Several years ago, the archives received a call from a man looking for information about a sister. His father stuttered as a child and was often teased by classmates. His first-grade teacher at St. Martin of Tours School in St. Louis told him to see her after school, because she thought she could help. Sister would have the child do...Read more

By: Michele Levandoski Dorothy Lillian Hensgen was born on November 18, 1914, in St. Louis, Missouri, the oldest of Jules and Louise Hensgen’s three children. According to her autobiography, “three times before the age of four, she lay at death’s door.” The third instance occurred in 1918 at the height of the influenza pandemic when Dorothy and her father contracted...Read more

By Tim Cary, Archivist The series of articles over the past year acknowledging the 175th anniversary of the School Sisters of Notre Dame arrival in North America has sought to explore interesting SSND “firsts.” A discussion of such firsts would be incomplete without Mother Ambrosia Roecklein, who accomplished many firsts. She was the first North American sister to be elected...Read more

By Grace Avila, Assistant Archivist The School Sisters of Notre Dame (SSND) were established in Bavaria in 1833 by Mother Theresa Gerhardinger to provide children with a good education regardless of their background or social status. Mother Caroline Friess brought these same ideals to North America in 1847. Therefore, it was only natural for SSND to work with the Archdiocese...Read more

By Tim Cary, Archivist On September 1, 1948, in Strasburg and Mantador, North Dakota, an interesting side note in the history of the School Sisters of Notre Dame (SSND) began. A new school year was about to begin, and the teachers at the schools in those towns (Sisters Celine Koktan, Lucida Kunz, Thomas Caven, Isabel Kathrein, Josepha Forster, Kathleen Rother,...Read more

By Michele Levandoski, Archivist Let’s begin 2023 by celebrating trailblazing School Sisters of Notre Dame. This month we highlight sisters who were the first or the only in the congregation who held certain distinctions, such as earning a Ph.D., serving as a college president or getting a chauffer’s license. Note: Every attempt has been made to correctly identify the “first”...Read more

By Grace Avila, Assistant Archivist This article is part of the School Sisters of Notre Dame North American Archives’ 175th anniversary celebration of SSND arriving in North America. For the next year, the staff at the North American Archives will celebrate this milestone by highlighting SSND “firsts.” Each month will focus on a particular sister, event or mission that has a unique...Read more

By Tim Cary, Archivist School Sisters of Notre Dame – it’s in the name. The congregation is well known for the excellence of its teachers. That remains true however, the sisters are also known for the breadth of their gifts. Vatican II urged religious to open their windows to a changing world and to examine ministries that engaged in activities...Read more

The School Sisters of Notre Dame (SSND) have opened academies, institutes, high schools and colleges which have offered a high-quality education to thousands of young women. This month, the 175th celebration of SSND in North America highlights some of the unique traditions, sports and celebrations at several of these schools in the United States and Canada. This is a small...Read more

By Grace Avila, Assistant Archivist Beginnings are not without their challenges. When School Sisters of Notre Dame (SSND) founded missions at parish schools, they would never know what type of situation they were getting into. The sisters could be warmly received by the community, met with open hostility or every other possibility in between. Opening missions in states with an...Read more