Our Sisters

Stepping Out in Faith

As I spent time pondering instances when I experienced a call, a sense of being asked to trust and dare, of needing to stop and consider an invitation to step out in faith. After nearly 60 years as an SSND, I have countless examples, large and small. These calls have come from a variety of sources and imply different consequences.

Visiting a 1927 Canadian Convent

I had the honour of visiting Leipzig, Saskatchewan, a quaint and once active village now reduced to two major buildings. The magnificent St. Paschal Roman Catholic Church, built in 1913 by German immigrants, and the beautiful Notre Dame Convent. It was the first SSND mission in western Canada, which opened in 1927 to teach and minister to the German immigrants.

School Sisters of Notre Dame Announce Election of New Provincial Council

The election assembly convened to reflect on the future of the province and elect new leadership for the next four years. As they spent time in prayer and dialogue, the Spirit moved among the body of SSND Electors and called the electors to be of one heart and soul.

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.

Claiming our Aging and Life in Community

Preparations are now well underway at Villa Assumpta for our Sisters' upcoming move to Stella Maris, with closing rituals and moving dates scheduled. To help the Sisters prepare individually and communally for the change, Sister Kathleen Cornell reflected with the Sisters on claiming our aging during the morning of August 6. She reflected on aging as a gift of opportunity for inner work and soul work.

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

New Grade School Opens at Waterdown Laureate College

SSNDs at Snake Road received a pleasant surprise recently, what we remembered as the laundry, exercise room, and other SSND workspaces have been totally transformed into a grade school!

God's Ordinary, Everyday, Radical Gift

First, Ordinary Time is called “ordinary” not because it is somehow lesser than the other liturgical seasons, but - according to church historians - simply because the weeks of Ordinary Time are numbered. The Latin word ordinalis refers to numbers in a series. It marks a time when we are neither feasting nor fasting. (Wikipedia)

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.

Stellar at Stella: A Star-Studded Jubilee!

Heaven to earth: We rejoice in the stellar celebration of Jubilee on August 20, 2025 at Stella Maris in Timonium, Maryland! The stars were Sisters Margaret Marie Giblin (75-year Jubilarian), and Sisters Mary Paulette Doyas, Maria Felipe Lopez, Mary Therese Feeley, and Marie Mack, (70-year Jubilarians). These stars were not light-years away but close to us, especially as they aligned in procession to the chapel at Stella Maris and sat in wheelchairs near the sanctuary.

Call to Worship: Stella Maris Jubilee August 20, 2025

This call to worship is a call to be detectives—we will detect God’s love in the readings, prayers and songs during our liturgy. We will especially relish what we discover: how God’s love and goodness has been and is present, to our celebrating Sister Jubilarians (Marg, Mary Paulette, Maria Felipe, Mary Therese, and Marie), and to all of us assembled here.

How We Pray in Waterdown, Ontario, CA

We in Waterdown are a very busy and involved community! We have daily, weekly, and monthly prayers, activities, and events. We continue to be an active community here in Waterdown!

Human Trafficking: Making A Difference

Combating Human Trafficking occupied several hours of time for SSNDs and other residents at 3030 Park in Bridgeport, CT, recently. We attached the labels to the soap and packed up many boxes for delivery to hotels located near large sporting events, such as the Super Bowl and World Series.

Be Not Afraid!

Our August board in Bridgeport shares this message from Matthew 14:27: Courage! It is I! Be not afraid. We have had moments like this in our own lives - perhaps even at this moment. Do you need courage now?

How We Pray at Charlesgate Apartments, Towson, MD

Sisters at Charlesgate Apartments practice community prayer all together. Typically, all 19 sisters from nine different buildings gather at one of the apartments for our monthly Solidarity Prayer. We take turns hosting the prayer.

Who is Mary to the School Sisters of Notre Dame?

"Devotion to Mary has many expressions in the heritage of the School Sisters of Notre Dame." So begins a section on the Blessed Mother housed on the SSND Sturdy Roots website. From artwork to reflections, the SSNDs explore the question of Mary in many moving and thoughtful ways on the site created and curated by Sister Judy Best, SSND.

Baby Noona Visits Marian Village

Marian Village SSND nurse, Lauren Cook, gave birth to a beautiful little girl recently. Lauren brought Noona to meet the Sisters at Marian Village in Homer Glen, IL, and many of them enjoyed holding her.

Sister Virginia Brien, Sojourner

On July 30, 2025, the Sisters at Villa Assumpta celebrated 100 years of life, faith and endurance as we celebrated Sister Virginia Brien's 100th birthday. We reflected on the amazing treasure of Sister Virginia’s life.

Celebrating 150 Years with the Felician Sisters

Four SSNDs from Waterdown joined the Felician Sisters to celebrate their 150 years in North America on Sunday, July 20, 2025. Here at Waterdown, we also celebrated the Felician Anniversary with Sisters Joanne Baradziej, CSSF, and Blaise Podruczny, CSSF, during our morning Mass and, later that afternoon, with an anniversary tea.

Sisters Celebrate 178th Anniversary

On July 31st, the SSND community at 3030 Park celebrated the 178th Anniversary of SSND coming to America in 1847. We enjoyed reflections, petitions, and a rousing sing-along to Neil Diamond’s Coming to America. A large sailboat and scrapbook with photos and articles about our 1997 Battery Park celebration added to the joy and memories around this special day!

A Delicious Delight!

On July 27, we enjoyed a very special gift from our extraordinary friends, Laura and Jay Swartz. Laura and Jay attend Mass with the Sisters at Villa Assumpta on many Sundays, and decided to treat us to brunch at the Country Club of Maryland!

A Day at Ontario's Lake Marie

Lake Marie, located in Elora, Ontario, Canada, is a quiet and secluded retreat for the AMSSND Sisters to escape the city and relax. Once a month, our Waterdown LEAD Team drives a group of Sisters who may not wish to drive up on their own. We stay for the day.

Scrapbook Honors Final Year of Service

Sister Patricia McCarron, SSND, earned many celebratory honors throughout her final months as our school’s ninth Head of School, a position she held for 20 years. Enjoy a scrapbook of memories created in celebration of her tireless service!

Continued