Week Five - Foundress's Week

On Tuesday I had lunch with the Sisters of Notre Dame.  When the event started we had some time to get to know the other people sitting at our table, then we got lunch and ate.  After we ate everyone in the room got up and introduced themselves and then tried to win Foundress’s  Week T-shirts by answering questions about Julie Billiart and Francoise Blin de Bourdon and the history of the Sisters of Notre Dame.

            At this event I learned about the importance of teaching for the Sisters of Notre Dame.  I always knew that the order had established many schools all over the world.  I have attended two of their schools in my life: Notre Dame Elementary School in Marysville, CA, as well as Notre Dame de Namur University.  Because I never had a teacher who was a Sister at either of these schools, I didn’t realize that so many of the Sisters of Notre Dame actually taught at their institutes.  As we gave introductions of ourselves almost every Sister who stood up said that she had been a teacher and that she loved teaching and would be a teacher all her life. 

I realize know that education is one of the main missions of the Sisters of Notre Dame.  Julie Billiart dedicated her life to teaching.  Even before she began the order, she taught poor children in her village about God and the Bible.  The mission expanded from religious education to well-rounded, fully developed education.  The Sisters that I met at lunch had all taught many different subjects to all different age groups.  Sr. Roseanne taught psychology and sociology to college students and Sr. Yvonne taught elementary school children. 

Although none of the Sisters of Notre Dame taught me directly in elementary school or in college, their mission of teaching has made a huge impact on my life.  A great deal of my education has been available to me in part thanks to Julie Billiart and Francoise Blin de Bourdon and all of the other Sisters of Notre Dame who dedicated their live to establishing schools, two of which I have attended in my lifetime.  I like to think that my education in Notre Dame schools have instilled in me my value and appreciation for education and learning.