As we celebrate the 10th anniversary of Laudato Si’ on May 24, 2025, SSND sisters, associates, and partners in ministry share some of the ways that they have incorporated the lessons of Pope Francis’ encyclical into their lives.   SSND associates Donna Haley and Miriam Hankins used the occasion of their parish picnic to display a variety of items that...Read more

Sister Lucy Nigh was reminded recently of the importance of inviting others to become part of the SSND community after receiving an enthusiastic response from Andrea Stapleton to her invitation to consider becoming an SSND associate. Andrea had come to know SSND well in her role as vice president for mission and justice at Mount Mary University in Milwaukee, a...Read more

By Chloe Gunther Originally published here by Jesuit Refugee Service. Republished with permission. Roxanne Schares heard God’s call as a young girl. With religious sisters teaching her in school and two aunts who had followed the same call, she grew up the eldest of eight children on a small farm in northeastern Iowa, keenly aware of the opportunity to become...Read more

by Kathleen Storms, SSND In early May 2015, I received a call from an editor of National Catholic Reporter (NCR) asking me to be a reviewer of Laudato Si’ before its official publication on May 24. I burned the midnight oil that day reading the entire text of Laudato Si’. Why was I asked to critique it? Because I was a...Read more

Each year on May 9, School Sisters of Notre Dame celebrate the feast day of our foundress, Blessed Theresa of Jesus Gerhardinger, who died on this day in 1879. We continue to look to Blessed Theresa as a guide for our own lives and times and pray that the charism entrusted to her might continue to find life and expression...Read more

From “Call Stories to Help You Discern,” republished with permission from VISION Vocation Guide 2025, pp. 19-21.  The stories of how God calls people to religious life are as varied as the people in that life. Here we share Sister Limétèze’s story, unique but with some common threads. Like others, her story shows how God’s call is persistent, requires openness,...Read more

Sister Charlene Zeisset spoke with Libby Collins at Wisconsin’s WTMJ about the Nun Study, a research project fueled by data from the School Sisters of Notre Dame that has changed the way doctors and scientists understand Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. The study has analyzed more than 30 years of aging and dementia patterns of 678 School Sisters of Notre...Read more

The SSND North American Archives is a treasure trove of documents, photographs, books, audio-visual materials, and other items that date back to the establishment of the School Sisters of Notre Dame in North America. One of the many cherished articles is the monstrance created for the 50th jubilee of Mother Caroline Friess, who led the expansion of SSND into North...Read more

During this year’s Catholic Sisters Week, we are excited to be part of the #LikeaCatholicSister campaign—a national initiative that highlights the incredible work of Catholic Sisters across the country. This campaign showcases the diverse, dynamic, and impactful ways Sisters serve today. Below are just a handful of examples of how SSND are responding to the needs of our times in their ministries,...Read more

How are SSND Sisters, Associates, and Sponsored Ministries celebrating Advent? The Season of Advent is here and with it comes a time of hopeful longing, joyful expectation, prayerful penance, and spiritual preparation as we prepare for the coming of Christ. There are many ways to observe this liturgical season—by setting aside extra time for daily prayers or devotional readings, lighting...Read more