Congratulations to Sister Lee Anne Farrell, the vice president of women's services of Guest House, for receiving the Sr. Ignatia Gavin Award from the National Catholic Council on Alcoholism and Related Drug Problems and from Guest House. This award is presented annually to a woman religious in recognition of her outstanding dedication and commitment to the field of addiction treatment and recovery.

Congratulations to Sister Jean Dietrich, principal of Helias Interparish High School, who received the 2008 Educator of the Year Award from the Missouri Governor's Council on Disability. The council noted "Sister Jean has been instrumental in providing an inclusive school environment at Helias Interparish High School for several students with disabilities. She provides the support or accommodations to students with disabilities to be as independent as possible."

Dr. Geraldine M. Rohling, who arranged and conducted our October 24 anniversary concert at the Sheldon Concert Hall, was honored by Assumption Parish in St. Louis as their Distinguished Graduate for Catholic Schools Week in January.

Sisters Josephine Niemann, Frances Ann Eveler and Regina Kabayama are working on a charity project for the Thimble and Thread Quilt Guild of Greater St. Louis. The members are making twin bed quilts for COPPROME, an organization begun by Sister Teresita Gonzalez, SSND, to shelter, educate and nourish the street children of El Progreso, Honduras. The Quilt Guild hopes to make a quilt for each of the 52 children from infancy to18. Each quilt will be unique, in styles such as nine-patch, stack-and-whack, log-cabin, embroidered red work and bow-tie. Some of these quilts will be displayed at the T & T Quilt Expo 2009 at Queeny Park in Ballwin, Mo., March 20-22, 2009. For more information, visit www.thimbleandthread.zampire.net.

The St. Louis Review featured a parish vocation day visit to the
St. Louis motherhouse by St. Joseph School in Farmington, Mo.

An extensive profile of Sister Barbara Brunsmann was featured in the vocations awareness week issue of the St. Louis Review.

Sister Judy Herold also was featured in a vocations awareness week article in The Catholic Messenger for the Diocese of Davenport, Iowa.

Sister Joyce Engle was part of a story about Progressive Education Program Inc. (PEPI) in The Daily Iberian in New Iberia, La.

Sister Margaret Ellen Buscher was one of six women religious featured in a jubilee article in The Mirror, for the Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau, Mo.

Congratulations to Sister Raquél Ortez who became a U.S. citizen at a naturalization ceremony on December 19! We celebrate with Raquél…and ask ourselves how many of us would pass the citizenship test! Well done, Raquél!

Sister Anne Miriam Landolt was a guest presenter at the 2008 Diocesan Catholic Stewardship Conference for the Diocese of St. Petersburg. She presented a workshop on Comunidades de Base and a fireside chat on Corresponsibilidad.

On December 9, Sisters Mildred Glosemeyer and Dorothy Venhaus performed in the chorus for the Holiday Concert of the department of music for the University of Missouri-St. Louis College of Fine Arts and Communications.

Sister Celine Schumacher took more than 100 Notre Dame High School students to the International Science Festival at the St. Louis Science Center, where she also was a teacher demonstrator. Her demonstration was "Grocery Bag Balance," illustrating some of the properties of carbon dioxide.

Thank you to the Catholic Missourian from the Diocese of Jefferson City for prominently featuring SSNDs in its newspaper. Recently Sisters Kathleen Wegman and Francine Rathouz were profiled in a column featuring diocesan personnel. A full-page article about Sister Mildred Glosemeyer serving for almost two decades in the diocese ran in the November 14 issue. And the anniversary Mass celebrated in Jefferson City on October 26 was highly publicized, including a lengthy article with photos.

A profile of Sister Germanus Bauer was published in the September 19 issue of the Catholic Missourian, the diocesan paper for Jefferson City. The headline read, "For Sr. 'Geri' Bauer SSND, it's always time for prayer."

Sister Judith Best had an article about Mother Theresa of Jesus Gerhardinger published in the Inside the Vatican magazine, August/September 2008.

Sister Genevieve Cassani was invited to give the communion reflection at the 175th Anniversary Mass at Villa Notre Dame in Wilton, Conn., on October 24, 2008. 

Sister Frances Ann Eveler was featured in a newsletter reflection written by a parishioner from Immaculate Conception Church in Jefferson City, Mo., titled "A Little Dose of Family and Faith – The Four R's: Learning about Reading, wRiting, 'Rithmatic and Race."

Sister Anne Francioni was one of five honorees at the Women of the Well 2008 Leadership Luncheon on October 8 in St. Louis. The Women of the Well is a group of small agencies that provides support for the underserved, especially women and children. Sister Anne is the executive director of Whole Kids Outreach, a faith-based program that serves pregnant women and families with young children through visiting nurses and lay workers. The goal is to empower women so that they can become better moms and raise healthy children.

Congratulations to Sister Leonette Juengst who was recently a 2008 Spiritual Guide award recipient. “A Spiritual Guide has a strong faith that has been learned through the days and years of opening her heart and hands to God. She guides others in prayer and accompanies others along their faith journeys.” Her parish, Queen of All Saints, nominated her for this award that is sponsored by the St. Louis Archdiocesan Commission on Human Rights.

Sister Grace Marie Mueller, who is the parish life coordinator at St. Luke's Catholic Church in Belleville, Ill., was quoted and had her photo included in an article about the 125th anniversary of St. Luke's in the September 21 issue of the Belleville News Democrat.

In August 2008, Sister Mary Beth Reissen gave a presentation at the American Political Science Association Annual Meeting in Boston, Mass.

Sister Mary Helen Stokes was part of an article in the St. Louis Review for her work with the English Tutoring Project, which is sponsored by the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, Region 10, St. Louis.

Articles about the 175th anniversary of the School Sisters of Notre Dame and 150 years since their arrival in the Archdiocese of St. Louis in the May 2, 2008, issue of the St. Louis Review:
School Sisters of Notre Dame: Transforming lives through education
School Sisters of Notre Dame: Longtime members recalling classroom experience

“Nuns Live Longer” – Learn the secrets to the longevity of the School Sisters of Notre Dame
Click here to view video of Fox 2 News report.
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