Our Sisters

School Sisters of Notre Dame continue to live the vision of Foundress Blessed Theresa Gerhardinger in a variety of ways. Below our Sisters share stories of their work and ministry.

5,000 Miles of Joy

I could hardly believe the red light that flashed "Maintenance Required" on my dashboard. There was no way I had put 5,000 miles on the car since my last oil change in June. It was only September! How could this be?

Seminarians Visit Ozanam

A group of Seminarians from St. Joseph Diocesan Seminary, Yonkers, NY, surprised us with a visit on our floor at Ozanam recently. Their presence was such a joy to our Sisters and residents, as conversation and laughter flowed. It was a short visit but sweet! The seminarians told me they will be coming every Wednesday afternoon!

Looking at God in New and Grace-Filled Ways

Early on in the retreat the question: “Why did God make you?’ received a strong chorus answer right out of our Baltimore Catechism days. “Wrong!” Honora said as she quoted Fr. Charlie Mulholand’s homily, “God made me so that God could know me, love me and be happy with me in this life and in the next.”

"Mother Abbess": Embodiment of Hope

“Mother Abbess” was the title affectionately given to Sister Alice Donnelly by our young, new SSND member, Sister Rebecca Tayag. Rebecca may have called her "Mother," but she really did have ideal motherly qualities. She was generous, gentle, and caring. She made sure we had fresh fruit to eat, to maintain physical health as well as healthy minds and spirits. She was visionary, determined, and fun.

How We Pray at Marian Village

We sisters in independent living at Marian Village near Chicago gather for community prayer in the afternoon, Monday through Thursday. We take turns leading the prayer, a week at a time. We have agreed that the leader in prayer is free to plan it.

Cooper Visits Sisters

Sisters enjoyed some dog joy on Sept. 9 at Villa Assumpta's Rosary Community. Little Cooper entertained all with his antics and affection. Cooper's "mom," Barbra Swann, brought the therapy-trained pup to visit with the Sisters as they continued their preparations to move to Stella Maris.

How We Pray in Beth Abba Community in Joppa, MD

Personal and community prayer shapes our daily rhythm, keeping us connected to one another and to God. Each morning and evening we gather with Give Us This Day as our guide. We pray their form of Morning or Evening Prayer, listening together to the day’s Gospel. After the reading, we set aside time for quiet personal reflection, allowing both of us to enter silence and personal prayer before we conclude together.

The Reason for "Ordinary Time"

What does Ordinary Time mean to us ? When I was finding the title 'Ordinary Time' inadequate, I looked carefully at the Church Year. Clearly, Advent-Christmas, and later, the Lent-Easter-Pentecost season capture our imagination. But

Our Spiritual Growth at Ozanam

Ozanam has created a really vibrant and deeply spiritual environment for both the Sisters and the residents. Our communal prayer life, here at Ozanam, is centered around the Eucharistic celebration which we are privileged to have every morning at 11 a.m. in our beautiful chape.