News

Margaret Wessels was born January 8, 1902 in St. Louis, Missouri. She entered the congregation in 1919 and was given the religious name Eulogia. Sister Eulogia professed her first vows in 1923 and for the next 40 years, she worked primarily as an elementary school teacher in Missouri, Illinois, Texas and Louisiana. When Sister Eulogia entered the congregation, teachers were...Read more

by Sister Stephanie Spandl, SSND   “What’s a vocation? Who has one?” (Hint: we all do!) These were a couple of the opening questions Sisters Jill Laszewski and I asked 17 students at St. Jerome’s Catholic School in Maplewood, Minnesota. Thanks to the efforts of Sister Audrey Lindenfelser who ministers at the school, we received an invitation, as members of...Read more

Eight students from Academy of the Holy Angels (AHA), a SSND sponsored school located in Demarest, New Jersey, recently participated in a Mission Awareness Process (MAP) experience near the Texas-Mexico border. The group split time between San Antonio and McAllen, Texas, from June 13-18. Under the guidance of Sister Regina Palacios, the students volunteered at several migrant facilities and heard...Read more

Why is Sister Virginia Grumlich hanging out with actor Robert Young? The story is simple. In 1969, the Preparatory Institute of Notre Dame in Sunland, California closed. The following year, the SSND and the Eddie Cantor Charitable Foundation established what became known as Tierra del Sol, a program originally conceived to be an alternative to training in a sheltered workshop....Read more

We celebrate the Feast Day of our foundress Blessed Theresa of Jesus Gerhardinger on May 9, the anniversary of her death. In the 143 years since she was called home to God, the spirit and vision of Blessed Theresa continue to inspire the School Sisters of Notre Dame and all who join us in mission. As we take time to...Read more

World Day of Prayer for Vocations will be observed Sunday, May 8, 2022. It is also known as “Good Shepherd Sunday.” The purpose of this day is to publicly fulfill the Lord’s instruction to, “Pray the Lord of the harvest to send laborers into his harvest” (Mt 9:38; Lk 10:2). Please pray that young men and women hear and respond...Read more

From the Michele Levandoski, archivist at the School Sisters of Notre Dame North American Archives: Mother Caroline Friess was known for her embroidery skills. She established the Tapestry Department at the Milwaukee Motherhouse as a means to generate income to support the sisters. The department made various types of liturgical items, such as vestments, palls, chasubles and burses. The photos...Read more

Before she became Blessed Mary Theresa of Jesus Gerhardinger, Caroline Gerhardinger was a teacher in Bavaria, where she was born in 1797. Her love for God led her to establish the School Sisters of Notre Dame (SSND) in 1833. More than a century after her death, Blessed Theresa’s spirit continues to inspire people today. When Diane Boehm and her husband,...Read more

From the Michele Levandoski, archivist at the School Sisters of Notre Dame North American Archives: When people hear the name, “School Sisters of Notre Dame,” they think of them as educators. However, not all SSND were teachers. There were a group of sisters known as “homemaking sisters,” whose job it was to keep the sisters living in the Motherhouses, convents,...Read more

Catholic Sisters Week, March 8-14: Celebrating traditions, changing the world All throughout the year, School Sisters of Notre Dame and all women religious stand with the poor and immigrants, teach children, fight injustice, heal the sick, share spirituality, empower women, defend the planet, promote peace, create community and offer hope. But for one week, we shine the spotlight on women...Read more