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SSNDs at the joyous event were, back row from left, Sisters Marcelle Stos, Mary Delbert Weisensel, Carla Marie Lusch, Barbara Masch and Kathleen Eggering; first row from left, Sisters Pat Wachter, Sue Menshek, Dolores Siebenmorgen, Julie Brady, Ann Semel, and Barbara Bacak.
Tim Lefkowitz | Today’s Catholic |
By Joann G. Hopkins
Today’s Catholic
“We …, the School Sisters of Notre Dame throughout the world, embrace a new moment in our history as an international congregation …. With jubilee in our hearts, we gratefully commit to act together in response to this Call to Solidarity.”
— SSND General Council, Rome
SAN ANTONIO • Blessed Mother Mary Theresa of Jesus Gerhardinger of Bavaria, Germany, could little have imagined the breadth and scope that her dream — changing society through education — would take. There are the skeptics who question whether “one person can really make a difference.” The life of Blessed Mother Mary Theresa certainly proves the skeptics wrong.
Oct. 24 marked the 175th anniversary of the founding of the worldwide School Sisters of Notre Dame (SSND) which Blessed Mother Mary Theresa founded. Celebrations were held in the United States and abroad. The local SSND community observed the significant milestone with Mass on Oct. 25 in Assumption Chapel at St. Mary’s University. Mass concelebrants included Father John A. Leies, SM, Father Bernard Lee, SM, Father Don Cowie, SM, and Father James Shea, CSsR. Among well wishers in attendance were members of various religious congregations, past students, family and friends.
Father Leies, who fondly remembered by name all of the SSND teachers who taught him from first through eighth grade, described the anniversary as “a glorious occasion.” Fathers Leies, Lee and Cowie all had relatives in the SSND congregation. Father Lee’s cousin, Sister Barbara Masch, SSND, was among the honored sisters.
Addressing the sisters with a sense of humor, Father Leies said “You have powers that you don’t even realize.” He recalled that when he was a little boy, he knew of a man who would touch the veil of a sister before he went to the racetrack to place a bet. Father John added, “He always won.”
Father Leies touched on the symbolism of the SSND logo which includes an “M” for their devotion to Mary, the globe representing their work and ministry in so many countries, the circle signifying their strong and unifying sense of community, and the cross, exemplifying their commitment to bring Christ as the light of the world to all.
Before the final dismissal from the Eucharistic liturgy, Sister Carla Marie Lusch, SSND, superintendent of Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of San Antonio, thanked the priests, cantor Bonnie LeMelle Abadie, and all present for their presence and prayerful support. Sister Carla also expressed gratitude to Father Shea, pastor of St. Gerard Church, who represented the Redemptorist community.
Sister Carla mentioned the special collaborative efforts of the SSNDs and the Redemptorists, dating back to their support from St. John Neumann, also a Redemptorist.
Sister Carla introduced Provincial Councilor Sister Mary Delbert Weisensel, SSND, of the Dallas Province. Sister Addie Lorraine Walker, SSND, provincial, and Sister Maria Elena Ferrer, provincial councilor, could not be present because they were attending celebrations in New Orleans and Amarillo.
SSND members from San Antonio and Austin were asked to stand and were given a hearty round of applause.
The celebration continued at the university’s student center. A Power Point presentation gave a brief outline of SSND involvement in numerous diverse ministries. With a sterling reputation as educators and known for producing leaders in education, the sisters also have responded to needs in health care, pastoral ministry, spiritual development and social services. The sisters serve in 20 of the 50 states in this country. In addition, their ministry extends to the Honduras, Puerto Rico, Africa (Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria), Nepal, Korea and Japan.
Although the original congregation was founded in 1597 by Mother Alix le Clerc and St. Peter Fourier at Mattaincourt, France, it was suppressed in the wake of the French Revolution. In 1809, Bishop Michael Wittmann of Bavaria, Germany, would set plans into motion to re-establish the congregation.
In 1833, Blessed Mother Mary Theresa of Jesus Gerhardinger founded the first Motherhouse of the School Sisters of Notre Dame. She was a pioneer on many fronts. She founded a religious order at a time when most religious congregations were governed by men. She wanted to bring about positive changes, especially in the quality of life for women and children. Mother Theresa came to America with five sisters in 1847 to educate German immigrant children. With the assistance of St. John Neumann, the sisters founded the first American Motherhouse in Baltimore. St. John Neumann then provided them with teaching assignments in Redemptorist parish schools in Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Buffalo, New York and Philadelphia.
Sister Mary Delbert remarked that Sister Mary Theresa of Jesus wanted to change society through education. Her dream is still alive. It is as vital today as it was 175 years ago. Sister Mary Delbert added, “We work to serve, to enable, empower people through education to reach their potential, to be the best people they can be.” Mother Mary Theresa of Jesus Gerhardinger, who was born in 1797 and died in 1879, was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 1985.
Mother Caroline Friess arrived in St. Louis in 1858 to begin the first SSND mission in the archdiocese at St. Joseph School. As a testimony to the mutual respect and cooperation shared by the sisters from the days they first arrived in America with the Redemptorists, Mother Caroline would refer to Bishop Neumann as “the Father of the congregation in North America.”
Mother Caroline also founded St. Mary’s School, in a Redemptorist parish, in New Orleans, the first mission in the southern part of the United States. The Catholic population in Texas was expanding rapidly so that, in 1874, land west of the Colorado River became the Diocese of San Antonio de Bexar. Among the new teaching communities invited to Texas were the School Sisters of Notre Dame who came and opened schools in Gainesville in north Texas in 1902.
The SSND religious congregation came to San Antonio in 1912. In his welcoming letter of May 27, 1912, Bishop John Shaw wrote, “The diocese is growing so rapidly that, although we have already large and flourishing communities, the demand for Sisters is so great…there is room for another large Community…I would be especially pleased if I could induce you all to be that Community…”
Their first educational foundation was at St. Gerard Elementary School in 1912 followed by the establishment of St. Gerard High School in 1927. Sister Mary Delbert shared a little of her research on the SSND’s first day of school at St. Gerard Elementary School. On Sept. 5, 1912, the sisters opened the doors to admit 37 children. A year later, the ranks swelled to 102 students, increasing to 119 students in 1914.
“Much grace has come from God through the work of the Sisters of Notre Dame,” wrote Father Donald B. Conner, pastor of St. Gerard Church in 1961. “They did indeed take the children of this parish and ‘make them grow’ as did the Holy Child of Nazareth…” Religious vocations flourished from the St. Gerard community.
One of the parish’s children became Mother Georgianne Segner, SSND, who entered the congregation in 1933 and was elected the first Provincial Superior of the Dallas Province.
Since the sisters’ arrival 96 years ago, nearly 300 (and still counting) School Sisters of Notre Dame have ministered in San Antonio. The SSND presence still is maintained in various ministries in the archdiocese including at the Initial Formation Community (which opened in 1996) at St. Joseph South San, and at St. Gerard High School where Sister Julie Brady, SSND, is on the faculty.