sisters of notre dame celebrate 150 years
This Sunday afternoon at 1 pm, the Sisters of Notre Dame will celebrate their 150th anniversary in the United States. The Mass will be here at Mother of God.
The sisters arrived in the New York on July 4, 1874. They believed that the holiday fireworks that they saw that evening was a special welcome for them and for all immigrants. They were making their way to Cleveland. Covington Bishop Augustus Toebbe’s sister was a member of the Cleveland order where they settled, and he invited them to come to Covington to serve the German immigrants here. They took control of Mother of God Girls School. Later, in 1876, they opened Notre Dame Academy on Fifth Street, about a block from Mother of God Church. That school proudly serves young women here in Northern Kentucky today. In 1895 they assumed responsibility for Mother of God Boys School as well. Five Sisters of Notre Dame, plus one male teacher, staffed the combined school and served 526 students. That is over 100 students per teacher. I can’t even imagine how you could make that work.
The Sisters of Notre Dame have served various parishes and institutions and schools in the Diocese of Covington throughout these 150 years. We cannot even imagine what our diocese would look like today without their ministry and their witness. Let us pray for the Sisters of Notre Dame as they celebrate their Sesquicentennial this afternoon.
The sisters arrived in the New York on July 4, 1874. They believed that the holiday fireworks that they saw that evening was a special welcome for them and for all immigrants. They were making their way to Cleveland. Covington Bishop Augustus Toebbe’s sister was a member of the Cleveland order where they settled, and he invited them to come to Covington to serve the German immigrants here. They took control of Mother of God Girls School. Later, in 1876, they opened Notre Dame Academy on Fifth Street, about a block from Mother of God Church. That school proudly serves young women here in Northern Kentucky today. In 1895 they assumed responsibility for Mother of God Boys School as well. Five Sisters of Notre Dame, plus one male teacher, staffed the combined school and served 526 students. That is over 100 students per teacher. I can’t even imagine how you could make that work.
The Sisters of Notre Dame have served various parishes and institutions and schools in the Diocese of Covington throughout these 150 years. We cannot even imagine what our diocese would look like today without their ministry and their witness. Let us pray for the Sisters of Notre Dame as they celebrate their Sesquicentennial this afternoon.