Our Sisters

An Honor Worth Sharing!

Sister Mary Heather MacKinnon shares "On June 6, 2024, I was honored as I retired after more than 30 years of ministry with the Halton Catholic District School Board (HCDSB), which serves 46 elementary schools, 10 secondary schools, and 3 continuing education facilities in four cities in Southern Ontario".

Remembering the Institute of Notre Dame

By Sister Patricia Murphy, SSND

The morning of June 5, Villa Assumpta Sisters were treated to a traveling exhibit of IND heritage that is permanently housed at Notre Dame of Maryland University.

Going to See the Lilacs (Not!)

By Stacie Perreault, LEAD Co-Coordinator, Waterdown

Waterdown Sisters and staff visited the Royal Botanical Gardens (RGB) recently.

The RBG is made up of many different parks, and special parks for certain plants, nature, and life.

A Pentecost Art Trio

Sister Justine Nutz, SSND

It was a joy and privilege to create a trio of Pentecost art for reflection and enjoyment of the Sisters and other residents at The Watermark.

An Afternoon to Remember

Over 200 alumni, benefactors, and friends - including 33 SSNDs - attended "An Afternoon To Remember" held May 5, 2024, in Bridgeport, CT. A good time was had by all! Many attendees were reunited with former teachers and classmates.

Seeing Beauty and Goodness in All Creation

By Sister Rosanne Mensik, SSND

Keep This Day with Joy

By Sister Delia Calis, SSND

Augustine speaks often of the inner power of the Holy Spirit, both within each person, individually, and within the Church. as the Body of Christ. In celebration of Pentecost, I'd like to share some of his reflections and prayers.

The Dearest Freshness Deep Down Things

By Sister Sharon Kanis, SSND

The Holy Spirit is not white.

She is gray.

Florida 6th Graders Live Out Laudato Si' by Raising Money for Haiti

Sixth-grade students from Sarasota, FL, recently raised more than $2,000 for the people of Haiti. The students of St. Martha Catholic School held a fun and successful fundraising auction in April.

Two Truths in One Heart - Two Peoples in One Land

If I am to share my story these weeks, I must give space to the grief in Israel and Palestine, alongside our shared realization that understanding does not mean justification for either Hamas or Israeli Zionists.

Flames of New Life

By Sister Marcianne Bzdon, SSND

Birthdays! I love birthdays, celebrating my own and those of others!

Charter for Compassion

Sister Barbara Paleczny writes, since I am now connected to a global movement to deepen and spread compassion in all our relationships, I wonder if you know of the Charter for Compassion, written in 2009, it urges peoples and religions of the world to embrace the core value of compassion.

Sent Forth in the Spirit

By Sister Mary Roy Weiss, SSND

In the early months of 2020, the theme for the 8th grade closing ceremony at Notre Dame Preparatory School in Towson, Maryland was chosen: “Sent Forth in the Spirit.”

Easter Transformation

Enjoy Sister Delia Callis' beautiful Easter poem: "I wait with Mary in stillness, peace and hope/I wait with her for hard lifeless seeds to sprout, be nourished, grow to fullness,/bearing fruit a hundred-fold."

Waterdown Sisters Celebrate Cinco de Mayo

On the fifth of May, SSND Waterdown had a Fiesta to celebrate Cinco De Mayo! With homemade sombreros, maracas, and pinatas, the party was a blast! It was a fun day, with lots of colours, music, and friends.

Sister Teresia Celebrates 104th Birthday!

After months of anticipation, Sister Teresia Spodnik celebrated her 104th birthday on March 29th. Congratulations arrived for her from family and friends as well as from the Sisters and staff at Ozanam, where she resides.

A Visit with Sister Paulette Doyas, SSND

It's a beautiful Tuesday in March at Stella Maris near Baltimore. Sister Paulette Doyas, SSND, welcomes her first-time guest, rolling a state-of-the-art office set-up away from the bed. Despite residing in an assisted living community, Sister Paulette continues to serve as a part-time, remote assistant in NDMU registrar's office.

Life in Community at Villa Assumpta

Enjoy this wide-ranging roundtable conversation with Sisters Betty Orr, Mary Frances Angermaier, Francita Hobbs, and Carleen Cekal about their lives and experiences in the 1st floor independent living space at Villa Assumpta.

New Life for Old Sneakers

What is more omnipresent in our world today than Coke, blue jeans, and sneakers? I recently bought a new pair of sneakers to replace my vintage “pandemic” pair. I asked the salesperson at the store of a well-known international brand if they recycled old sneakers, but no, they did not.

You, Too, Can Starburst!

Do you miss one of your friends at an AMSSND site, but it is too far to travel? We’ve put iPads with Facetime at each of our nine major sites (Ozanam, Stella Maris, Villa Assumpta, Watermark, Waterdown, Marian Village and Resurrection Life). So, who are you going to call first? And second?

Easter Eggs created by Sisters in Waterdown, Canada