Information from "Spirit and Character of the School Sisters of Notre Dame of the Canadian Province", By Sister Katharine Reiter, SSND
Although SSNDs have been in Canada since 1871, it did not become a province until 1927, with the opening of the beautiful motherhouse in Waterdown, Ontario.
The Canadian Province became the 12th province within the international congregation.
The following story shares highlights of the past 99 years.
With a starlit sky above them, three Sisters, ten candidates, and 22 aspirants and boarders arrived at the new Canadian Motherhouse on February 14, 1927.
A statue of Our Lady of Grace, aglow with light high above the front balcony, was there with arms extended in welcome.
At the front entrance stood the smiling Mother Baptist Klein, Sisters Othwina Tiefenbrun, Hilda Lienhardt, Humberta Schmitz, and Pontia Diebolt.
The group was led to the chapel where the first community sang, “Holy God We Praise Thy Name”.
Less than 10 years later, Mother Stanislaus Koska Schilling, Commissary General in North America, wrote, "for some time we have been considering forming a Canadian province. The growth of the order in Canada warrants this”.
There were 19 missions in Ontario with 123 Sisters, 67 of whom were Canadian and 56 from the United States or Germany.
Land was purchased for the motherhouse within the picturesque Niagara escarpment and near to Hamilton Teachers’ College. Mother Baptist and Sister Othwina were given charge of overseeing the construction.
The new motherhouse was home to the newly elected Provincial Council, young women in formation, Sisters attending Hamilton Teachers’ College, and those who taught in schools in Hamilton.
The bus that took the Sisters to the various schools returned with day students who attended Notre Dame Academy.
The bedrooms accommodated 40 boarders from a distance. Local children attended elementary classes until St. Thomas School opened in 1951.
Until the late 1950’s, the Sisters were fairly self-sufficient, farming 196 acres of farmland and tending prolific orchards.
A bowling alley in the basement was a popular place for Sisters and students.
As with any condensed history, one learns of changes in short paragraphs. Students', Sisters', and congregational needs evolved over the years.
Today, the Canadian Province is part of the Atlantic-Midwest Province. The 99-year-old Notre Dame Convent houses Sisters on the 3rd and 4th floors, while Laureate College - owned by another organization - welcomes international students throughout the rest of the building.
Enjoy reading more:
https://atlanticmidwest.org/posts/origins-ssnds-canada
https://atlanticmidwest.org/posts/Sisters-celebrate-90th-anniversary-notre-dame-convent-waterdown-canada
