Paul and Diane Boehm with their children (left to right) Caroline, 4 months; William, 3 1/2; Peter, 2.
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, Paul, were discerning names for their third baby, they were stumped when it came to choosing a girl name. It was important to them that they choose a name with meaning. Diane explains how they came up with their daughter’s name:
Baby Caroline with her mother, Diane Boehm.
As a licensed counselor at Cristo Rey Dallas College Prep (CRD) for three years, I have frequently interacted with the School Sisters of Notre Dame. I admired their authenticity, leadership, and tenacity during each interaction. Each time they have visited CRD, I make it a point to converse and learn from them.
About six weeks before my due date, I found myself in the chapel reading about SSND and their history. At that moment, the names Caroline and Theresa jumped out to me. That evening, I excitedly shared my girl name proposal with my husband, and he matched my passion! We settled on Caroline as a religious and historical tribute to the inspiring work of the SSND, and Therese as a tribute to my husband’s mother, whose middle name is Therese.
We did not discover the gender of our baby beforehand. We welcomed our beautiful baby girl on November 16, 2021 and named her Caroline Therese Boehm. My husband and I feel proud and honored to name our daughter after strong, Catholic female leaders who have helped pave the way for other women and continue to inspire our world.