Goodness in Action
June 2024 Updates
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Celebrating Our 2024 New England Jubilarians at Emmanuel College | On Sunday, June 23, 2024, at Emmanuel College in Boston, Sisters, friends, supporters and family came together to celebrate 17 Jubilarians from the New England area at a special Mass and renewal of vows, followed by a celebratory luncheon. Stay tuned: our Jubilarians from across the East-West Province will be highlighted in the winter issue of Sowing Goodness. | |
Top: 2024 Jubilarians.
Bottom: Jubilarians renewing their vows at the Emmanuel Chapel.
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Sister Gillian Wallace, SNDdeN Embarks on Final Vows Journey | |
Sister Gillian Wallace, SNDdeN has joined 17 Sisters from Kenya, Nigeria and the Congo in Namur, Belgium, where she and the other Sisters are preparing to take their final vows!
"It was very powerful spending time in our Heritage Center," said Sister Gillian. As part of the program, the Sisters are making pilgrimages to sites where our foundresses, St. Julie Billiart and Françoise Blin de Bourdon, lived. They spent time in contemplative prayer at the Heritage Center.
During the program, Sister Gillian's days are filled with curriculum, and her nights are spent singing and dancing at every opportunity with the other Sisters. "The spirit of the participants is great!" she shares.
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Sisters Gillian Wallace and Amarachi Ezeonu, SNDdeN standing in front of the Heritage Center of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur in Namur, Belgium. | |
Follow us on social media for updates on Sister Gillian and more: | | |
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Remembering Sister Catherine Griffiths, SNDdeN (1935 - 2024)
Sister Catherine entered the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur in 1952. She served in diverse ways, from formal education to pastoral work and spiritual direction. For 45 years, she was a retreat director, 20 of which were spent directing 30-day retreats for the Divine Word Missionary novices, a role that gave her great joy.
Sister Catherine went home to her good God on May 28, 2024, at the age of 89.
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Remembering Sister Kathleen Murphy, SNDdeN (1939 - 2024)
Sister Kathleen entered the congregation in 1958. She shared her love of teaching young children in various ministries, including in Waltham, Woburn, Lynn, Boston, Ipswich, Massachusetts and Huntsville, Alabama. She also taught at the Notre Dame Education Center in Lawrence, Massachusetts, and volunteered at the Academy of Notre Dame in Tyngsboro, Massachusetts.
She went home to her good God on June 7, 2024, at the age of 84.
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Back Row: Sisters Ellen Keane, Ginny Scally, SNDdeN, Kathleen (Tucker) Gustafson, Mary Ellen (Connolly) Leekley and Sister Mary Reardon, SNDdeN.
Front Row: Sisters Patty Butler, Paula Tinlin, SNDdeN and Jane Crimlisk.
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Celebrating Community and Connection
Sisters, friends and staff were joined by 45 former Sisters on June 9, 2024, for a special luncheon at the province center in Ipswich, Massachusetts. This event kicks off the celebration of our 175th Anniversary in New England! Thank you to everyone who came out to enjoy each other's company and share cherished memories.
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The Notre Dame Long Term Care Center on the former farmland the Sisters purchased in 1900. | |
"The Lake" Land Use Changes but Remains a Haven for Those in Need
"Thank you for your housewarming present of 50 hens and three cows" is no longer part of U.S. vernacular - but it was most appropriate in Worcester, Massachusetts, in 1900!
Learn more about the history of the Notre Dame Long Term Care Center in this article by Sister Ann Marie Cook, SNDdeN which originally appeared in The Boston Pilot on May 31, 2024.
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The Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur moved into St. Augustine's Convent in 1895 when it opened in response to the huge number of Catholics immigrating into South Boston.
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St. Augustine's Convent Reborn as Affordable Senior Housing
In 2022, South Boston Neighborhood Development Corporation (NDC) entered into a purchase agreement with the Paraclete Foundation to purchase the former St. Augustine's Convent.
South Boston NDC will redevelop the Convent into 35 affordable residential units for very low-income seniors. This type of project is particularly important as an increasing share of South Boston’s low-income residents are seniors, ages 65 and above.
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Sowing Goodness Summer '24 Issue Lands in Mailboxes Soon!
Learn about our 175 years of an Enduring Legacy of Goodness in New England, updates from our schools and ministries, our steadfast commitment to environmental justice, reflections from our Sisters around the world and so much more.
If you are not on our mailing list, sign up at the link below to stay up-to-date with all we do to make known God's goodness!
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Finding Meaning in Service | |
Check out the new video from our Notre Dame Mission Volunteer Americorps (NDMVA) partners about meaningful service opportunities and creating positive impact on your community! | |
Highlights from our Learning Communities | | |
Students, family and friends gather to raise money to support training a new school therapy dog. (Photo provided by Academy of Notre Dame, Tyngsboro) | |
Walking Together for Mental Health
The Academy of Notre Dame in Tyngsboro, Massachusetts, held its annual Walk with Me event, a family picnic-style gathering to support each other and raise money for the NDA Wellness Fund. Walk with Me began with a student's desire to acknowledge our role in each other's mental health. The idea was to get people to identify a “team” of 2-6 people who stand by them, literally and figuratively. The team would then walk the school track together to signify that no one walks alone. Since then, the walking has blossomed into carnival games, fun contests, raffles, a basketball tournament, a tennis-baseball game, food trucks and much more.
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Notre Dame Belmont Named Best School
Congratulations to Notre Dame High School in Belmont, California, for being voted the best private high school on SFGATE's "Best of the Bay Area" list! We are proud of our learning communities and their commitment to empowering future leaders and trailblazers!
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Notre Dame de Namur University in Belmont, California. | |
Notre Dame de Namur University Wins Best of San Mateo Award
Congratulations to Notre Dame de Namur University in Belmont, California, for winning the Best of San Mateo Award for the continuing education category. NDNU stood out from the nominees for its innovative curriculum, experienced faculty and unwavering dedication to student success.
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Deepen Your Faith this Summer with the Spirituality Center
The Notre Dame Spirituality Center in Ipswich, Massachusetts, offers many retreats and programs to deepen one's relationship with faith. Take time to relax, kick back and take part in a guided retreat into Celtic Spirituality, recurring prayer programs and many more opportunities.
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175th Anniversary - Don't Forget to Save the Dates! | | |
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In addition to our gala on October 16, we are holding three celebratory Masses.
Join us at:
- Notre Dame du Lac Assisted Living Community, Worcester, Massachusetts - August 24, 3:00 p.m.
- St. Gregory Parish in Dorchester, Massachusetts - September 7, 4:00 p.m.
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St. Patrick Parish in Lowell, Massachusetts, with Cardinal Seán P. O'Malley, OFM, Cap. - September 14, 4:00 p.m.
Stay tuned as we share history and stories of the Sisters from their arrival in Boston in 1849 to their ongoing impact throughout New England!
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Sister Joanne's WWII Memories on the 80th Anniversary of D-Day | |
June 6, 2024, marked the 80th anniversary of D-Day, when the Allied forces stormed the beaches of Normandy, France, during World War II. In honor of the event, take a moment to watch this video of Sister Joanne Recker, SNDdeN sharing her experience living through bombardments during the war in Bastogne, Belgium. | | | | |
