In Memoriam | School Sisters of Notre Dame

In Memoriam: Sister Zita Merkowsky, SSND

After 30 years as an elementary school teacher, Sister Zita continued using her teaching skills with catechetical classes for children attending public school in Kitchener, Ontario and as parish coordinator of weekly religion classes in Cloverdale, British Columbia. In Wilkie and Unity, Saskatchewan, she lead Bible study groups and visited the elderly and those in nursing homes.

In Memoriam: Sister Rita Johnson, SSND

“Sometimes there are no adequate verbal answers to the hard life and death questions patients and families ask," said Sister Rita about her work as a hospital chaplain. "The most a chaplain can do is express the healing presence of a compassionate God who hears our cry and is present in a warm embrace, silence, and tears.”

In Memoriam - Sister Barbara Mary Slaney

Sister Barbara Mary was a kind, gentle and loving woman who spent many years working with children as a teacher and administrator. Always helpful, Barbara was congenial, enjoyed people, and loved to play cards and games. She always shared her smile and a kind word.

In Memoriam - Sister Margaret Mary Glick

A woman of many talents, Margaret was kind and gentle. She had a keen mind and was a patient listener. Margaret was a prayerful, positive person who didn’t give up and students felt that it was “a pleasure to be taught by her.” Sisters at Villa Assumpta viewed their time with Margaret as a privilege to be cherished.

In Memoriam - Sister Janice Nadeau

Provincial Councilor Mary Roy Weiss spoke so gratefully of the date, December 10, 1961, when she, as an 8th grade student at Immaculate Conception School in Secaucus, New Jersey, had the first organ lesson she had requested of Sister Janice." It was not just a musical skill that she taught, she taught me how to worship God through music, to worship prayerfully, and to give generously to others what we have received."

In Memoriam - Sister Marie McFadden

Marie joined two School Sisters of Notre Dame from the Dallas Province in answering a call to teach at Catholic English schools in Lahore, Pakistan. Initially their time was spent discerning their call, learning the Urdu language and Pakistani culture, as well as the Islamic character of the society, before moving into the experience of teaching in the schools.

In Memoriam - Sister Mildred Strauss

In 1961, Sister Mildred was one of four Canadian SSND pioneers to open the mission in Calacoto, La Paz, Bolivia, where for nine years she was teacher and administrator in schools there. Sister Mildred possessed a pioneer spirit, readily accepting new challenges in South America and in her home country.

In Memoriam - Sister Dorothy Kunze

For four weeks in 1939, her mother studied sewing while Dorothy played with her cousin and toured Germany with various relatives. At the end of this time, she and her mother boarded a ship for Kobenhavn to make their way back to the US, but after a day and a half it returned to Germany, because war had broken out.

In Memoriam - Sister Marylita Friia

Sister Marylita combined her extensive knowledge with good humor. Her love of teaching math and science attracted students to emulate her. She had a calm and quiet courage when the situation called for it and she stood for truth in the face of controversy. Later in her work she became a Director of Religious Education and participated in other forms of pastoral education. She authored a published article that spoke of “empowering the laity to take its rightful role” in the church.

In Memoriam - Sister Catherine Arata

In 1987, Baltimore Provincial Patricia Flynn met with Cathy to discuss her desire to go to El Salvador. Pat quickly learned that Cathy had a sense of urgency about her call to go there, even in the midst of the ongoing civil war. She counseled Cathy not to go alone. Cathy’s strong conviction of that call led her to declare that “alone or not” she was going.

In Memoriam - Sister Gemma Golino (formerly Sister Francis Cabrini)

Sister Gemma was administrator for the Generalate community from 1988-1995. Being fluent in Italian, her next ministry was as community leader for the Italian community in Gorizia, Italy from 1997 to 2000. Through the years, Sister Gemma continued to communicate with members of the Gorizia community.

AHA Remembers Sister Genevieve Marie Kelleher, SSND

In 2017, an AHA renovated the convent building was renamed Sister Genevieve Kelleher Hall. S. Genevieve was the guest of honor at the dedication of Kelleher Hall which "stands as a lasting legacy to S. Genevieve’s service to Holy Angels.” The building named in S. Genevieve’s honor was once her home, “My bedroom was on the second floor, overlooking the lake” S. Genevieve recalled at the 2017 dedication.