The Oblate Sisters of Providence (OSP) is the first Roman Catholic Sisterhood in the world established by women of African descent. Sister Trinita Baeza, OSP, and Sister Rita Bueche, SSND, met at a day of recollection at the motherhouse of the Oblate Sisters of Providence in Catonsville, Maryland. She told me that day of her never-ending gratitude and affection for the School Sisters of Notre Dame. This is her story:
“My family came to the United States from Cuba because my father wanted a better way of life for his family. I attended six wonderful years of schooling at Saint Francis Academy in Baltimore and loved the sisters. I desired to be a teacher, but I felt the only way to be a good teacher was to be a sister.
After graduation, in 1944, I entered the Oblate Sisters of Providence. To be able to teach in Baltimore, we needed teacher training. The School Sisters of Notre Dame offered classes at Notre Dame of Maryland, but the travel expenses would have been too great, so we were permitted to study at the Notre Dame Teacher Training School at 901 Asquith Street. Our motherhouse was at 501 Chase Street, so we were able to walk to classes where we studied with postulants and novices. Our teachers were Sister [Mary] Esther [Underhill] and Sister [Mary] Claudine [Vincent].
An SSND postulant, “Elvira”, and I became fast friends. She invited me to her reception ceremony and repeatedly asked if I would be there. I almost fell out of the pew when Elvira received her religious name: Sister Mary Trinita (DiGiacomo, SSND). We have remained good friends to this day.
In June 1949, I received my Teacher’s Certification for grades K through 8. I still have that Certificate. Later, I would attain a BA in Elementary Education from the College of Notre Dame of Maryland. I will be forever grateful to the School Sisters of Notre Dame.”
