This Fall/Winter edition of Blessings is a revamp of our Stewardship Report. While containing the same financial report information, we redesigned this publication to directly thank our family, friends, and benefactors for all their support in caring for our Sisters and sustaining our mission.
News
Maryland Associates began their Nov. 8 retreat and Covenanting day with the inspirational words of Dr. Pat Fosarelli: “Endings, Beginnings and Everything In-Between: Hope is the Cord that Connects Them All.” This was also a special year for 4 Associates who celebrated a milestone anniversary: Lindsay Thompson and Peggy Russell - 35 years; Debra Franklin - 20 years; and Diane MacKenzie - 10 years!
A few hundred Palestinians, Indigenous, Lebanese, Yemeni and other Canadians gathered at St. John’s Anglican Church Hall in Kitchener Oct. 4, 2025, for an Empty Plate Dinner. It was a fundraiser for the people in Gaza. There were two small bowls of Palestinian olives and water on each table. In solidarity, we had no other food.
Stella Maris officially became "home" for many newly arrived Sisters on Nov. 7 during a Blessing of the Floor and Bedrooms event hosted by leadership teams from Stella Maris and Mercy Health System.
Enjoy reflections from the School Sisters of Notre Dame throughout this Advent season.
When JuQuetta Adams arrived at Caroline Center as a student, she was determined to build a new path for herself. Through hard work and persistence, she succeeded in graduating from the Pharmacy Technician program. Today, she not only leads that program, but she has also been selected for inclusion in the 2026 edition of Marquis Who’s Who, a national honor recognizing individuals who have made meaningful contributions in their professions and communities.
The International Day of the Girl was celebrated this year on Friday, October 10, with an intergenerational town hall forum at the UN headquarters in New York City. Among those in attendance were 11 seniors from the Academy of Holy Angels, who chose to spend their day off from school participating in the event, accompanied by their teachers, Sarah Allen and Jennifer Cucchisi.
Father John Cush celebrated SSND Foundation Day at Saint Saviour High School*, Brooklyn, NY, with a joyous Mass on Oct. 24. The opening song, We’ve Come This Far By Faith, was sung by the gospel choir. The joy on the girls' faces as they sang renewed my sense of faith and mission, especially at this time of the world we live in. We ended Mass with the song, Let There Be Peace.
On October 18, the Saturday after the Canadian Thanksgiving, 13 SSND Associates in Southern Ontario renewed their covenant, while Sybil Percy made her first covenant. We were delighted to be able to gather in person with the Sisters in Waterdown!
As we celebrate the American holiday of Thanksgiving, some School Sisters of Notre Dame share their reflections on gratitude. Enjoy!
Hamilton artist Vu Ngo, the founder of StoryPOP, came to speak to us about his vision to transform everyday spaces into living stories of resilience and hope. While listening, the Sisters realized Vu's vision fit perfectly into their charism.
Just 10 days after Parliament resumed this September, members of the Office of Religious Congregations for Integral Ecology (ORCIE) were already knocking on doors on Parliament Hill, bringing faith-filled urgency to the climate conversation.
Niigaan Sinclair, a Canadian Indigenous leader, notes that this year, 14 million people – a third of Canada’s population - wore the indigenous orange shirts, walked publicly and celebrated together on Sept. 30, the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
Over the years, prior to my working here at Villa Assumpta, there were many occasions I would find myself driving down Charles Street, looking over to the left, seeing the chapel and asking, What is that place?
Marian House welcomed more than 400 participants—both in-person and online—for the 17th Annual Race to Embrace Independence. The event raised over $34,000 toward its $50,000 goal, supporting Marian House’s mission to empower women on their journeys to recovery and independence!
Pictures and words of Blessed Theresa and Mother Caroline grace our November board at 3030 Park. We also honor 10 of our dear Sisters whose lives and deaths, from 11/2024 to 11/2025, were celebrated here and at St. Andrew’s Church in Bridgeport, with burial at St. Mary’s Cemetery, Bethel.
Sisters at Marian Village enjoyed a visit with Sister Dominica on Oct. 27. She shared many stories from her ministries, including some from her time in Berlin after the wall came down and others from her time in South Sudan.
We here at SSND took full advantage of the fall beauty with a trip to the Mum Show at a local greenhouse in Hamilton, ON. The theme changes every year, and this year’s theme was “under the sea.”
When I attended Sisters Academy of Baltimore back in 2015-2019, I quickly realized it is much more than a school. It's home, in many ways. Principal Sister Delia Dowling, the teachers, and the staff were our coaches, cheerleaders, mentors, and teachers. What makes this place so different, though, is that those important people continue to be important in our lives today.
Sisters, Associates and guests gathered at Marian Village for the annual Chicago-area recovenanting ceremony on September 21. This was a special day for associate Kathi Barth, who celebrated the 25th anniversary of her first covenant.
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