Return to: U of M Home
Nun Study
Research
Home : School Sisters
School Sisters of Notre Dame
Links
To learn more about the School Sisters of Notre Dame, visit the
SSND North America Web site, or one of
the provincial sites that is participating in the Nun Study:
A Brief History of the School Sisters
The Gores Girls in midlife. In some cases our sisters are also siblings.
The congregation of the School Sisters of Notre Dame (SSND) was founded in 1833 by Blessed Theresa of Jesus Gerhardinger in Bavaria, Germany to provide education and spiritual formation for girls, with special concern for poor girls. In 1847 Blessed Theresa accompanied the first School Sisters of Notre Dame to the United States. Three years later, Mother Caroline Friess, although just 26 years old, was put in charge of the congregation in North America. She opened a motherhouse in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and from there traveled throughout the United States and Canada establishing convents and schools.
Today the School Sisters of Notre Dame are an international community of approximately 5,500 women religious serving in a variety of ministries in 30 countries on five continents. Their ministry is directed toward education in the broadest sense, which for them means enabling persons to reach the fullness of their potential. Committed to this goal, the sisters respond to varying needs of the church and world through a diversity of ministries, such as education, administration, spiritual, pastoral, social, legal and health services. Those with whom they minister range from young children to the elderly.
Sister Rosemary Howarth, General Superior of the School Sisters of Notre Dame, receives honorary doctoral degree from the University of Kentucky, May 5, 2002
About 3,200 of these Sisters are ministering in the United States. The 678 School Sisters of Notre Dame who are participating in the Nun Study are members of the congregation's seven United States provinces: Baltimore, Chicago, Dallas, Mankato, (MN), Milwaukee, St. Louis and Wilton (CT). These Sister participants are continuing their charism of education by volunteering for this research project.
Saints and Sages
The following link is to an excerpt from "Aging with Grace: The School Sisters of Notre Dame Study" by Sharon M. Reynolds, which appeared in the University of Kentucky publication Odyssey, Winter/Spring 1993 edition.