From Michele Levandoski, archivist at the School Sisters of Notre Dame North American Archives: The original story behind this spoon was that Mother Caroline Friess brought it with her from Germany when she emigrated to the United States in 1847. The issue, however, is that it was engraved with the following: “Ven. Mother M. Caroline.” When Mother Caroline came to...Read more

(Wild Quincy recently highlighted this story in a podcast and blog. To learn more about the fire and Sister Theotima, listen here and/or read the corresponding blog.) by Sister Carol Marie Wildt, SSND On December 22, 1899, 50 students at St. Francis Solanus School in Quincy, Illinois, were eagerly preparing for the Christmas program scheduled for December 26. The dress...Read more

On February 4, 2021, Sister Mary Ann Kuttner received an unexpected surprise during a virtual meeting with members of the School Sisters of Notre Dame (SSND) Central Pacific and Atlantic-Midwest Provincial Councils. She was told that the councils wanted to honor the members of the Archives Task Force in creating the SSND North American Archives (NAA) in Milwaukee. The real...Read more

By Michele Levandoski, SSND Archivist The practice of women religious receiving a new name started as early as the sixth century. “The idea springs from God changing Abram’s name to Abraham to signify the covenant between them (Genesis 17:3-9). A religious name signifies the adoption of a new life; the replacement of family identity with a religious one.”[1] Naming customs...Read more

We are in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. Government officials have ordered people to stay at home, schools have been cancelled, millions of people have lost their jobs and wearing face masks in public is the new normal. Hundreds of thousands of people worldwide have died from the virus. This feels new and unfamiliar, but this is not the...Read more

The School Sisters of Notre Dame (SSND) were required to keep chronicles at each mission site. The chronicles are a record of significant events that occurred throughout the year, such as major events at the school, church or convent, and illnesses or deaths. They can also provide amusing stories about life as a SSND. The following is a chronicle entry...Read more

By Michele Levandoski, Archivist, School Sisters of Notre Dame North American Archives Click here for a PDF version Today, the School Sisters of Notre Dame (SSND) are known for their work with social justice issues, but that was not the case in the mid-1960s when Sister Marie LeClerc Laux became involved in the Milwaukee civil rights movement. Sister Marie LeClerc’s...Read more

Christmas is a time for family and thanksgiving, but also a time to reflect on the past. It is evident through the chronicles that the Sisters in Baltimore celebrated Christmas in different ways – those in the motherhouse attended midnight Mass while those at St. Anthony’s Orphanage had more traditional Christmas fun with the children. The following excerpts describe how...Read more

St. Francis de Sales Convent, located at 421 Daly Street in St. Paul, Minnesota, closed in November 2019, marking the end of a 135-year presence of the School Sisters of Notre Dame at the parish and school. We honor the SSND who worked there with the following photos and excerpts from the convent/school chronicles.   [1884] “On August 27, 1884,...Read more

The School Sisters of Notre Dame living at St. Mary of the Pines in Chatawa, Mississippi are currently in the process of moving to a new home. When the final sister leaves in 2020, it will mark the end of 146 years of the SSND living and working in Chatawa. Click here to watch a historical slide show of St....Read more