Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur change lives by making known God’s goodness.
Throughout the world, we are committed to education. We take our stand with those living in poverty, especially women and children in the most abandoned places.
Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, Ohio Province 701 E. Columbia Avenue Cincinnati, OH 45215 513-761-7636 sndohio.org
Leadership Team: Sister Donna Wisowaty, SNDdeN, Provincial Sister Kim Dalgarn, SNDdeN Sister Kristin Matthes, SNDdeN
Cross Currents is a publication of the Mission Advancement Office, Ohio Province
Gina Huiet, Director of Mission Advancement ghuiet@ohsnd.org 513-679-8101
COVER: Sister Thérèse DelGenio, SNDdeN, presents Pope Leo with a wood ring like the ones some Sisters wear in solidarity with the people they have served in Brazil.
Pope Leo blesses the rosary of a Cincinnati man.
Sister Thérèse DelGenio, SNDdeN, presents Pope Leo with stoles, handmade by women in El Paso, Texas.
Peaceful Presence in Turbulent Times
and uncertain. Founded in 1804 by Julie Billiart and Françoise Blin de Bourdon in the aftermath of the French Revolution, the congregation took root in the ruins of a society that had torn itself apart. Churches were shuttered, people made poor had been abandoned, and institutions had collapsed. Julie and Françoise’s response was not to wait for stability before acting. Their response was the stability.
Turbulence as a catalyst for growth
From the very beginning, Julie and Françoise’s mission was both simple and radical: to make known God's goodness, and to take their stand with people made poor in the most abandoned places. After they were forced out of Amiens, they moved to Namur, rapidly founding new communities across Belgium and France. By her death in 1816, Julie had established 19 schools in five dioceses, built not in times of peace, but through ongoing turbulence.
in Europe, the Sisters were already here. They had arrived in 1840 at the request of Bishop John Purcell to educate the children of immigrants and strengthen the growing Catholic school system in the young diocese. Within months they opened the first Notre Dame schools in America — a boarding school, day school, and a free school for girls made poor.
A drumbeat of moral witness
When new waves of Irish and German immigrants arrived in Cincinnati, fleeing famine and revolution
Through their ministries of prayer, presence, care, and action, Sisters are a steady drumbeat of moral witness through an increasingly unsettled moment in our world.
Sister Meg Walsh, SNDdeN, (right) works with others in Arizona communities to advocate for policies that preserve human rights and dignity.
With active and regular advocacy, the Sisters have planted themselves at the intersection of faith and policy in ways that would have looked entirely familiar to St. Julie.
• In Cincinnati, Sisters have organized regular prayer vigils outside the ICE detention office in Blue Ash, turning a place of fear into a place of witness.
• In partnership with the Cincinnati Archdiocese Immigration Taskforce, Sisters write postcards of encouragement to the hundreds of non-criminal immigrants detained at the Butler County Jail, many of whom have no family, no language connections, and no legal representation.
• In partnership with Ignite Peace and the Interfaith Alliance, Sisters have promoted the "Choose Love, Not ICE" campaign, a public moral statement, faith-rooted and non-partisan affirming that Gospel love of neighbor, not fear, should guide our actions.
• Sisters in Texas and Arizona oppose work permit restrictions for asylum seekers and stand against deportation policies that leave people vulnerable to exploitation.
CROSS CURRENTS
to Sisters writing postcards to detainees in Butler County? Sisters today are united with St. Julie by the conviction and commitment to act for justice, not when it is safe, not when the world has settled down, but precisely when it has not.
At a Mass on Earth Day, Fr. Larry Tensi described the world as one that "feels a little heavier each week." But this is the world in which the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur have always lived. They have not waited for it to lighten before they began to work. They understood, two centuries ago and still today, that the weight of the world is exactly where they are called to stand.
• Sisters marked Laudato Si' Week (May 17–24, 2026) with its theme "From Hope to Action," by inviting the Province to register specific acts of care for creation and joining others around the globe in recognizing that the earth, like people made poor, is entrusted to our keeping.
St. Julie’s words remain the compass: "We exist only for the poor, only for the poor, absolutely only for the poor."
The challenges of the time may be different, but the poor are still here. And so are the Sisters.
The unchanging thread
What connects St. Julie Billiart helping hide persecuted priests in Cuvilly, France, to Sisters praying outside an ICE office in Blue Ash, Ohio? What connects women sailing on a ship to Ohio
for the preservation of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for many people from Haiti in the community. TPS for Haiti remains active due to a federal court order, and work permits for Haitian nationals are currently extended while litigation continues.
Sister Rebecca Trujillo, SNDdeN, (left) and friend, Regina Bajorek attend a rally in Springfield, Ohio, to advocate
Archbishop Casey Visits Sisters
Cincinnati Archbishop Robert G. Casey celebrated Mass with the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur in St. Julie Chapel on Monday, March 9. Following Mass, the Archbishop enjoyed coffee and donuts and took time to visit with each of the 20 tables of Sisters. The Sisters who are natives of Chicago, like Archbishop Casey himself, extended a special welcome! Archbishop Casey concluded his visit with a tour of the Health Center and time with the Sisters in skilled care.
Sisters Host Arizona Friends' Appreciation Mass March 1st
The Mission Advancement office hosted over a hundred friends and donors in the Phoenix, Arizona area for a Mass and special luncheon on Sunday, March 1. “It was Julie Billiart’s good friend Françoise Blin de Bourdon who made it possible for Julie to act on her vision of women religious changing lives around the world,” Gina Huiet, Director of Mission Advancement, said. “It’s the same today. Good friends are at the heart of the Sisters’ work and mission.”
Sisters and friends also volunteered at Gathering Humanity in Tempe on Saturday, February 28. Live The Good volunteers helped sort donations that help refugees and others in the area to furnish apartments.
Archbishop Robert Casey shares a laugh with Sister Lois Ann Meyer, SNDdeN, during his visit in March.
Sister Dorothy Deger, SNDdeN, (left) and Sister Meg Walsh, SNDdeN, (second from right) visit with guests at the Arizona Friends' Appreciation event in March.
Sister Rebecca Trujillo, SNDdeN, (left) alongside her sister Mardee Chavez, join volunteers at the Live The Good opportunity in Tempe, Arizona.
Sister Judi Clemens, SNDdeN, (right) caught up
Partners in Action Luncheon Surpasses Goals
The Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur welcomed over 540 attendees to their annual Partners in Action fundraising luncheon on May 13 at Xavier University’s Cintas Center. With over 150 first-time attendees, attendance at the event was 14 percent higher than last year’s event.
Led by Founding Partner Fort Washington Investment Advisors and Presenting Partner Baker Concrete Construction, our 2026 sponsorship surpassed its goal by 25 percent!
WCPO’s Tanya O’Rourke emceed the event and helped highlight several stories that illustrated the Sisters’ answers to courage. “The immense community support helped our 2026 luncheon become the most successful in the event’s 20+ year history,” Sister Donna Wisowaty, SNDdeN, Provincial, said. “The generosity of our partners help fuel our mission locally, nationally, and internationally and enable us to continue answering the call to be courageous.”
Next years Parters in Action luncheon will be May 12, 2027.
Mission Advancement Advisory Board member Louise Stakelin, a Trinity University Class of 1977 alumna, and fellow Trinity graduates. Pictured below (third from left), Louise reflected on the joy of reconnecting through the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur mission, sharing that having them all together for this special event echoed the Sisters’ beloved motto: “Oh, how good is the good God!”
with Notre Dame Mission Volunteers (NDMV) staff and friends at the Partners in Action luncheon on May 13..
Sister Thérèse DelGenio, SNDdeN, presents Pope Leo with a wood ring like the ones some Sisters wear in solidarity with the people they have served in Brazil.
A Visit with a Friend in Rome
For most of us, the chance to visit a friend is a treasured opportunity. Sister Thérèse DelGenio, SNDdeN, traveled to Rome this spring for that opportunity to visit a dear friend. For Sr. Thérèse, that friend happened to be former student, Robert Prevost, who is now Pope Leo XIV.
Sr. Thérèse traveled with friends from Chicago, including Pope Leo’s close friend Fr. John Merkelis, OSA, and former Catholic Theological Union classmates. Like Pope Leo, many of those travelers learned from Sr. Thérèse’s supervision and work in addiction recovery service programs at St. Victor Parish in Calumet City, Illinois.
Sr. Thérèse saw her friend Pope Leo twice during her trip. The first time was at the weekly Wednesday papal audience in St. Peter’s Square. Sr. Thérèse and the group from Chicago sat in the third row as a welcome to the faithful was proclaimed in several languages, just like the first Pentecost! After Pope
Leo’s homily and deliberate instructions from the Swiss Guard, the group followed Fr. John’s lead in climbing the stage stairs and embracing Pope Leo. “It was just a natural reaction to open my arms, and he reached forward and returned the hug,” Sr. Thérèse said.
The next day, Sr. Thérèse and her friends joined Pope Leo at the Curia in Rome for lunch with Augustinian seminarians, community members, and visiting bishops. Sr. Thérèse and the group from Chicago sat at the head table, and she whispered to Pope Leo, “This is surreal, having lunch with you, here in Rome.” Then Pope Leo looked at her and said, “You think this is surreal?” Tapping his heart, he added, “What about me when I wake up in the morning and realize I’m the Pope? Now that’s surreal!”
Following their meal, Sr. Thérèse had a few moments to talk to him about the SNDdeN ministry with people made poor and marginalized across the United States. She shared with him some stoles handmade by women in El Paso, Texas, and asked for a special blessing on the rosary of a Cincinnati man who recently died, leaving behind a loving and struggling family.
Sr. Thérèse also gave Pope Leo a wood ring like the ones Sisters wear in solidarity with the people they have served in Brazil.
Sr. Thérèse also gave him a small paper gift bag holding over 80 notes of support from the Congregational Leadership Team, the Sisters and staff at Mount Notre Dame, Religious of the Good Shepherd living at Mount Notre Dame, and parishioners of St. Joseph Parish. “I suggested that he read one a night before going to bed to warm his heart,” Sr. Thérèse said, “but he eagerly read them all in two days!”
I asked him what we can do to support him...and he said, ‘Pray.’ - Sr. Thérèse “ ”
The Hallmarks and the Heart of Coaching
On Sunday, February 22, coaches and athletic department staff from the four regional Ohio Province schools—Badin High School, Chaminade Julienne Catholic High School, Mount Notre Dame High School, and The Summit Country Day School—came together to learn about The Hallmarks of a Notre Dame de Namur Learning Community and how they can be integrated into athletic programs and team culture.
said. “Coaches explored and shared how The Hallmarks might be integrated into coaching decisions to enhance students-athletes’ experiences."
“We talked about the basics of our shared Notre Dame mission and deepened our understanding of the Hallmarks personally and professionally,” Director of Mission Integration, Donna Groene,
JUSTICE & PEACE
Tea and Typing
On the first Friday of each month, Sisters at Mount Notre Dame gather for a special kind of tea party. Teresa Phillips, Justice, Peace and Care of Creation (JPCC) Director, organizes Legislative Teas where Sisters write letters to their congressional representatives and local newspaper editors.
In the past few months, the letters have been focused on justice issues like immigration raids, detention centers, local school district issues, the
Sr. Rose Ann Fleming, SNDdeN, Special Assistant to Athletics, Xavier University, welcomed coaches and administrators. “In my experience, many of the students I have advised at the college level will give major credit to their coach in high school who kept them going,” she said. “There is a tremendous opportunity for the development of the human being through sport.”
Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur Nancy Wellmeier, Margaret Shawn Scanlan, and Judi Clemens compose letters to representatives and editors at the monthly Legislative Teas
death penalty, and roads and public transportation. Some of these letters have elicited a response, and two letters to the editor have been published in the Cincinnati Enquirer.
Sister Rose Ann Fleming, SNDdeN, opened The Hallmarks and the Heart of Coaching workshop that brought together coaches from Badin, Chaminade Julienne, Mount Notre Dame, and The Summit Country Day schools.
VOCATIONS
Carla Vasconswelos, SNDdeN, from Brazil attended the International Safeguarding Meeting in Rome with Sister Stephanie.
SNDdeN from Five Continents Gather in Rome to Shape Formation Ministry
From March 23 to April 1, Sisters working in vocation and formation ministries across the Congregation traveled to Rome for a significant moment of collaboration, discernment, and hope. Rooted in the spirit of St. Julie Billiart and Françoise Blin de Bourdon, the meeting brought together diverse voices to reflect on the future of formation and the responsibility entrusted to those who accompany the newer members of the Congregation.
Formators discussed how the Sisters’ approach to welcoming new members functions across different countries and cultures. While values and charism remain constant, participants discussed a scarcity in trained mentors and the language barriers that make sharing resources difficult. At the same time, Formators recognized the opportunities for stronger collaboration and shared responsibility among provinces across the SNDdeN world.
One of the workshops explored the ethical use of psychological tools, emphasizing that assessment must support discernment and pastoral guidance rather than replace it. According to Sister Stephanie Thompson, SNDdeN, Director of Vocations for the Ohio Province, these are tools that Formators can use to help individuals grow at each stage of discernment. “A holistic candidate evaluation with a pastoral emphasis can help guide a person on how to best use her gifts and talents to serve God,” Sr. Stephanie said.
Woven through these conversations was a broader commitment to safeguarding and ensuring that everyone in the formation process is protected. Formators left Rome with a clearer picture of how their work fits into something larger than any one province as well as a renewed commitment to carefully guide those aspiring to enter religious life.
Sister
Sister Stephanie Thompson (left), join fellow Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur from Kenya, Praxides Awino and Mary Akinyi, for a Seder Meal during Holy Week.
MND Graduates Earn SNDdeN Global Scholar Diploma Seal
By Elaine Skeldon, Director of Marketing and Communications Mount Notre Dame High School
Mount Notre Dame High School awarded its inaugural recipients of the SNDdeN Global Scholar Diploma Seal at graduation in May. As the first students to earn this distinction at Mount Notre Dame, these young women are helping establish a meaningful tradition rooted in global understanding, leadership, faith, and service. Through their academic experiences, service projects, global engagement, and Global Competency Portfolio, these students reflected deeply on how they have grown in their understanding of other cultures, global issues, and their role in promoting dignity, justice, and solidarity.
This diploma seal recognizes students who have intentionally connected their academic work, faith, and real-world experiences in a way that reflects the mission and Hallmarks of a Notre Dame Learning Community.
Their portfolios beautifully capture what it means to live out those Hallmarks each day. Principal Karen Day shared, “This seal reflects the intentional choices our students make to engage the world with curiosity and purpose. We are proud to see them grow into empowered leaders who will make a meaningful difference in a global community.”
Sister Rita Sturwold, SNDdeN, former President of Mount Notre Dame High School, enthusiastically congratulated the students for earning this distinction as an SNDdeN Global Scholar. “By completing the requirements and reflecting on their experience, these young women are also living out the advice St. Julie Billiart gave to the Sisters many years ago—'You must have hearts as wide as the world.’ May these Global Scholars continue to expand their horizons and, with faith and courage, make a difference in our world,” Sr. Rita said.
Sister Rita Sturwold, SNDdeN, joins Mr. Ben Hunt, Assistant Principal for Academics at Mount Notre Dame High School, in congratulating the first group of students to earn the SNDdeN Global Scholar Diploma Seal.
Trinity School Celebrates Earth Day Through Action
Through intentional classroom lessons, school-wide initiatives, and daily reflections, Students at Trinity School in Ellicott City, Maryland, deepened their understanding of environmental responsibility, conservation, and justice for all people.
Throughout the month of April, the school’s Environmental Committee thoughtfully provided resources, activities, and opportunities for students K-8 to engage with these themes. Morning announcements and classroom instruction reinforced the importance of caring for God’s creation, culminating in a joyful and meaningful Earth Day celebration on, Wednesday, April 22.
One of the highlights of the month was the school’s participation in the Beyond Plastics Initiative. Students in grades 3–8 wrote an impressive 171 letters to major corporations, advocating for reduced plastic use. The youngest learners also contributed by creating drawings that expressed their care for the environment. These efforts demonstrated the power of student voice and the importance of advocacy in promoting justice and responsible stewardship.
Another impactful experience was the K–8 Water Walk, drawing from the SNDdeN Clean Water for Life program, which helped students better understand the many people who have no access to clean water. Students
walked a route through campus, collecting water along the way and engaging in a hands-on experience that fostered empathy and awareness. Together, they completed 825 laps—equivalent to 206.25 miles.
“The experiences helped our community remain grounded in the inspiring witness of Sister Dorothy Stang,” Marguerite Conley, Head of Trinity School, said. “Sr. Dorothy’s legacy reminds us that caring for creation is not only an environmental responsibility, but also a profound expression of faith, justice, and love.”
Young students at Trinity School in Ellicott, Maryland, participate in the Water Walk tradition.
Students from Trinity School in Ellicott City, Maryland, participate in a Water Walk to foster empathy and awareness of those who struggle with having clean water.
Students and School Staff Honored With Spirit of Sister Dorothy Stang Awards
Each spring, the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur give The Spirit of Sister Dorothy Stang Awards to staff and graduating seniors in the Catholic high schools and parish youth ministry programs in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. The awards are granted in collaboration with the Archdiocesan Offices of Mission, Social Action, Youth and Young Adult Ministry and Evangelization and Catechesis.
The award helps to keep alive the memory of Sister Dorothy Stang and her solidarity with the poor, her care for the earth and her love for Jesus’ mission. The awards honor school staff and graduating high school seniors who exemplify the values of Sr. Dorothy through their social justice ministry, service work, and teaching.
Sr. Dorothy’s legacy reminds us that caring for creation is not only an environmental responsibility, but also a profound expression of faith, justice, and love.
- Marguerite Conley, Head of Trinity School
Spring 2026 Spirit of Sister Dorothy Stang Recipients:
Allathea Ackroyd
Catholic Central High School Springfield, Ohio
Patrick Burns
Chaminade Julienne Catholic High School Dayton, OH
Patrick Cavanaugh
St. Xavier High School Cincinnati, OH
Pedro Contreras
Badin High School Hamilton, OH
Meghana Curran
The Summit Country Day School Cincinnati, OH
Heather Dunn
Archbishop Alter High School Dayton, OH
Claire Farwig Ursuline Academy Cincinnati, OH
Melanie Heldman
Mount Notre Dame High School Cincinnati, OH
Josh Nienaber
Roger Bacon High School Cincinnati, OH
Camille Roman
Saint Ursula Academy Cincinnati, OH
Sister Rita Sturwold, SNDdeN, presents a Spirit of Dorothy Stang award to Meghana Curran at The Summit Country Day School.
Sister Rita Sturwold, SNDdeN, and Sister Marie Romejko, SNDdeN, present a Spirit of Dorothy Stang award to staff member Pedro Contreras at Badin High School.
“God is in the mix somehow,” says Michelle Kiigi, the most recent addition to the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur Mission Advancement Advisory Board. “Things don’t happen by coincidence,” Michelle says.
This sentiment certainly seems true in her own life. As a young woman, she worked in banking in Nairobi, managing accounts for religious congregations in her native Kenya. She had no reason to believe she would live anywhere outside her own country, until, in 2012, she won entry into the United States
through the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program, known as the Green Card Lottery. Her win was by chance. Or maybe, with ‘God in the mix,’ it wasn’t. Regardless, it changed her life.
With her daughters she crossed the ocean, settling in Cincinnati. Today, she works to foster relationships among people committed to faithbased education for children who otherwise might continue in a cycle of poverty as Donor Relations Manager for Cincinnati’s Catholic Inner-City Schools Education Fund (CISE).
But Kenya, too, remains close to her heart.
Michelle’s daughters, now 18 and
16, attend Mount Notre Dame High School and Saint Ursula Academy, respectively. Both are thriving, but their entry into the world was not easy. Michelle had difficult pregnancies. In part because of health insurance provided by her Nairobi employer, the births were successful.
But for the majority of Kenyan women, especially in rural areas, such insurance isn’t available.
This isn’t lost on Michelle.
Five years after her arrival in Cincinnati, she founded Kilazo Kizuri, which in Swahili means ‘A Good Bed’. Kilazo Kizuri provides necessities for new mothers in rural Kenya, including foam mattresses and mosquito
Michelle Kiigi and Sister Geri Bolzan, SNDdeN, enjoy the Parters in Action luncheon on May 13.
nets. It also works to prevent teen pregnancies; to educate about HIV/AIDS; and to promote small, income-producing occupations as alternatives to prostitution.
Michelle has also taken an interest in Bishop Korir Memorial Secondary School, run by the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur in Kenya’s Rift Valley. The school educates children who are deaf and/or living with other disabilities, disabilities that in some cases might have been prevented through prenatal medical care.
“In Kenya, in many places in Africa, when you have a child with special needs, it’s almost seen as a taboo,” says Michelle.
For the Sisters to open that school, it’s powerful. It’s going where the need is, where the calling is. “ ”
When Michelle was young she and her father often visited her great aunt, who was a religious Sister. Her aunt ministered in a clinic for people who were made poor.
“It’s where my eyes were opened in terms of religious life,” says Michelle.
Then, in the Nairobi bank, she was able to see the impact of religious congregations, particularly in the area of education.
And it’s education, whether among young women in Kenya, or among children with special needs, or among boys and girls in America wanting to break free from poverty – that has become central to Michelle’s life. It’s the driving force of her work with CISE; and now, in the worldwide congregation of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur through her involvement with the Ohio Province’s Mission Advancement Advisory Board..
CROSS CURRENTS
2026 Milestone Anniversaries for St. Julie
210th anniversary of her death in Namur (April 8, 1816)
120th anniversary of her beatification in Rome (May 13, 1906)
275th anniversary of the birth of Saint Julie in Cuvilly (July 12, 1751)
Michelle Kiigi (center) visited Sisters Everlyne Nekosa Oguba (left) and Masheti Wangoyi (right), SNDdeN, Kenyan Province Team this spring
Saint Julie Billiart
WE WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER
We pray for our deceased Sisters and remember with gratitude their lives of dedication. For complete memorials, please visit sndohio.org.
SISTER PATRICIA KNOPP, SNDdeN
May 6, 1936 - July 12, 2025
SNDdeN for 71 years
Sister Patricia Knopp entered the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur in 1954, inspired by her SNDdeN teachers at Julienne High School in Dayton. After eleven years teaching speech and language arts in schools, Sr. Patricia pursued a master's degree in religious education that led to publishing Catholic, communications, and adult religious formation. She served as Managing Editor at Claretian Publications in Chicago, coauthoring and editing religious education materials, and later as Director of Public Relations at Chaminade Julienne High School. In 1988, Sr. Patricia began developing communication standards and publications for the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur itself, editing the congregation's revised constitutions, founding and editing the congregation-wide newsletter, and assisting with other communication tasks for the Congregation. She helped establish the National Communicators Network for Women Religious, whose work continues today in collaboration with the Leadership Conference of Women Religious. A devoted and tireless servant of SNDdeN’s global mission, Sr. Patricia brought her gifts of writing, justice, and conviction to every ministry she undertook.
SISTER BERNICE WEILBACHER, SNDdeN
August 31, 1925 – July 23, 2025
SNDdeN for 74 years
Sister Bernice Weilbacher entered the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur in 1951 after delaying her entrance to help support her family. Sr. Bernice used her exceptional musical talent to build choral programs and shape music education in SNDdeN academies and high schools for 22 years. She believed deeply that teaching music was a pathway for students to experience God in the beauty of sound. After a year-long intensive study of earth science and biology, Sr. Bernice began teaching middle school science and religion. She earned a Certificate in Theology at the Jesuit School of Theology in Berkeley, and served as Co-Director of Religious Education in the small mining town of San Manuel, Arizona, where she and another Sister of Notre Dame de Namur ministered faithfully to a rural parish community. Sr. Bernice remained an active and grateful presence in the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur community, playing violin at community liturgies, organizing celebrations at the Mount Notre Dame Health Center, and walking the grounds daily before passing to new life nearly a month shy of her 100th birthday.
SISTER PHYLLIS ANGERER, SNDdeN
July 17, 1929 – August 24, 2025
SNDdeN for 78 years
Sister Phyllis Angerer entered the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur shortly after graduating from Julienne High School in Dayton in 1947, drawn by the Sisters' spirit of simplicity and charity. After fifteen years of dedicated teaching in Ohio and Michigan, her ministry took a transformative turn when her work with the sick and elderly awakened her to their urgent, underserved needs. Returning to Cincinnati, Sr. Phyllis served as Director of Spiritual Services and then as Administrator at Clifton Care Center. She adopted a philosophy of nursing home care that blended a home-like atmosphere with quality professional nursing. In 1987, Sr. Phyllis brought that same vision to the Mount Notre Dame Health Center, where she expanded skilled care capacity, enriched programming for the Sisters' physical and mental well-being, and provided invaluable wisdom during the planning and construction of the new facility in 1999-2000. Sr. Phyllis then managed the Mount Notre Dame Gift Shop whose proceeds supported Province needs and the Clean Water Project for Sisters in Africa. Sr. Phyllis leaves a legacy of warmth, administrative excellence, and a welcoming presence that made God's goodness known to all who encountered her.
SISTER BARBARA FIAND, SNDdeN
January 16, 1940 – December 30, 2025
SNDdeN for 45 years
Sister Barbara Fiand's journey to the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur began with an extraordinary life. She was born in Java during World War II, surviving internment and displacement across Indonesia, Japan, and Germany before her family settled in Montreal. Sr. Barbara felt a deep, persistent call to religious life that led her first to the Sisters of St. Anne of Quebec in 1958 and ultimately, after years of teaching and doctoral study, to the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur in Cincinnati in 1980. A philosopher, theologian, and prolific author of twelve published books, Sr. Barbara built a distinguished academic career teaching seminarians and lay ministers at the Athenaeum of Ohio for 17 years. She also taught classes at Xavier University, the University of Dayton, and Loyola University Chicago and served as a Research Professor of Spirituality at Loyola's Institute of Pastoral Studies and adjunct faculty at the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago. Sr. Barbara led retreats and workshops and made presentations across the United States and in
workshops and made presentations across the United States and in Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, and beyond, earning praise from retreatants as "prophetic," "a breath of fresh air," and a teacher who "affirmed and liberated" through her courageous wisdom. A woman of profound faith and joyful humanity Sr. Barbara loved singing, whittling, and walking in nature. According to her nephew, she was “a force to be reckoned with and loved at the same time.”
SISTER PAULA LASCHENSKI, SNDdeN
July 4, 1928 – January 18, 2026
SNDdeN for 79 years
Sister Paula Laschenski entered the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur in 1946, inspired by the Sisters who taught her at Notre Dame High School in Moylan, Pennsylvania. After earning her degree from Trinity College, Sr. Paula began a teaching career spanning more than two decades in parish schools across New York, Maryland, and Washington, D.C. Following Vatican II, Sr. Paula embarked on a second chapter of ministry, earning a master’s degree in audio-visual production from Indiana University. She directed her work toward documenting migrant farm workers, producing television programming, and advocating for the poor, eventually serving as editor and designer for the Tri-Province Development Office’s Publication, Encounter. Sr. Paula used her art and communications expertise to advance the congregation's ministries throughout her life, maintaining a Fine Art America website to generate income for SNDdeN causes, designing a tribute calendar honoring martyred Sister Dorothy Stang, and remaining, to the end, a woman of deep faith, gentle spirit, and boundless wonder at the beauty of God's creation.
SISTER MARY LOU STOFFEL, SNDdeN
March 12, 1935 – February 16, 2026
SNDdeN for 72 years
Sister Mary Lou Stoffel entered the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur in 1953 after her teachers at Notre Dame High School in Chicago inspired her with their example that "Catholic education is the greatest work on earth." That conviction fueled Sr. Mary Lou’s 37-year tenure as principal in Catholic elementary schools across Ohio and Chicago, where she also served as a mentor to teachers, new principals, seminarians, and pastors alike. Sr. Mary Lou served on the Province Finance Committee, the Provincial Assembly, and as an Area Contact for Chicago-area Sisters, while also pouring herself into her local community through cooking, shopping, planning celebrations, and genuinely caring for each Sister around her. Even after relocating to Mount Notre Dame in 2017, she continued driving Sisters to appointments, volunteering with high school students in the Adopt-a-Sister Program, and cheering on her beloved Chicago Cubs. Sr. Mary Lou leaves a legacy of faithful service, love for people, and joyful devotion to God and the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur.
SISTER JOAN MAUREEN URBAN, SNDdeN
August 20, 1940 – March 21, 2026
SNDdeN for 67 years
Sister Joan Maureen Urban entered the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur in 1958, drawn by the genuine care she witnessed her SNDdeN teachers show each student at St. Maria Goretti High School in Philadelphia where she was proud to be part of the school's first graduating class. After earning her bachelor's degree from Trinity College, she devoted decades teaching in Catholic schools across Maryland, Virginia, Washington D.C., and Pennsylvania, excelling especially in the primary grades. Sensing a need for a new direction, Sr. Joan turned to healthcare and pastoral ministry, remaining actively engaged in prayer and community life until her death this past March. As a Sister of Notre Dame de Namur, Joan embodied the congregation's mission of compassionate service, touching countless lives as a teacher, chaplain, and devoted friend, guided by the belief that "we're all just walking each other home."
SISTER JANE FUNCH, SNDdeN
January 22, 1931 – May 10, 2026
SNDdeN for 76 years
Sister Jane Funch entered the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur in 1949 at age 18, inspired by the joy she discovered volunteering with the Sisters in teaching children at an inner-city school. Her work in education spanned an extraordinary 42-year ministry in Catholic elementary schools in Dayton and Columbus. She taught nearly every grade level and served as principal at multiple schools and was known for her warmth and genuine investment in each student's future. Sr. Jane courageously oversaw school closures and pioneered newly consolidated schools serving diverse populations — work so impactful that the Municipality of Riverside, Ohio, declared May 24, 1994, "Sister Jane Funch Day." When she concluded her ministry in schools, she returned to Cincinnati where she continued serving her congregation as community treasurer, Province Internet Coordinator, and committed participant in Notre Dame committees, remaining faithful to the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur's mission of education and care for those most in need.
Read beautiful memorials prepared by the Sisters by visiting: sndohio.org
