SSND In the News – 2011
June 13, 2011 – Sisters Inaugurate New Province
The first leadership team of the Central Pacific Province is installed. Front row, from left: Sisters Susan Jordan, Marjorie Klein, Dianne Perry and Carol Ann Prenger. Back row, from left: Sisters Kathryn Frank Joan DiProspere, Mary Anne Owens (provincial leader), María Elena Ferrer-López and Helen Jane Jaeb. Looking on (far left) is Sister Mary Maher, general superior of the School Sisters of Notre Dame, who came from Rome to officiate at the inauguration and installation ceremony.
ELM GROVE, Wis. — The School Sisters of Notre Dame inaugurated the Central Pacific Province and installed its first leadership team at Notre Dame of Elm Grove (NDEG) on June 12, 2011. Present for this historic event were 230 School Sisters of Notre Dame (SSND) representing the 1,100 sisters from the merged provinces based in the cities of Dallas, Texas; Mankato, Minn.; Milwaukee, Wis.; and St. Louis, Mo.
Sister Mary Anne Owens, SSND, of Dallas was installed as provincial leader. The eight provincial councilors are Sisters Joan DiProspere, St. Louis; María Elena Ferrer-López, Dallas; Kathryn Frank, West Palm Beach, Fla.; Helen Jane Jaeb, Mankato; Susan Jordan, St. Louis; Marjorie Klein, Mankato; Dianne Perry, Mankato; and Carol Ann Prenger, Kennett, Mo.
"This new province is a unique opportunity for us to extend the gifts, talents and dedication of our sisters to further our ministries of transformative education for all, especially the poor and marginalized of our society," said Sister Mary Anne Owens.
Significantly, the beginning of the new province took place on the feast of Pentecost – the day that marks the birth of the Christian church by the power of the Holy Spirit. Rev. Michael Crosby, OFM Cap, internationally known speaker and award-winning writer, celebrated Mass with the sisters in the Holy Family Chapel on the NDEG campus.
Additional campus celebrations to welcome the new council will be held during the month of June for all the sisters of the Central Pacific Province, as well as, associates, staff, family and friends of SSND. These special gatherings will be held at NDEG, Elm Grove; St. Mary of the Pines, Chatawa, Miss.; Notre Dame of Dallas; Our Lady of Good Counsel, Mankato; and Sancta Maria in Ripa, St. Louis.
The "Central Pacific Province" is a reference to the central United States geographic location of the current campuses, the SSND ministries in the Midwest, South and Pacific coast areas, and the sisters in Japan and Guam.
This new SSND province is one of 15 units throughout the world; School Sisters of Notre Dame presently serve in 35 countries. The other provinces in North America are the Atlantic-Midwest Province and the Canadian Province.
School Sisters of Notre Dame have been in the United States since 1847, serving in Milwaukee since 1850, New Orleans (Dallas Province) since 1856, St. Louis since 1858 and Mankato since 1865. Together, the sisters continue sharing their commitment to transform the world through education in various settings, including classrooms for all levels of education, parishes, healthcare facilities, prisons and social service organizations.
The Central Pacific Province has launched and is developing a new website at www.ssndcentralpacific.org.
The first leadership team of the Central Pacific Province is installed. Front row, from left: Sisters Susan Jordan, Marjorie Klein, Dianne Perry and Carol Ann Prenger. Back row, from left: Sisters Kathryn Frank Joan DiProspere, Mary Anne Owens (provincial leader), María Elena Ferrer-López and Helen Jane Jaeb. Looking on (far left) is Sister Mary Maher, general superior of the School Sisters of Notre Dame, who came from Rome to officiate at the inauguration and installation ceremony.
For more information, contact the central office of the School Sisters of Notre Dame of the Central Pacific Province, 314-561-4100 or info@ssndcp.org.
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