The Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur have been a part of my life since early childhood. I was taught by them for 12 years, then went on to college. I grew to admire their example and dedication to education. The Sisters' encouragement and supervision prepared me for my many careers. I myself was an SNDdeN for 22 years, (formerly Sr. Marie Timothy), and taught first grade for 23 years.
Many of the values that I live by today were planted and nurtured by the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur who taught at Madonna del Sasso School in Salinas. My family was involved in the early years of the school and parish, and we were members of the parish for nearly 50 years. Sr. Barbara Matasci served as principal for 6 of the 8 years I attended the school, and then returned as principal later when I was the parish youth minister.
The Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur have a rich history with my family. My mother was a graduate from Notre Dame Belmont back in the early 1920's, followed by my sisters, cousins, and later, my daughter. My own experience being educated by the Sisters at a mid-peninsula Catholic school was nothing short of an excellent start in life. Their devotion to faith, quality educational standards, and yes, a little occasional discipline, was perfect for me.
Mary Cea fondly recalls when she and her husband Bob met the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur. One day after Mass at the Carmelite Monastery in Carmel, Sr. Marilyn Smith invited the couple up for Mass and a soup supper at the Sisters' House of Prayer the following week. This was in 1978, and they and their three daughters had just moved to Carmel from New York City.
The Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur have been a constant blessing in my life. Their belief in the goodness of God and the giftedness of each student enriched my life in classrooms years ago. Later, as an Associate of the SNDdeNs, I became increasingly aware of other Notre Dame ministries in this country and around the world. This good work needs our support now and for the future.
Marilyn McElhaney (College of Notre Dame, Class of 1968) values the strong influence that the Sisters of Notre Dame have had on her life. She can trace that influence to her days at the College of Notre Dame when she took a sociology class from Sr. Roseanne Murphy. Sr. Roseanne's passion and joy in teaching sociology was contagious and Marilyn soon changed her major from history to social sciences. Marilyn loved her time at CND and made life-long friendships there.
Jan grew up in San Jose, and she and her late husband Joe raised their children in San Jose. Jan still lives in San Jose, where she participates in a book club, attends the opera, and enjoys dining at the many restaurants in Santana Row.
Margaret O'Shea Kennedy always felt grateful for the education she received from the Sisters at Mt. Carmel School in Redwood City and at Notre Dame Belmont (NDB). That education was quite an influence on her career, with Maggie becoming a teacher and elementary school principal. Maggie, who graduated from NDB in 1945, wanted to make a significant gift to NDB and to the retired Sisters.
Melinda Royer Bollinger has always felt "very connected to the Notre Dame family." It's no wonder she feels this way. She is a graduate of Notre Dame High School, Belmont (NDB), class of 1958, and attended the College of Notre Dame (CND) for two years. Her mother went to Notre Dame High School, San Francisco with Sr. Catherine Julie Cunningham, and her grandmother, who lived one block from Mission Dolores, ran the cafeteria there. Her grandmother told Melinda that the Sisters would always take care of her, and after Melinda's father died young, the Sisters helped keep Melinda and her sister on a good path.
"The gift of the Sisters of Notre Dame in my life did not end with my graduation in 1975. Becoming involved with the NDB alumnae and the California Federation of ND Alumnae began a whole new chapter in my life, and I have come to know many of the Sisters and other graduates of Notre Dame."
Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur U.S. East-West Province is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Our tax identification number is 04-3210469. Contact Our Development Team Belmont, CA Province Center: (650) 593-2045 Everett, MA Province Center: (617) 387-2500 ext. 2011 Development Office: development@ewsndden.org.
