Brief History of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur in America
Introduction:
This is a timeline of the expansion of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur in the United States beginning with
the departure of the first Belgian Sisters of Notre Dame from Namur and their arrival at Cincinnati, Ohio in
1840. The information on foundations outside of the Ohio Province as it exists in 2015 does not claim to be all
inclusive. This timeline focuses on the work of the Sisters in formal education. The Sisters would accept a call
to serve in a particular area and immediately open three schools: a free school for the children of nearby
parishes who could not afford to pay tuition, a day school for students who could afford tuition, and a boarding
school for students from a distance. It was primarily the fees of the day students and boarding students that
supported the work of the Sisters in the parish schools.
At the end of the timeline are listed many of the broader works the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur in the
United States. Many of these works have been part of our history since our arrival in Cincinnati.
Timeline:
September 3, 1840 the first eight Sisters depart the Motherhouse of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur in
Namur, Belgium and head to Antwerp. Sr. Louis de Gonzague is named the Superior.
September 9, 1840 Board the Eliza Thornton, the ship that will carry them from Antwerp to New York.
September 14, 1840 favorable winds finally carry the Eliza Thornton to sea and the journey begins in earnest.
October 19, 1840 The Eliza Thornton arrives in New York. Our Sisters stay with the Sisters of Charity for
three days.
October 22, 1840 The Sisters journey to Philadelphia by boat and railway. The journey takes seven hours.
October 23-27, 1840 The Sisters journey to Pittsburgh by railway and canal boat. The journey takes 2-3 days.
October 31, 1840 The Sisters arrive in Cincinnati by steamboat via the Ohio River
January 18, 1841 The Sisters open a free school, day school and boarding school at their new home: Sixth
Street
Schools the Sisters would eventually staff in downtown Cincinnati include:
Sixth Street Academy – 1840
St. Mary Parish School – 1846
Holy Trinity Parish School – 1848
St. Philomena Parish School – 1849
St. Paul Parish School – 1850
St. Joseph Parish School – 1855
St. Augustine Parish School – 1862
St. Anthony Parish School – 1864
St. Xavier Parish School – 1866
Notre Dame Academy, Court Street – 1867
St. Ann Parish School –1867
St. Edward Parish School – 1868
St. Ludwig (St. Louis) Parish School – 1871
St. Henry Parish School – 1877
St. George Parish School – 1877
School for the Deaf –1886
St. Xavier Commercial High School – 1904
Corryville Catholic School (merger of St. George and 2 other schools at St. George site) – 1977
1844: Sisters from Namur are sent to open a school at St. Paul’s, Oregon. Sr. Loyola is the Superior.
The Mission in Oregon was transferred to California in 1851. The work of the Sisters in the west
extended to other parts of California, Washington, Oregon and Hawaii including:
San Jose, California – 1851
Portland, Oregon -- 1955
Marysville, California -- 1856
Seahurst, Washington – 1953
Santa Clara, California – 1864
Seattle, Washington – 1955
San Francisco, California – 1866
Alameda, California – 1881
Redwood City, California – 1888
SNDdeN work in Hawaii was begun by Sisters
Watsonville, California – 1899
from New England – 1946
Saratoga, California – 1905
and continued by Sisters from California
Salinas, California – 1906
Santa Barbara, California – 1906
Los Angeles, California – 1923
Notre Dame de Namur University, Belmont,
Belmont, California – 1923
California – 1923
Chico, California – 1928
Carmel, California – 1943
San Carolos, California – 1950
Millbrae, California – 1952
Campbell, California – 1953
Yuba City, California – 1955
1845: The Sisters expand to Toledo, Ohio. Sr. Louis de Gonzague is named Superior of this new foundation.
Sr. Louise replaces her as Superior in Cincinnati. The Toledo mission closes in 1849.
1848: The Sisters open a house and school in Chillicothe, Ohio. This mission would open and close three times.
The final closure is in 1891. During their years in Chillicothe, the Sisters teach in St. Mary and St. Peter Parish
Schools.
1849: The Sisters open a house and school in Dayton, Ohio. Sr. Ignatia is the Superior.
Other schools the Sisters would eventually staff in Dayton include:
Emmanuel Parish School – 1849
Holy Trinity Parish School –1861
St. Mary Parish School – 1870
Notre Dame Academy – 1886
Holy Rosary (Our Lady of the Rosary) Parish School – 1889
St. John Parish School – 1894
Holy Angels Parish School – 1902
Holy Family Parish School – 1905
St. Agnes Parish School – 1914
St. James Parish School – 1920
St. Rita Parish School – 1925
Julienne High School – 1927
Immaculate Conception Parish School – 1940
St. Helen Parish School – 1955
Ascension Parish School – 1956
Carroll High School – 1963
Chaminade-Julienne High School – 1973
1849: The Sisters open a house and begin teaching at St. Mary Parish School, Boston, Massachusetts. Sr. Louis
de Gonzague is Superior.
Multiple schools were opened in Boston and other cities in New England including:
Lowell, Massachusetts – 1852
Providence, Rhode Island – 1891
Roxbury, Massachusetts – 1854
Cranston, Rhode Island – 1954
East Boston, Massachusetts – 1859
Westport, Connecticut – 1941
South Boston, Massachusetts – 1859
New Canaan, Connecticut – 1941
Lawrence, Massachusetts – 1859
Hamden, Connecticut – 1945
Chicopee, Massachusetts – 1867
New Haven, Connecticut – 1945
Worcester, Massachusetts – 1872
Hartford, Connecticut – 1951
Cambridge, Massachusetts – 1876
New Britain, Connecticut – 1954
Springfield, Massachusetts – 1877
East Hartford, Connecticut – 1955
Salem, Massachusetts – 1878
Bridgeport, Connecticut – 1956
Lynn, Massachusetts – 1881
Exeter, New Hampshire – 1951
Somerville, Massachusetts –1881
Woburn, Massachusetts – 1884
The Sisters in New England also established
Waltham, Massachusetts – 1888
Emmanuel College, Boston, Massachusetts – 1919
Peabody, Massachusetts – 1893
Andover, Massachusetts – 1914
Hudson, Massachusetts – 1918
Dorchester, Massachusetts – 1921
Brighton, Massachusetts –1924
Tyngsboro, Massachusetts – 1927
Beverly, Massachusetts – 1927
West Newton, Massachusetts – 1927
Beverly Farms, Massachusetts – 1929
Leominster, Massachusetts – 1930
Marblehead, Massachusetts –1950
1855: The Sisters open a house in Columbus, Ohio. Sr. Mary Augusta is the Superior. Other schools the
Sisters would eventually staff in the Columbus area include:
St. Patrick Parish School – 1855
Holy Cross Parish School – 1856
St. Joseph Academy – 1875
Cathedral Parish School – 1907
St. Aloysius Parish School – 1907
St. John Parish School, Logan, Ohio – 1925
St. Augustine Parish School – 1927
St. Christopher Parish School – 1948
St. Agnes Parish School – 1957
Bishop Hartley High School – 1957
St. Paul Parish School, Westerville, Ohio – 1961
St. Mark, Lancaster, Ohio – 1962
St. Joseph Montessori School – 1976
1856: The Sisters open a house and school in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Sr. Mary Hyacinthe is the Superior.
Schools the Sisters would eventually staff in the greater Philadlephia area include:
Notre Dame Academy, West Rittenhouse Square (moved to that location in 1867) – 1856
St. Peter Claver Parish School – 1878
Gesu Parish School – 1879
Notre Dame high School, Moylan, Pennsylvania – 1926
West Catholic Girls’ High School – 1927
Little Flower High School – 1939
St. Hubert High School – 1941
Notre Dame High School, Wyncote, Pennsylvania – 1942
St. Eleanor Parish School, Collegeville, Pennsylvania – 1943
Academy of Notre Dame, Villanova, Pennsylvania – 1943
St. Bernadette Parish School, Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania – 1948
St. Maria Goretti High School – 1955
St. Albert the Great Parish School, Huntington Valley, Pennsylvania – 1964
Archbishop Ryan High School for Girls – 1966
St. Mary’s Interparochial School – 1969
1860: The Sisters open Mt. Notre Dame Academy, Reading Ohio. Sr. Mary Hyacinthe is the Superior.
Schools the Sisters would eventually staff in the greater Cincinnati area include:
Mt. Notre Dame Academy (became Mt. Notre Dame High School) – 1860
Sts. Peter and Paul Parish School, Reading, Ohio – 1863
Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Parish School – 1887
The Summit Country Day School, Walnut Hills, Cincinnati – 1890
St. James Parish School, Wyoming, Ohio –1893
St. Michael Parish School, Sharonville, Ohio – 1926
Our Lord Christ the King Parish School (Cardinal Pacelli), Cincinnati – 1927
St. Susanna Parish School, Mason, Ohio – 1948
St. Richard of Chichester Parish School, Cincinnati – 1955
St. Francis de Sales Parish School, Lebanon, Ohio – 1961
1869: The Sisters open a house and school in Hamilton, Ohio. Sr. St. John the Evangelist was the Superior.
Schools the Sisters would eventually staff in the Hamilton area include:
Notre Dame Academy (became Notre Dame High School) – 1869
St. Joseph Parish School – 1869
St. Stephen Parish School – 1869
St. Veronica Parish School –1894
St. Peter Parish School – 1895
Bishop Badin High School – 1966
1873: The Sisters open a house and an Industrial School in Washington, D.C. Sr. Lidwine is the Superior.
Other schools the Sisters would eventually staff in the Washington, D.C. area include:
St. Aloysius Parish School – 1873
Academy of Notre Dame – 1876
Trinity College (Trinity Washington University) – 1900
St. Martin Parish School – 1913
St. Stephen Parish School – 1921
St. Francis Xavier Parish School – 1939
Holy Spirit School, Washington D.C. – 1955
Lt. Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr., Institute, Washington, D.C. – 1959
1891: Sisters are sent to staff St. Mary Parish School in Liberty, Illinois.
1893: Sisters are sent to staff St. Mary Parish School, Utica, Illinois. Sr. Louise Albania was the Superior.
1895: Sisters are sent to staff St. Paul Parish School in Odell, Illinois
1922: Ohio Province is divided. Houses east of the Appalachians become the Waltham Province.
1923: Sisters are sent to staff St. Martin of Tours Parish School, Gaithersburg, Maryland. Sr. Catherine
Cornelia was Superior.
1924: Sisters are sent to staff St. Catherine of Genoa Parish School in Brooklyn, New York. Sr. Clotilda is
Superior.
Sisters also staffed:
St. Therese Parish School/Little Flower – 1940
1925: Sisters are sent to staff Ss. Joachim and Ann Parish School in Queens Village, New York. Sr. Blanche of
the Sacred Heart is Superior.
1925: Sisters are sent to staff schools in the greater Chicago, Illinois area.
The schools they will eventually staff include:
St. Alexander Parish School, Villa Park, Illinois—1925
St. Victor Parish School, Calumet City, Illinois—1926
St. Peter Canisius Parish School, Chicago, Illinois – 1926
St. Robert Bellarmine Parish School, Chicago, Illinois – 1931
Notre Dame High School, Chicago, Illinois – 1938
St. Peter Parish School, South Beloit, Illinois – 1963
St. Rita Parish School, Rockford, Illinois – 1964
1927: Sisters are sent to staff St. James Parish School, Mt. Rainer, Maryland.
1929: Sisters are sent to staff Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal Parish School, Ridgewood, New York. Sr.
Anastasia is the Superior.
1930: Sisters are sent to staff St. Joseph Parish School, Bound Brook, New Jersey. Sr. Clotilda is the Superior.
1930: Sisters are sent to staff Our Lady of Peace parish School, Fords, New Jersey. Sr. Marie Augustine is the
Superior.
1934: Waltham Province is divided. Houses north of New York become the Massachusetts Province. Houses in
New York and south become the Maryland Province with a provincial house at Ilchester, Maryland.
Schools the Sisters would eventually staff in the Maryland area include:
Trinity School, Ellicott City Maryland – 1934 (previously a boarding school and Preparatory School
were at this site)
St. Ursula Parish School, Baltimore – 1940
St. Jerome Parish School, Hyattsville, Maryland – 1943
Maryvale, Brooklandville, Maryland – 1945
St. Mary Parish School/Our Lady of Perpetual Help School, Ilchester, Maryland – 1946
Villa Julie College (Stevenson University), Stevenson, Maryland – 1947
Little Flower Parish School, Great Mills, Maryland – 1953
St. Camillus Parish School, Silver Spring, Maryland – 1954
Holy Trinity/Arthur Slade Regional Catholic School, Glen Burnie, Maryland – 1954
Our Lady of Victory Parish School, Baltimore, Maryland – 1957
Holy Trinity High School, Glen Burnie, Maryland – 1959
St. Joseph Parish School, Beltsville, Maryland – 1963
St. Philip Neri Parish School, Linthicum, Maryland – 1964
Martin Spaulding High School, Severn, Maryland – 1966
Sisters Academy, Baltimore, Maryland – 2004
1937: Sisters open Notre Dame Academy, Southern Pines, North Carolina. Sr. Helen Denise is the Superior.
Other schools the Sisters would eventually staff in North Carolina include:
Our Lady of Victory Parish School, Southern Pines – 1942
St. Anthony of Padua School, Southern Pines – 1955
Notre Dame High School, Greensboro – 1955
St. Thomas More School, Chapel Hill – 1964
1950: First Sisters are sent to Arizona.
Schools the Sisters would eventually staff in the Arizona area include:
Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish School, Glendale, Arizona – 1950
Most Holy Trinity Parish School, Phoenix, Arizona – 1953
1950: Sisters are sent to staff St. Thomas More Parish School, Decatur, Georgia. Sr. Anastasia is the Superior.
Sisters joined the staff of Pius X High School, Atlanta, Georgia – 1958
1953: Sisters are sent to staff Blessed Sacrament Parish School, Norfolk, Virginia. Sr. Helena Julia is the
Superior.
Sisters joined the staff of Norfolk Catholic High School – 1957
1955: Sisters are sent to staff St. Peter Parish School, Cheraw, South Carolina.
Sisters also staff St. Anthony Parish School, Florence – 1956
1956: Sisters are sent to staff Holy Rosary Parish School, Staten Island, New York. Sr. Helen Lawrence is the
Superior.
1958: Sisters are sent to staff St. Eugene Parish School, Detroit, Michigan.
1969: Sisters are sent to join the faculty of St. Mark High School, Wilmington, Delaware.
1989: A group of Sisters from the Maryland Province form SND Base Communities.
1990: A group of Sisters from the Maryland Province form the Chesapeake Province.
October 31, 2009: the Sisters of the Maryland Province join the Ohio Province.
Ministries – Education Broadly Conceived:
Besides teaching, administration and supervisor roles at all levels of formal education – Sisters of Notre Dame
have been involved in:
Sunday school teaching, Instruction of individuals wishing to become Catholic, Day care for children of
working mothers, Work with the blind and with the deaf, Printing books and educational materials, Writing
textbooks and other books, Religious education in Parishes, Parish administration, Peace and Justice Education,
Outreach to immigrant groups, Ministry to minority populations, English as a second language and GED
programs, Tutoring programs and reading clinics, Refugee resettlement, Pre-employment training programs,
Outreach and Emergency relief to the economically disadvantaged (food pantries, homeless shelters, etc.),
Evangelization, Prison ministry, Nursing, Chaplaincy, Nursing Home administration, Pastoral counseling,
Pastoral ministry, Youth ministry, Parish music, Liturgy planning and training, Spiritual Direction; Retreat
work, Drug/alcohol rehabilitation and treatment programs, Neighborhood development, Missionary network of
Ham Radio Operators, Working to prevent human trafficking, Building affordable housing, Lawyers, Notre
Dame Mission Volunteers/Americorps
Hearts Wide As the World:
Sisters from the United States have helped make known God’s goodness in: Brazil, China, Congo, Haiti, Italy,
Japan, Mexico, Kenya, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Peru, South Africa and Zimbabwe.
Resources used to compile this list:
Profile History of the Ohio Province: sisters of Notre Dame de Namur 1901-1970 by Sr. Agnes Immaculata
Guswiler SNDdeN
Ohio Unit Time Line
As Gold in the Furnace by Sr. Mary Fidelis, SND
American Foundations of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur by Sr. Mary Patricia Butler, SND
Women of Courage: sisters of Notre Dame de Namur Maryland Province, 1934-1984 by Sr. Mary Reilly, SND