND?
I am serving in our postulancy, joining with young women who desire to join our congregation in the province of Africa.

What ministries have you served in prior to now?
I have worked with children and adults in need at an orthopedic training center in Ghana where people come with different mobility challenges. There they are helped to be able to walk and empowered to move on in life.

Has your ministry in SSND taken you to other cities, countries or continents? If yes, do you mind sharing something about your experience?
My ministry has moved me to many places. After just one year of profession. I was sent to Kenya for training. From Kenya I was send to Milwaukee, Wisconsin in the United States and now I am back to Kenya again for service to the congregation.  All has been a great experience of growth and has made my world wider.

What do you like to do in your free time? Hobbies, interests, etc.
I enjoy reading storybooks/novels, doing different kinds of artwork such as bead making, candle making etc.

Are you currently involved with any committees of SSND? Have you been involved in any committees in the past?
Currently I am not involved in any committees, but I just finished preparing for the general chapter in May 2023 together with four other sisters across the congregation.

What do you feel is the most important thing for people to know about the School Sisters of Notre Dame?
We desire to change the world through empowering the vulnerable and making the world one as we witness through our living interculturally.

What do you love most about being a SSND?
We are women of courage and stand out in the crowd because of our exposure.

Finish this sentence: I am proud to be a School Sister of Notre Dame because…
I have been empowered and I am striving to empower others.

What is your favorite memory from your time with SSND so far?
My favorite memory is going on vacation with my community members.

What are your special talents or skills?
I am hardworking and sacrifice for the common good.

What has been most challenging for you as a SSND?
As SSNDs we believe in dialogue which when followed keenly, bears beautiful fruit at the end. However, it takes time, patience, and perseverance.

Anything unique about yourself that not many people know?
I enjoy giving myself to others for the sake of the Kingdom.

My life in SSND thus far…….

Following searches on Ancestry.com and having my DNA tested, I discovered that I am 49% Irish, the rest is Welch, Scottish, European and a couple percent Jewish. What an incredibly rich mixture that makes up Sister Eileen Donohoe!

I was educated by the wonderful Ursuline Sisters in Cork. In the 1950’s, two SSND went to Ireland canvassing for vocations. The bishop they approached informed them that there were enough women’s congregations in the country. So, that was that! They did however speak at a few Masses and a family friend was so taken with their story she decided to enter in Lingfield, Surrey, England. A year or so later my sister followed and in 1964 I entered, feeling drawn to the charism of Mother Theresa. My sister and her friend left the community some years later and are now happily married with children and grandchildren.

Entering in England I needed to follow the English education system and during the next few years, I was a high school teacher in northern England, London and Lingfield where I ended up as the head teacher. During my last year there, we handed the junior and secondary school over to lay management. The decision, though the right thing to do, pulled on our heart strings. The sisters had established the school and we had ministered there for 40 years. The School is thriving and I have been invited back a few times to speak at the Foundation Day service.

Following a couple of sabbaticals in the United States, I became a parish sister for 20 years in Huyton, Merseyside, just outside Liverpool. There I led sacramental preparations for the parents, offered bereavement workshops, prayer groups for couples, women’s groups for young mothers and for senior women. Weekend retreats were also popular.

I was invited to cover as a chaplain for a woman who was on maternity leave at Hope University, Liverpool. During that time, our Canadian Province chapter of elections took place. I was elected to leadership. It was with a heavy heart I folded up my life and moved to Waterdown, Ontario. This ministry certainly was a learning curve, but my past lived experience, which had been so enriching, helped greatly.  The four years was eventful to put it mildly. During my term I visited our sisters across Canada and those living in England, Ghana and Kenya. I treasure these events.

The last two years of our term was given over to preparing the Canadian Province to accept the invitation to join the Atlantic-Midwest or Central Pacific Provinces. Their invitation and generosity of spirit was overwhelming. A new chapter began and amidst the pain of our province ceasing to exist, we continue to support one another in the ways we know how.

Following my four-year term in leadership, I returned to England and am now a volunteer chaplain at a local hospital and spend time at a hospice nearby. I love this ministry. Additionally, I visit the housebound and keep up with others by phone. I also attend many funerals and 90^th birthday parties, etc.

I have had a blessed life, a few bumps and scrapes, plenty of laughter and a few tears which make up the tapestry of my life.

Sister Betty Ann Myers

What inspired you to become a sister?
I grew up in a small town, and in our small rural grade school of four classrooms, we had sisters as our teachers. During vocation week each year, we had religious come speak to us about different vocations, especially religious vocations. When I was in third grade, as the sister was talking about her religious vocation, something resonated with me. The sisters witnessed to me that they are human and do things that I like to do. Their prayer, dedication, love and concern for each person signified what religious life should be about. They were happy women who were fun to be around.  I loved spending time with the sisters before and after school and helped them do whatever they needed done.

When and why did you join the School Sisters of Notre Dame?
When I was discerning between the religious orders of Sisters of the Most Precious Blood and School Sisters of Notre Dame, I joined SSND because I was so impressed with their dedication, welcoming spirit and charism. The St. Louis Motherhouse was beautiful and impressive, and the spacious grounds with all the lush green grass and huge trees reminded me of home.

I entered SSND in 1968 after attending a year of college at Southeast Missouri State College (now University). I wanted to major in physical education (P.E.), and knew if I entered religious life, I probably wouldn’t be able to teach P.E. However, God kept sending me different signs and messages during this year that confirmed it was time to leave Southeast Missouri State and enter SSND.

After I entered, I earned my bachelor’s degree in American studies from Notre Dame College in St. Louis and began teaching. I experienced the best of both worlds—being a sister and teaching physical education to students in small grade schools.

What is your current ministry with SSND?
My present ministry is SSND Community Care Coordinator in skilled care at The Sarah Community in Bridgeton, Missouri. I moved into this ministry in 2003 following many years of teaching and administration. I tell people that I moved from teaching “the little ones” to working with the old but young at heart. A friend tells people that I am the sisters’ den mother. I’m the sister’s advocate and take care of all their needs. I do everything a family member would do for their parents. It is a joy and privilege doing this ministry and getting to know each sister’s family and keeping in communication with them. It’s also such a blessing to be at a sister’s bedside when God is journeying with her and when God calls her home.

What ministries have you served in prior to now?
I began my primary teaching experience in grade three at the end of a school year when I went to fill in for a sister who needed to study Spanish so that she could be missioned in Honduras the following year. What a beginning for me as a new teacher to come into a school and complete an academic school year!  I learned very quickly how to juggle teaching and all the end of school forms, report cards and everything else that had to be completed for the students and the classroom.

I then became a full-time teacher for grades one and two at St. Joseph School in Cairo, Illinois, from 1972-1974.  Here I learned what all is involved in having two grades in a classroom—how to keep one grade busy while teaching the other. In August 1974, I received a phone call from the Provincial Council asking/telling me that I needed to move because another sister needed to teach at St. Joseph because it was a one-floor building. My classroom was ready for the new school year because it was three weeks before school was to start.  With tears and in the vow of obedience, I quickly packed my things and moved to my next school, St. Bridget’s in Pacific, Missouri. School was just two weeks away. How quickly transitions happen! I had seven wonderful years from 1974-1981 at this school and still keep up with those students and parents today.

I soon made another move to another diocese, Jefferson City, Missouri, where I ministered from 1981-2000 in three different schools: Holy Family in Freeburg, Missouri (1981-1987); St. Joseph School in Westphalia, Missouri (1987-1994); and Visitation Inter-Parish School in Vienna, Missouri (1994-2000).

At Visitation, I had the opportunity to start a kindergarten class. This was a great addition to the small school. I was the administrator and each day I taught classes from kindergarten through eighth grade. The class preparations, paper grading, and all that goes into a teaching day were very taxing, plus all the administration duties.  I had some very long days and nights, especially with evening meetings tacked on. The parents were very supportive and worked very hard to keep the small school going. We were an inter-parish school because we had students attending from neighboring parishes that had no Catholic school. These parishioners, along with the pastors, helped finance our school. The working relationship among the parishes was phenomenal.

Teaching the Sacraments of Reconciliation and Eucharist to grade two was always a highlight of mine. I loved preparing the children for their First Holy Communion. We did so many exciting activities. The Friday before their special day, we would make bread together. Each child would bring a pan and we would make rolls for their family. The children loved to watch the dough rise. Each child was so excited and proud to take their rolls home to share with their family on their First Holy Communion Day.

From 2000-2003, I ended my formal teaching career returning to the Archdiocese of St. Louis at All Saints School in St. Peters, Missouri. All Saints School was a much larger school with two first grades, teacher aides, a planning period and no administration duties. I just had to teach my 20-plus students! I am still part of All Saints Parish, and I have the privilege of seeing my students, their parents and teachers.

Has your ministry in SSND taken you to other cities, countries or continents? 
I had the opportunity and privilege to go to Honduras twice with a group of Notre Dame High School students from St. Louis. These trips I will never forget. It was an eye opening and stretching experience for me. I thought I had seen poor here in the United States, but nothing like what I experienced in Honduras. The people had very little, but they were always so happy and wanted to share with us what they had. I came home a changed person and realized that I had way more than I needed.

What do you love most about being a SSND?
I have community and am not alone because there are always SSND to be with and who support me. I have the opportunity to get to know sisters from all over the world. I have had opportunities during the summers to teach religious education to children in public schools and share with them about religious life.

What are your special talents or skills?
Cooking and baking—some call me “Sister Betty Crocker.” I love baking for the sister and preparing foods for them that they like and don’t always get. I enjoy fixing and repairing things. Sometimes I’m also referred to as “Sister fix-it.”

Anything unique about yourself that not many people know?
While I was teaching, I would sometimes volunteer over the summer at the Motherhouse in St. Louis. One summer I spent time in the cemetery blow torching and steel brushing the metal crosses so the names and dates could be seen on them, and then I’d repaint them.

I also used to be a softball player. I was the catcher on my high school team and played at Southeast Missouri College before entering religious life.

Sister Rosemary Howarth

And now after 57 years of consecrated life in community and mission, I thank God for the life, love and blessings that I continue to receive as a SSND. It has been life-giving for me to be aware of “what stirs my heart, [and the heart of the congregation,] and to make room for it.” (adapted from Joan Chittister, OSB) Continuously listening to God and responding in freedom has enlarged my heart, expanded my world view and heightened the awareness of who I am [who we are] in God’s amazing universe, and how we are called to collaborate with God in building the reign of God here and now in so many and diverse ways.

God blessed me through the people of Villa El Salvador, Perú, who, over eight years, taught me how to read and live the Gospel from the ground up and what it really means to work for justice together and to be in solidarity with people living on the margins. They challenged my values that were rooted in my single story as a white North American missionary and taught me a theology of liberation that was rooted in Jesus’ deep desire that all creation be treated with respect and dignity to build the reign of God right here and right now.

God blessed me through the 25 novices whom I had the privilege to accompany for four years in Canada, seven years in Perú and four years in our congregational novitiate in Rome, Italy. They reinforced for me the profound mystery of God’s unique call to fullness of life and the invitation to listen with the ear of the heart to discern the movement of the Spirit in their lives and in mine. Together we learned the real meaning and concrete challenges of intercultural living in community for mission, walking in the footsteps of Jesus and in the spirit of Mother Theresa, and working for a more just and human world for all in God’s amazing universe.

God blessed me and carried me through serving the congregation as General Superior from 1998-2008. Our SSND charism and mission took on new meaning as I experienced our sisters serving in many diverse ministries in over 30 countries. Together we crossed the threshold into the 21^st century. Symbolically, the eight sisters of the General Council carried the names of all our members through the Holy Doors at St. Peter’s in Rome, praying for creative fidelity to our charism for the nearly 5,000 sisters of the living community at that time, knowing that we will continue to unfold and be challenged by the new millennium. Those 10 years for me were a time of grace and blessing, of stretching and transformation, both personally and communally.

God indeed blessed me again, calling me to a new time of solidarity with refused asylum seekers in London, England. For five of my eight years in England, I worked with the great staff and volunteers at the Jesuit Refugee Service. I was challenged to live simply and trust God deeply as so many of our asylum-seeking friends needed to do. Resilience was my word for them as each one was welcomed to our drop-in center where a unique multicultural community of refugees, staff and volunteers worked on becoming a community of friends and defenders of human rights.

And now, after living nearly half of my religious life outside of Canada, I have come back home to Ontario. God continues to bless me by being with my Canadian sisters who shaped my early years with SSND. Currently, I am giving service as a volunteer with Hospice Waterloo Region, being present to those who choose to come to hospice and to their loved ones who accompany them as they prepare to go home to the loving embrace of the creator who gave them life.

Life-long learning has truly revealed to me that, “just to be is a blessing; just to live is holy.” (Abraham Herschel) Whether new to religious life or in the golden, diamond or ruby jubilee years, or simply quietly waiting for God’s call to come home, SSNDs have an energetic sense of being in mission until we offer to God our final “yes.” I realize, again and again, the many blessings that God has given to me in SSND and to us as an international congregation journeying together - sisters, associates and colleagues.

In gratitude, I celebrate that I [we] have been “called and consecrated by God within the church for a radical following of Jesus Christ…and I [we] are sent in the power of the Spirit to continue Christ’s mission, to proclaim Jesus, to be transformed and to transform our world, bringing all to that oneness for which Jesus Christ was sent.” (You Are Sent, C 48)

Sister Ginny with her great grandson, Noah.

Can you please share with us your academic background or degrees/certificates?
As a single mom, I went to Milwaukee Area Technical College and received my associate degree in nursing. I then proceeded to get my bachelor’s degree in nursing at Alverno College and advanced classes at the Medical College of Wisconsin. I worked in various hospitals and nursing homes in several positions, including director of nursing at a local nursing home.

When and why did you join the School Sisters of Notre Dame?
While working at a nursing home, I said to my co-worker one night, “There has to be more to life than this!” She asked, “Have you ever heard of the SSND associates?” She and her sister partner invited me to join them at an associate weekend event. I eventually covenanted with the associates in 1992. It was a turning point in my life. I loved being a part of this group. I made friends and commitments, including spiritual direction with Sister Sharon Roedl.

After several years, a group of associates attended a workshop exploring how to start a “community.” I shared this experience with my director and told her it didn’t really fit for me. Most of them were teachers, and I was in health care. She asked me if I had ever considered becoming a SSND. I was a bit shocked and said to her, “Sister Sharon, I have been divorced, I have children, and I am 50 years old.” She replied, “Well, perhaps you might check into it.” After a time of reflection, I called the vocation director and asked, “if the order would consider a woman who was divorced, annulled, had four children and was older.“ She said, “Ginny, are you talking about yourself?” I said “yes.” She suggested I come in and talk. That was the beginning of life as a professed SSND. In 1995, I sold my house, moved into community and became a postulant. My novitiate was in St. Louis in 1997. I took my first vows in 1999 and perpetual profession in 2003.

What ministries have you served in while a SSND?
After my novitiate in St. Louis, I was asked to consider studying to become a jail chaplain . Again, after some time of reflection, prayer and preparation, I became a chaplain at the House of Correction in Milwaukee and then accepted a position as chaplain at the Kenosha Jail and House of Correction. I ministered there until I retired in 2008. It will always hold a special place in my heart.

I was a teaching assistant with one of our sisters after I retired from prison chaplaincy for a couple of years. Currently, I have been labeled as an “Uber driver” for SSND. I am blessed by many of my sisters who need a ride or companion to medical visits and/or procedures. I can be a second pair of ears and sometimes ask clarifying questions with medical personnel. It also gives me an opportunity to get to know the sisters on a one-to-one basis.

What do you like to do in your free time?
I don’t have a lot of free time between my ministry with my SSND family and my involvement with my blood family. I love to work on Happy Color on my tablet. It is similar to what we used to call paint-by-number, except it is done on the computer. No paint, no mess; just pretty pictures when I am done! I carry my tablet with me wherever I go and “paint” while I am waiting in the car, office, clinic, etc. I have gotten a few of my sisters hooked on it too.

I also meet once a week with one of our sisters in Slovenia for tutoring. We have been meeting for several years now and have become good friends.

What has been most challenging for you as a SSND?
The most challenging part for me as a SSND is balancing time with my vowed family and my blood family. That has worked out best when I can integrate the two of them into my life activities. A card I received at Christmas says it best, “Family is not just blood.”

All of my “former” lives have led me here today. For this, I am most grateful to our loving God.

Sister Comfort Anum

What inspired you to become a School Sister of Notre Dame?
The first thing that drew me to the School Sisters of Notre Dame was their community spirit. I visited many congregations searching, but one thing that stood out was that I felt a sense of belonging. The community spirit that I experienced made me feel at home. I saw women who included everyone in all aspects of who they are, not minding who they were. It spoke volumes to me, and I decided to stay. I joined the School Sisters of Notre Dame not because it was a religious order but because the charism of the congregation resonated with my values and the Gospel values. I knew that being here would enable me to leave and promote those values. I joined because they believed in the gift of each person and are about the enablement of people. I believed, and still believe, in the education of women and being the voice for the less privileged.

Can you please share with us your academic background or degrees/certificates?
My first degree was an associate's degree in social development which I got from Plateau State Polytechnic in Nigeria. I have a bachelor's degree in early childhood education, and a certificate in peace building from Mount Mary University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. I possess a Master of Science in professional counseling from Mount Mary University and a certificate in spiritual guidance from the Siena Retreat Center in Racine, Wisconsin. I have engaged in different professional development programs that have enabled me to further my education in my fields of study. 

What is your current ministry with SSND?
I have just completed my studies from Mount Mary University and have returned to my home country Nigeria. Currently I am at Hillside Nursery and Primary School to help me transition into the Nigerian system of education and the whole system in general. I am hoping to share the knowledge I have acquired in the United States to empower those I am called to serve.

What ministries have you served in prior to now?
Before I left for further studies, I had several experiences in three countries in Africa. When I was a postulant, my weekly ministry was at the Akwa Ibom State prison with women. The gift of working with those women at the prison broadened my understanding of what the prison was meant for and to empower them after serving their term in prison. It was then I realized the many injustices in our prison system. It was a gift for me to be there. I also served at the Nsawam Orthopedic Center in Ghana where I worked with children who were traumatized from war. Some of the children lost arms and legs and had other issues which the Center made efforts to attend to. My time there was a blessing for me. It helped me to be grateful for the opportunities I have had in my life knowing that any of those children could have been me if not for the grace of God. After I was professed in 2009, I was sent to Nigeria to serve as a teacher at one of the diocesan schools. I taught first through fifth grade physical health education. It was in this ministry that I got my call to study early childhood and counseling. I met children who needed more help beyond academics. This ministry graced me with the ability to listen deeply and look beyond what I see. Alongside this ministry, I was working at the Akwa Ibom State correctional institute for delinquent children. I taught life skills and counseling. This experience enabled me to see some of the external forces that could affect the development of a child. This ministry confirmed my call to serve children in my society. 

I was also missioned to Kenya to minister at the Notre Dame Children Outreach Project Nylienga in Kenya. This ministry was a gift because it opened me to another side of a culture that I did not know. This ministry took me deeper into understanding the needs of our world and how circumstances can change everything. I saw myself as a servant called to serve less-privileged children. I moved to Nigeria to serve at Notre Dame Girls’ Secondary School in Mkar. I served as a school matron. Here I was called to oversee the welfare of the students. I got to meet the students where they are and had a good relationship with them. This ministry gave me the gift of understanding myself deeply and my call as a School Sister of Notre Dame. The challenges I had at that time strengthened me and challenged me to listen to what God was calling me to do. My call is a call beyond just being a School Sister of Notre Dame. I am grateful for all these experiences.

What do you like to do in your free time?
I love to watch movies and listen to music. I love to travel around making new memories, and I love crafts like crocheting and felting.

What do you love most about being a SSND?
We work together as a community not letting our differences hinder us from proclaiming the Gospel. I am proud to be a School Sister of Notre Dame because I educate anywhere I find myself, and I am open to learning when an opportunity arises.

Sister Rose Cecile Espinos (right) was delighted to have Sister Martin Radež, General Council, visit Marian Village in Chicago, Illinois, in April 2022.

What inspired you to become a sister?
When I was five, my family moved to Chicago, and I entered first grade at Santa Maria Incoronata School where I met my first School Sister of Notre Dame. Prior to that, I had met the Holy Cross Sisters, the Italian Sisters of Providence and my aunt’s Congregation of Good Shepherd. I did not understand the distinction of the different orders or Congregations, but knew they were special people who did wonderful work with a smile for those in need.

One of my earliest calls to religious life was a summer program with the Sisters of Providence. They would teach girls how to crotchet, do crafts and sing and play games along with the nursery program they organized. I heard a story about how St. Clare of Assisi ran away to become a nun and was much impressed. When I asked what I had to do to become a nun, the response from one of the sisters was ”come and see.” So, several days later, with my newest dress and my doll, I went off to the convent and surprised the sister at the door. I said I came to join her and become a sister. After a little talk between the two of us, she called my parents to pick me up. I was sad and cried that my offer was not accepted, and so I returned home.

When did you join the School Sisters of Notre Dame?
Preparing for high school, I felt the call again and asked if I could go to the aspiranture. After much discussion with my parents and my eighth grade teacher, I went off to St. Mary’s Academy in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin. Continuing the process of formation, I entered the candidature and postulancy in Milwaukee and was received with the name Sister Rose Cecile, my mom’s name in reverse.

What is your current ministry with SSND?
Presently, I am retired and living at Marian Village in Homer Glen, Illinois, which is southwest of the city of Chicago. I am one of 14 SSNDs who live here. We have a wonderful relationship with the other residents and participate in all the activities that are offered. I, though retired, offer my services to our sisters, chauffeuring them to doctors, hospitals and meetings.

What ministries have you served in during your time as a SSND? What memories stand out to you?
I spent most of my early years teaching first grade in Menasha, Wisconsin, and Chicago, then moved to junior and senior high school in Dekalb, Illinois. After 3 years of principalship and part-time teaching, I was called to a year of renewal study in the ARC program in Rome. What a wonderful experience to have the time and experience with other young sisters to study theology and spirituality in the center of the religious world.

When I returned from the year of study, I was appointed Novice Director along with two other directresses. I spent four years in this role in Hinsdale, Illinois.

A year later, I requested an international mission in Guatemala. I did a year of pastoral ministry in Rio Bravo, and then was asked to begin a novitiate program with a single novice in Mexico. Unfortunately, the novice did not stay, and we continued the formation program in Guatemala with vocation awareness and a postulancy. Returning home, I spent three more years teaching Hispanic pre-seminarians English so that they could pass the entrance exams for the seminary.

Then I spent two years in Pedro Juan Caballero on the border of Paraguay and Brazil. Again I was called to formation work and joined the Brazilian directress in Sao Paolo forming a Portuguese/Spanish Novitiate. I fulfilled five years and again returned home.

I felt we could open an English as a second language (ESL) program in Chicago for the new immigrants coming into the area, especially women, who were isolated and sealed in their homes because they couldn’t speak the language. Once we got the ESL program with one-on-one tutoring, the women suggested we also help their children, many of whom had problems with math and reading and understanding. So, we planned an after-school program for children ages 6 to 13. We called this SSND-sponsored organization Corazón a Corazón, and it is still in operation today.

Another intercultural program which touched me was the South Sudan experience helping teachers learn English and then assisting them to teach the language in their schools. I was sent to Old Fangak in the northeast part of the country. We taught English, composition, science, math and some skills of health and morals. Old Fangak was about the poorest place I had ever encountered. I had lived in and seen poor families among migrants here in the States and among the poor of Guatemala, Peru, Bolivia, Paraguay and Brazil, but Old Fangak was a whole different experience. Our evening meal consisted mainly of rice or pasta cooked on a small 12-inch Weber grill. Fish was prevalent since a tributary of the Nile ran along the western edge of the town. This tributary also served for bathing and washing of clothes, etc.

All these wonderfully challenging and memorable experiences blessed me with a love for people, their music, dancing, language and customs. How they live ready for whatever comes into life. All is a gift from God and is accepted and used to bless whatever and who ever came into their life. It has left me gifted, and ready as well, to give to others whatever and whomever I meet.