SSND History & Charism
Today, while many of us are teachers, we don't all work in the classroom. Our mission is to educate others in all we do while spreading Jesus' message of love and unity throughout the world. We are facilitators of change and personal transformation especially to those who are poor. We invite you to partner with us in our mission.
Political and social strife mixed with poverty plagued early 19th century Bavaria, a region state of Germany. Many children, both with and without parents, did not have the opportunity to gain an education that would help them better their lives. And, if any formal education was available, the prevailing attitude at the time favored educating boys ahead of girls. As a result, most children, mainly girls, did not receive schooling and were destined to live their lives as illiterate adults.
A Need is Met
The congregation of the School Sisters of Notre Dame was created to address these educational needs. On October 24, 1833, Caroline Gerhardinger began living a common community life with two other women in Neunburg vorm Wald. Although she was 36 years old at the time, she had been involved in the education of girls since she was 12 when her elementary school lost its religious teachers and was closed by the government.
A Charism of Community
Destined to become our foundress, Caroline Gerhardinger (whose religious name was Mary Theresa of Jesus), with the help of the parish priest, took over the school. Father (later Bishop) Michael Wittmann became her spiritual director and through the next 21 years led her toward her life’s vision and ministry. She believed that the renewal of society depended on the Christian family, in which the mother, the first educator, had the key role. Thus, she chose the Christian education of girls as the vital service her religious community would offer. Blessed Mary Theresa of Jesus was beatified in 1985.
In contrast to established precedent and the prevailing spirit of the times, she was convinced that a woman could best understand, direct, and motivate her sisters. Accordingly, the Constitution of the School Sisters of Notre Dame, approved by Pope Pius IX in 1865, allowed Mother Theresa and her successors, rather than local bishops, to govern the congregation.
To a New Land
In 1847, Mother Theresa brought her sisters to the United States to meet the educational needs of the children of German immigrants. Although not welcomed at first, the sisters stayed and, with the help of Bishop John Neuman, CSSR, began opening schools.
A Leader in the New World
Within three years of the arrival of SSNDs in the United States, Mother Caroline Friess, at age 26, was appointed Vicar of North America and established the first official Motherhouse of the congregation in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. There was a large German immigrant population here, with serious educational needs. Like Mother Theresa, she also proved to be an ardent and talented missionary, leader, innovator, builder, and businesswoman. Through her and Mother Theresa's leadership, over 2,500 SSNDs taught and ministered in 11 European countries and the United States by Mother Theresa's death in 1879.
Mother Caroline went on to be an integral force in establishing parochial school systems in the areas served by the SSNDs in the United States and Canada. In addition to Milwaukee, Motherhouses were eventually established in Baltimore, Maryland; St. Louis, Missouri; Mankato, Minnesota; Waterdown, Ontario (Canada); Wilton, Connecticut; Dallas, Texas; and Chicago, Illinois. Within this structure the congregation grew and began missions in other parts of the world, today including Europe, Africa, Latin America, Asia, and Oceania.
Into the New Millennium
The Milwaukee province, with nearly 400 professed sisters and 75 associates, is part of the International Congregation of the School Sisters of Notre Dame, headquartered in Rome. The entire congregation is made up of about 3,500 sisters who live and minister in Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, North America and Oceania — a total of 36 countries.
For more detailed information on SSND History including profiles of Mother Theresa of Jesus Gerhardinger and Mother Caroline Friess, please visit www.ssnd.org and www.gerhardinger.org
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