Updates from our sisters in Uganda, East Africa.

New truck...water tank explosion...25 years in Africa...A-Level construction

The angels announced the good news of a Savior!

"…I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.  Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord." Luke 2:10b-11

On Tuesday, December 19, 2017 the Sisters of Notre Dame welcomed Michelle Blevins as a postulant.  Michelle will move to the national postulancy in Covington, Kentucky on January 2, 2018 to continue in formation in preparation for entering the national novitiate.

That’s all it took, a gentle nudge to set in motion a delightful and blessed mission project. The So-Sew Mission endeavor started when Ina McCord, a seamstress from Augusta, KY was moving and needed to dispose of her supply of fabric. She gave the fabric to her friend, an SND Associate, who in turn gave the lovely material to the Sisters at the Covington Provincial House sewing room.

Week two of Advent is the week of Love and of Mary and Joseph’s journey to Bethlehem.

The Dream Began Here.

Where? The current Park Hills Animal Hospital at 1555 Dixie Highway. In 1907 this building was part of the Old Fedders Farm that was developed into three plats facing Lexington Pike (now Dixie Highway). The Sisters of Notre Dame bought the front plot.

by Sister Mary Ruth Lubbers

When I think of Mary as the Immaculate Conception, I think of snow-white winter or bright sun and summer – all bright, light, shining. There’s something so profound that Mary would be born without any sin, that only goodness lived within her. 

November 13, 2017 was the 90th anniversary of the dedication of the St. Joseph Heights Provincial Center.

During the weekend of October 20-22, 2017, almost 200 Sisters and Associates from across the country convened at the SND Chardon Province to celebrate a time of renewal, learning, and inspiration at the second Associate National Gathering.

Congratulations to Sister Mary Ellen Strunk, who was awarded the Mary Ann Mongan Literacy Award by the Kenton County Public Library on November 6, 2017.

Sister Mary Ellen Strunk, a Sister of Notre Dame, is a graduate of Notre Dame Academy, Thomas More College and Xavier University with a degree in Elementary Education and Educational Administration. In her 45 years of teaching and administration, 10 ½ years teaching at Prince of Peace, she has been instrumental in building up the Prince of Peace Library and teaching weekly Library classes to the students.

by Sr. Nicole Marie Varnerin
originally published in The Messenger

Growing up, one of my favorite movies was “Shrek.” I loved Donkey’s character and his banter with Shrek. Beyond the silliness, which made it a very relatable movie, there were good images and lessons.

The Sisters of Notre Dame and their staff celebrated Halloween in style with a luncheon, games, and a costume contest. Lourdes Hall sisters showed off their decorating talents by making pumpkins. A great time was had by all.

The local parish in Buseesa, Uganda hosted a fundraising event for their new church on October 29. The Sisters of Notre Dame and graduates of St. Julie Mission participated in the event. In fact, the St. Julie alumni association contributed 780,000 Uganda Shillings ($200) to purchase a window for the new church.

From October 20 through October 22, 2017 approximately 200 Notre Dame Sisters and Associates from all four U.S. provinces will gather at the Chardon Provincial Center for fellowship, prayer and presentations. 

by Micaela Dyson, Uganda Volunteer

For the past few days, I have watched excited and energetic children kicking a soccer ball around the field in front of my teachers' housing building. Many times, I have felt the urge to go out and play with them, but something kept stopping me.

Sr. Marla Monahan was recently appointed Board Chair for St. Claire HealthCare by Sr. Mary Ethel Parrott, Provincial for the Sisters of Notre Dame of Covington. Sr. Marla has served on St. Claire HealthCare’s Board for the past 12 years. This marks her second time being appointed Board Chair.

by Sister Mary Sharron Goller

Through good times, and especially bad times, many of us turn to praying the Rosary.  How many of us treasure the Rosaries given to us at First Communion, or maybe we have the Rosary of a loved one who has died.  Praying the familiar words of the Our Father and the Hail Mary gives our souls, our hearts, and our lives a sense of peace. 

by Sr. Mary Jessica (Chardon Province)

On October 1, 1850, which we celebrate as our Foundation Day today, Hilligonde Wolbring and Elisabeth Kühling began their canonical novitiate as Sisters of Notre Dame at St. Annathal Convent in Coesfeld, Germany.

Dear Sisters,

It's been quite an exciting adventure over here. On Saturday, students began arriving on boda-bodas (motorcycles), dressed smartly in their blue uniforms with white socks and black shoes. I spent most of the day checking their cases and welcoming them back to the term. They were all very eager to gather their belongings and unpack so that they could begin playing with one another. By the end of the day, the once-quite dorms were filled with the happy sounds of children laughing and chatting animatedly with one another.

Meet the 2017-2018 Associate Candidates: Jane Simpson Bratton, Connie Conrad Ehrnschwender, Sharon Stahl Harris, Laura Dickman Koehl, Mary Beth McGarr, Judy Ann Hehman Newberry, Jennifer Linne O'Gorman.

from Jodee McElfresh, Director of the SND Office of Mission Advancement

Dear Partners,

As a follow-up to our statement on the recent break-in at the SND Provincial Center, I would like to assuage potential concerns about access to donor and donation information.

by Tina Turner
Notre Dame Associate

A typical question an optimist like myself may ask is, "Why contemplate Our Lady’s Sorrows?"

The answer, like Mary we all suffer, and she understands our pain and wants to comfort us.  

Statement from the Sisters of Notre Dame on the September 9 break-in.

by Sister Mary Shauna Bankemper

Journeying in Notre Dame for the past 50 years has been an adventure into the mystery of God.  In December 2016, I returned home from Rome having completed a six-year term ministering on the General Level.  It was a privilege to witness the mystery of God at work throughout the global ND world. I take pride in being part of the Sisters of Notre Dame, in something much bigger than any one of us.  How was I going to contribute now that I was home?

September 10 is Grandparents' Day. In honor of this day, we were curious to look at the impact and influence grandparents and parents have on the decision to enter religious life.

Dear Sisters,

Thank you for your prayers and blessings! We have been in Uganda for two full weeks now and I am learning so much with each day that passes. I would love to share some things about the season and the church with you and the sisters back home.

Hurricane Harvey brought devastation to our brothers and sisters in Texas and is set to bring massive rainfall to Louisiana today. We pray for all those who have been displaced, who are scared, who are uncertain about what comes next, and who will face the impact of the storm well beyond this week. We pray for the rescuers and the helpers, including Sr. Pamela Marie Buganski, a Toledo SND.

Sr. Mary Judith Niewahner invites all to come to FALL FAMILY NIGHT hosted by the Holy Spirit Child Development Center.

Mass was particularly moving at St. Joseph Heights Chapel on August 20. Not only did Notre Dame Associates attend as part of a special gathering, but Sr. Mary Judith Averbeck and a  volunteer were given a blessing before their journey to the SND mission in Uganda.

Sisters, friends, and NDA faculty, staff, and students gathered in front of Notre Dame Academy on August 21, 2017 to view the solar eclipse.

Be a part of the inaugural fall service trip!

Location: Frenchburg, Kentucky and surrounding area.
Dates: October 22-27, 2017.
Duties: Light maintenance and yard work.

My first experience of the Sisters of Notre Dame was when we moved back to Covington, Kentucky from Norfolk, Virginia and I started school at St. John's on Pike Street.  Moving back to Kentucky also afforded me the opportunity to visit my mother's sister, Sister Mary Everilda, later known as Sr. Mary Florence.

From May-August 2017, Sr. Mary Judith Averbeck was in Kentucky on home visit, which takes place every two years. When she returns to the SND mission in Uganda on August 24, she will not be alone. Micaela Dyson and Marilyn Keller will return with Sr. Judith as volunteers at the SND mission in Uganda.

Considering adding the Daily Examen to your routine?

Maybe you would like some guidance in working through the prayerful process. Try this guided meditation podcast: https://soundcloud.com/pray-as-you-go/examen-for-young-people 

by Sr. Mary Ruth Lubbers 

St. Ignatius has gifted us with a prayer form called Consciousness Examen, or Examen for short. This prayer helps us to look at where God is in our life and where God might be heading us, how God is traveling with us.

Have you heard of the Daily Examen?

This Ignatian prayer of gratitude is a part of SND religious practice. It’s introduced in our first stages of becoming a sister, but anyone can do it!

by Sr. Maria Francine Stacy, SND

When I first started studying Spanish in the university, my mom asked me, “Why are you studying that? You know you will never use it.” And I replied simply, “I know, Mom, but I like it.” When I entered the Sisters of Notre Dame, the sister in charge said, “I see you have Spanish studies in your background. Well, we don’t have a need for that…” I replied simply, “I know but I liked it.”

Sr. Maria Therese Schappert has joined the technology team at St. Vincent de Paul of Northern Kentucky.

On Saturday, August 5, we celebrate the feast of Our Lady of the Snows. As legend has it snow fell on the night of August 5, 352 to indicate to a barren couple who dedicated their wealth to Our Lady where she wanted them to build a church in her honor. The site is where the present day St. Mary Major Basilica is located.

Congratulations to our Grand Raffle, Quilt Booth, and FC Cincinnati Lucky Loser Raffle Winners!

June 23, 2017 is the Feast of the Sacred Heart. In this video, Sr. Ruth Lubbers reflects on this day and the history behind the SNDs' devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

by Sr. Mary Margaret Droege, SND

Two hearts
One surrounded by thorns
One pierced by a sword
Two hearts
Stamped onto
The official seal of the Sisters of Notre Dame
“KLOSTER ZU UNSERER LIEBEN FRAU IN COESFELD”

Join us for a screening of the movie "13th", a documentary about the overpopulating of prisons and jails in the US, with a look at injustices going on in the name of justice.

Seven women from Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania made their first profession of vows on June 10, 2017.

Sr. Nicole Marie Varnerin recently returned from 3 months of ministry at the US-Mexico border. On June 20, she will speak about her experience at 6:30 p.m. in the Large Meeting Room

Want to learn more about the Notre Dame Associates? Come to an inquiry session on June 21 or July 8, 2017. 

Sister Mary Joanne was born Joan Lutkenhoff on August 15, 1929, in Covington, Kentucky. Her parents, Edward and Anora Byron Lutkenhoff, raised five children, two boys and three girls. Joan was the oldest. Her family resided in Bellevue, Kentucky, where she attended Sacred Heart School, Our Lady of Province Academy, and St. Anthony Commercial School. After graduation, she became inspired by the Sisters of Notre Dame, joined them, and made her profession of vows on August 16, 1959.

Students from Holy Family School (Covington, KY) learned about local plants and animals at the SND Nature Trail. 

by Sr. Mary Margaret Droege

He is risen
He is not here

Where is he?
     In the garden with Magdalene
     In the upper room with Thomas
     On the seashore preparing breakfast

by Sr. Mary Margaret Droege

How good is the good God
How good is God

The good God
Punctuating every letter she writes
Woven through every conference

The 2017 4th of July Festival features a cabin resort in the silent auction. All proceeds benefit the SND Uganda and East Africa missions, local SND educational ministries, and the SND retirement fund.

St. Claire Regional Medical Center was recognized with a Customer Impact Award at the Nuance annual user group meeting in Chicago.

Congratulations to Sr. Mary Sharron Goller on her induction into the Holy Cross High School Hall of Fame.

Notre Dame Associate Shirley Bradford has walked past this picture many times. This week, however, she paused to look at it and noticed that SHE was in the front row!

More than fifty volunteers participated in the Sisters of Notre Dame (SND) Pay It Forward Service Day on Saturday, April 22.

Notre Dame Academy is pleased to announce that three students from the class of 2017 have been recognized as National Merit Finalists by the 2017 National Merit Scholarship Program. NDA seniors, Brooke Schulte, Paige Montfort and Abbie Guard have all earned the distinction of National Merit Finalist.

This year as Holy Week begins, I find myself reflecting on the fears present in Scripture. We hear often from Jesus, "Do not be afraid." There must have been a lot of fear if he had to say it so often. Now that I think of it, it seems as if fear is a human quality. Fear arises when the illusion of control is dismantled in our lives. Ironically, our fear often ends up controlling us.

Notre Dame Sister Mary Beena from the Patna Province (India) visited the Covington Sisters of Notre Dame in late March. Sister Mary Beena lived at the Covington Province in 1982 while earning her master’s degree from Xavier University.

On January 16, 2017, Sr. Mary Janet Stamm boarded a flight to travel to Uganda with a volunteer maintenance group. This was her first time returning to the SND Mission in Uganda since she concluded 18 years of service at the mission in 2013. For two weeks she served as the volunteers’ liaison to the sisters and locals and prepared delicious meals.

Notre Dame Urban Education center had a very special Family Program on March 21 with guest speaker Lieutenant Governor Jenean Hampton.

Students at Prince of Peace School hosted a retirement celebration for Sr. Mary Norene McCormack on March 30, 2017. 

Do you like to bake or make treats? You might be interested in our baking and treat-making team for the 4th of July Festival. 

Notre Dame Sisters Ruth Lubbers and Kate Hine arranged a spring break service trip with students from the University of Akron. Their spring break destination? Covington, Kentucky.

In between their service hours, we sat down with some of the students to ask what the trip has meant to them. Click below to watch!

Sisters and staff celebrated St. Patrick's Day together. 

STRETCH YOUR HEART in New Orleans, July 7-15, 2017. Single women ages 18-40 are invited to volunteer with the Sisters of Notre Dame at the Rebuild Center in New Orleans, LA.

For 56 years, the St. Charles Community has 'Celebrated Life and Embraced Seniors.'

The Covington campus on Farrell Drive is enhancing that legacy with the renovation of the original convent into a 4,000-square foot Community Center.

MOREHEAD, Ky. –The St. Claire Foundation is now accepting applications for the 2017 Richard J. Bausch Family Scholarship and the Sister Mary Jeannette Wess, SND, Scholarship. The application deadline for both scholarships is May 26.

I started working with the Sisters of Notre Dame ten years ago because of Sister Dennise Wagenlander--surprise!  Yes, she has me on speed dial!  My husband, Keith, and I have four daughters that graduated from St. Columban where the Sisters of Notre Dame taught.  Sister Suzanne Rose and Sister Dennise were our principals while our daughters were there.

Mass takes place in the St. Joseph Heights Chapel, located on the first floor of the Sisters of Notre Dame Provincial Center, 1601 Dixie Highway, Covington, KY 41011. Questions? Please call 859-291-2040 or email info@sndky.org.

The Ash Wednesday Day of Recollection was held at the Covington Provincial Center and included presentations by Sr. Marla Monahan, SND, Mass, the Sacrament of Reconciliation, and chances for reflection and fellowship. Thank you to all who attended and brought joy to this first day of Lent.

During evening prayer on February 21, 2017, the Covington Province celebrated the start of Sr. Nicole Marie Varnerin's apostolic year. Sr. Nicole, a Notre Dame novice, concluded her canonical year of theological study and will now spend her apostolic year putting what she learned into practice.

by Jenni Crowley-Albu

As a young adult, our lives are busy:  Busy with work, school, family, children, friends, home… the list goes on and on.  It’s easy to get caught up in the “busyness” and forget to take time to slow things down for reflection and reconnection with your innermost beliefs and thoughts.

by Sr. Mary Margaret Agnes Hemmerle

Here we are at the beginning of the happy times of Lent, yes I did say “happy.” Happy because it is a season, six weeks long, when we happily embrace the time of coming closer to Christ, to God, to the One who compassionately and lovingly gave His life that we might have life in abundance.

by Sr. Mary Margaret Droege

For two years or more, we Sisters of Notre Dame have been hearing about “SND-USA.”  Each area of our life is being reviewed as the four SND provinces in the USA prepare to become one by 2020.  Committees consider provincial policies and procedures and there have been opportunities for the sisters to meet one another through retreats, conferences, renewals, and jubilee celebrations.  But some of us have really taken this with great gusto.  I literally “fell for SND-USA.”

Thank you to everyone who came out on February 19 for the 21st Annual Uganda Mission Pancake Breakfast. A big thanks, as well, to the Ludlow Knights of Columbus for putting on the event since 1996. Everyone coming together for flapjacks and fellowship resulted in $3,500+ for the Sisters of Notre Dame Mission in Uganda.

Sr. Mary Norene McCormack worked with Everett, the facilities director, to tap the maple trees for sap today. Stay tuned as she collects the sap and turns it into delicious maple syrup.

Video: Sr. Marla Monahan reflects on our call to be like God by living in community with our brothers and sisters.

Hello, my name is Theresa Brugger. I made my covenant as a Notre Dame Associate on April 12, 2015. To say this is when my relationship with the sisters began would  simply not be true.

Some time ago I was asked to write this piece. At first glance I thought, “No problem.” When I put the pen to paper, I was not impressed with the result.  So I started over. Then after evaluating the next draft, I realized how daunting this task actually was.

Sister Mary Rosetta was born Rose Mary into the loving and faith-centered family of Mathias and Henrietta Conrad on December 23, 1925 in Cincinnati, Ohio, along with her beloved twin sister, Lilly. 

Statement from the Covington Provincial Leadership Council regarding the executive order on immigration and refugees.

The response to the music therapy program (from donors and our sisters with dementia) has put a song in our hearts. We received multiple iPod Shuffles and iTunes gift cards to create personalized playlists for our sisters with dementia and Alzheimer's.