The School Sisters of Notre Dame as an international Roman Catholic religious institute founded in Bavaria in 1833, and dedicated to providing educational opportunities at the primary, secondary, and post-secondary levels. Today, Sisters of the congregation are engaged as teachers, lawyers, accountants, nurses, therapists, social workers, pastoral ministers, social justice advocates, and in other avocations. Bavaria was a place of poverty and illiteracy in the 1830s. Its founder, Caroline Gerhardinger (later to be known by her religious name, Mary Theresa of Jesus) formed a religious community with two other women, and began teaching the poor. In 1847, she and five companion sisters traveled to the United States to teach German immigrants, particularly girls and women and, within a year, they were staffing schools in three German-American parishes in Baltimore, Maryland, and had opened the Institute of Notre Dame, a private school for German girls. They educated girls, primarily in elementary schools, but also in orphanages, day nurseries, and industrial schools. They trained future teachers, and pioneered in the development of kindergartens. In time, the congregation spread across the United States and Canada, forming eight North American provinces. The original Rule of the School Sisters of Notre Dame, which was approved by Pope Pius IX in 1865, allowed the congregation to be self governing, rather than being under the control of local bishops. Today, the School Sisters are headquartered in Rome, but they have several locations in North America, Latin America, Africa, Asia, Oceania, and Europe. Much of the work of the School Sisters is in education, but they are also involved in spiritual guidance programs, hosting retreats, working in hospitals, pastoral care among Hispanics, and an outreach to Native Americans and immigrants. In recent years, they have been heavily involved in immigrant issues along the US/Mexican border.
Recommended Resources
The mission and ministries of the School Sisters of Notre Dame are outlined, along with a profile and history of the Order, a map showing its locations throughout the world, a calendar of events, and information on becoming a member, including the discernment process, the steps to becoming a Sister, and other vocational resources. Volunteer, associate, and employment opportunities are also posted.
http://ssnd.org/
School Sisters of Notre Dame, Atlantic-Midwest Province
In 2005, the former School Sisters of Notre Dame Provinces of Baltimore, Chicago and Wilton joined to become the Atlantic-Midwest Province, which includes more than thirty dioceses. A history of the province is told, and videos further highlight its heritage. Information on becoming a Sister or an Associate is included, with donor recognition, access to various congregation publications, and contacts.
http://www.atlanticmidwest.org/
School Sisters of Notre Dame, Central Pacific Province
The St. Louis, Missouri School Sisters are members of a worldwide congregation of women religious founded by Blessed Theresa Gerhardinger in Bavaria in 1833, who arrived in North America in 1847. General information about the congregation is presented, with an overview of their ministries and work in the United States and throughout the world. Contacts are posted to the site.
https://www.ssndcentralpacific.org/
School Sisters of Notre Dame, Generalate
The international headquarters of the School Sisters is in Rome. Its site highlights the origins of the congregation, its charism, and features a map showing the locations of its provinces throughout the world. The Generalate and General Council are introduced, and links to member groups and programs are included, along with prayer resources, and a review of its programs and projects.
https://gerhardinger.org/
The educational resource expresses the views of School Sisters of Notre Dame on the education of 19th century American children, living during wartime, engaging in the aging process, living under communism, educating for justice, and other topics, each built on primary sources, such as letters and journals found in the archives of the School Sisters of Notre Dame. Also included are suggestions for using the site in a school curriculum and formation program.
http://www.sturdyroots.org/
