Sister Meg Walsh,
SNDdeN

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"Knowing when the mission and ministry are one."

Sister Meg Walsh was a missionary before she was a vowed member of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur. More than 15 years ago, she started teaching in northern Peru on her own and her love for the Peruvian people began immediately. Her commitment to religious life came a few years later.

After entering the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur and professing final vows in Cincinnati, Sister Meg returned to Peru. Today, she and nine other Sisters prepare sacraments for the villagers in the countryside. Each day they work as a teams and travel hours at a time to reach the people in the 120 small towns across the countryside. Sister Meg also teaches English classes to adults and children.

According to Sister Meg, the mission and the ministry are the same in Tambogrande. She explained: “St. Julie believed that each person possesses sublime dignity as an individual, and that dignity is not determined by personal or financial status. In fact, she knew well that the poor are most likely to be deprived of a sense of dignity. That is why she called her followers to a mission of preference for the poor. And because education is the essence of dignity, we are called to be educators – educators in the Catholic faith.”

Sister Jo Anne Depweg,
SNDdeN

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"Reducing high infant mortality rates with a simple solution."
Sister Jo Anne Depweg lives and works in one of the largest and poorest neighborhoods in Belem, in northern Brazil. There are no city or state schools, most of the streets are unpaved and there is no sanitary system. The growth industries are crime and drug trafficking. Good nutrition is difficult to come by for most families, and infant mortality rates are high.

Sister Jo teaches volunteers to be community leaders for an organization called “Pastoral of the Child.” Together, the group educates neighborhood women about prenatal care and childhood nutrition. A centerpiece of their work is a special protein powder that they produce and distribute. It’s made from ground up leaves, nuts, seeds, eggshells, rice shells and wheat. When it is put into milk or food, the powder is tasteless but nutritious.

Each volunteer leader works with 10 or 15 families in the city to make sure children are not malnourished. They distribute the protein powder to the families and then track the health of each child, from birth to five years.
Once a month, Sister Jo and the community leaders gather with the neighborhood mothers and their babies. It’s when the children are weighed and their health is tracked. It’s also when everyone celebrates the progress of the nutritional program, and shares in the simple joy of seeing healthy and growing children.

Sister Carol Wetli,
SNDdeN

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"Answering a call within the call."

After teaching Latin, French, Spanish and Religion, and serving in campus ministry in the U.S., Sister Carol Wetli went to Africa, where she taught Religion and English as a Third Language in the Democratic Republic of Congo. When she came back to the U.S. and began serving as a Pastoral Associate in Chicago, Sister Carol felt an unavoidable pull into a different direction. “I thought parish ministry was my call,” she said. “But I began to feel a deeper call to be with our new members in Africa. I asked, ‘God are you sure that’s where you want me?’” God was sure, and Sister Carol has been in Nigeria ever since.

Sister Carol is a member of the Nigerian Province, helping to guide women who are exploring life as a Sister of Notre Dame de Namur. With 111 professed Sisters and 11 novices, the Province is the fastest growing of all Sister of Notre Dame de Namur units in the world. Sisters serve in eight dioceses in seven states.

“In the 17 years I have lived and worked in Nigeria,” Sister Carol explained, “I have seen the province grow in wisdom, age and grace. Nigerian Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur have come of age.”

Sister Fideline Ifutu,
SNDdeN

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"Continuing a mission of education as St. Julie saw it."

Where Life is Difficult, Education is a Priority

Sister Fideline Ifutu teaches in one of seven primary schools the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur have established in the Democratic Republic of Congo. In addition to Sister Fideline, 113 Sisters serving in Congo. Another 30 young Congolese women are preparing for religious life in the country.

In Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur teach in rural schools, staff hospitals and health centers, and work in agricultural and community service programs. A number of Sisters also work directly with the people in the fields, growing crops and raising livestock. Still others prepare children and adults for the sacraments.

Life is difficult in Congo. Most people, including our Sisters, earn less that $200 a year. This means that soap, salt, dried fish and meat are luxuries. Many are able to eat just once a day. People in rural areas often do not have access to potable water and electricity. One out of three children die before the age of five, and many mothers die in childbirth. Still, education is a priority for parents who see it as the greatest gift they can give their children.

Sister Gerry Bolzan,
SNDdeN

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"Guiding the newest Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur."

Six young women in Kenya are exploring life as a Sister of Notre Dame de Namur. As novices, they are in the early years of a journey of religious formation. They are being led on this journey by the Novice Director of the Kenyan Province Sister Gerry Bolzan. Sister Gerry guides the novices through the formal process of prayer, reflection, conversation and listening that is central to the exploration of religious life. She oversees their educational development as well.

Sister Gerry began her ministry in Nigeria after serving as the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur Vocation Minister in Chicago for nearly 10 years. She took her experience and gifts to Kenya, embracing life as a missionary in Africa. “We are called to have a love that reaches beyond the boundaries of tribe and nation,” she said. “I saw this as God’s invitation. It is a joy to be able to share in the simplicity and openness of these young women. They have a deep reflective spirit and desire to learn and grow in the spirit of Notre Dame.”

Sister Rebecca Trujillo,
SNDdeN

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"Putting moms first to help special-needs children."

Caring for a special-needs child is never easy.
In a major city like Matagalpa, where more than 10 percent of children are disabled, their care falls largely to the mothers. This means mothers are isolated for as long as 12 hours a day. It also means they are unable to earn an income, which feeds the spiral of poverty and hopelessness for the family.

About eight years ago, Sister Rebecca Trujillo started “Familias Especiales de Santa Julia Billiart” to help special children by focusing first on their mothers. Today this organization of mothers, volunteers and professionals provides support to more than 500 Matagalpan families with disabled children. It is a ministry that is often carried out door-to-door, with programs that include home therapy, neighborhood parenting programs and small business development and job training for mothers.

Sister Rebecca explained the focus. “Most mothers are virtual prisoners in their own homes without a way to express their needs. We address their medical and educational needs first. Then we provide spiritual and psychological support, and introduce the mothers to others who share similar circumstances. We show them they are not alone.”

Sister Dottie Deger,
SNDdeN

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"When a parish is truly a home."

Sister Dottie is the Pastoral Leader of San Martin de Porres Church in south Phoenix, a small mission parish that has been without a resident pastor for nearly 15 years. Her job description is four pages long. It includes everything up to the delivery of sacraments, all of which she finds exciting.

San Martin is a poor immigrant community struggling with the challenges of low social and economic power. Here, the church serves as an emotional as well as spiritual anchor of the community. When a young woman in the parish was killed in a car accident, the neighbors immediately gathered at the church. Sister said, “I have never felt so much grief in a community. The family and the entire parish mourned as one over the loss of this precious woman.”

At San Martin, Sister Dottie has to balance physical and spiritual priorities – a leaking roof vs. programs for children to help their faith to grow. At the heart of that balance is Sister’s only goal: “We will work hard to keep the spirit alive, to make this a place where everyone feels welcome to come and celebrate.”

Sister Antoinette Bergen,
SNDdeN

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"Offering a caring presence in the heart of the city."

Sister Antoinette Bergen is director of Family Services at Marillac House on Chicago’s west side. The center serves more than 100,000 people a year including children, families and elders, and provides a range of social services. However, Sister Antoinette said when a visitor comes to her department, these days the number one need is for help with utilities. Second on the list is food, and after that, it’s clothing and furniture.

In addition to providing emergency assistance with food, clothing, furniture and a connection to state energy assistance programs, Sister Antoinette and her team offer a full adult education program that includes literacy, ESL and GED preparation classes. The underlying greater goal is to strengthen families by helping adults increase their social and educational skills and their knowledge of resources.

According to Sister Antoinette, “Heads of households come here with immediate issues. The heat and lights are off. They can’t meet the rent. First we help them to understand that we are on their side. Then we get them the help they need right now. But to be honest, solving their immediate problem is just the hook. Our real objective is to get mothers and fathers into training programs or classes to help them for the long run. That’s the hard work, because there often isn’t enough time to reach their hearts.”

Sister Carol DeFiore,
SNDdeN

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"Serving as chief hole-filler for the poor in spirit."

Sister Carol is upfront about her ministry as Pastoral Associate at Holy Trinity Church in suburban Cincinnati. “I am a hole-filler,” she said. “I connect with people and then connect them to one another, filling the spiritual holes with bread that gives life.”
 

At Holy Trinity, Sister has a hand in spiritual direction, pastoral and liturgical planning and faith formation. She also builds and runs programs that connect children and families, widow and widowers and new young couples. In one of Sister’s programs that connects women, group members gather to knit prayer shawls for the sick.
But in her role as chief hole-filler, Sister Carol spends most of her time counseling parishioners, and the range of their needs is daunting. “I counseled a man just out of prison who found God behind bars and wanted to join the church. I’ve met with young people who were considering suicide. I’ve spoken with countless women who struggle daily with abuse. I serve those who are not necessarily materially poor, but who are poor in spirit.”

As she works to fill the spiritual holes in her parish family, Sister noted the special rewards that come with her ministry. “The people who come to see me teach me about myself,” she explained. “They help me keep in touch with my own need for God. The more I do this, the more I see how we’re very much alike. In many respects, they minister to me and nurture me through the bread of their spiritual life.”

Sister Anne Ralston,
SNDdeN

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"Finding the goodness of God
in the grief."

In the dark early hours of the day, when grief seems most intense, Sister Anne Ralston, is the one in the room who is listening with her heart. She is the social worker from the Office of Decedent Affairs, on the night shift at University Hospital in Cincinnati.

Sister Anne is often the one who makes the telephone call when a family member dies or when death is imminent. She is the first to raise the issue of an autopsy, or the need for legal advice. She tackles the tough questions like “why did this happen?” and “how do I tell the kids?”.

Sister’s top priority is to be present to others’ pain, and to help relieve the stress of such a difficult time—even when it happens nearly 300 times a year during her 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. shift.

The University Hospital is the country’s first teaching hospital. It was founded to provide care for the city’s aged and indigent, and is world-renowned for its state-of the art medical facilities. It is also the only Level I trauma center in the area that treats adult patients, which means Sister Anne’s ministry is rarely quiet.

Sister’s gentle compassion helps family members begin the process of grieving. When she was asked how she does it, she smiled and replied, “Only with the Grace of God.”

Sister Rosemarie Pohlman, SNDdeN

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"Bringing a special heart to special needs children."

Sister Rosemarie Pohlman is the only hearing-impaired teacher who is certified to teach in the Campbell County Kentucky School district. She understands the frustration and challenges associated with learning when hearing is limited.

For the past 15 years, Sister Rosemarie has worked with profoundly deaf students in the district, working one-on-one to teach reading, writing, spelling and communications skills. She said what pleases her most about her ministry is, “when the light bulb comes on. I see it in the faces of my students when they finally understand a concept. Their faces and eyes just light up.”

Her ministry also provides a powerful personal link to the foundress of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur St. Julie Billiart who called education the most important job in the world. Sister Rosemarie explained, “My work often reminds me of how St. Julie Billiart cared for her older sister, Madeleine, who was almost blind. It seems only natural to me that Julie would extend this invitation to us to teach all of the children who are in need of an education.”

Sister Marie Shields, SNDdeN

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"Making the Gospel come alive."

St. Matthias Parish in Columbus has steadily evolved into a rich, multicultural community with members from Nigeria, Brazil, Haiti, Philippines, Southeast Asia along with American-born women and men.

For the past 17 years, Sister Marie Shields has served as the pastoral assistant at the parish. In this ministry she provides spiritual guidance to church members. She also plans and arranges educational, social, and recreational programs for the congregation. But perhaps one of her most important responsibilities it to work with the pastor to make the gospel relevant and helpful to modern people, taking into consideration the various needs of each culture at St. Matthias.

“We have such a beautiful mix of cultures in our parish and we are all learning how to appreciate one another’s gifts that come from our loving God,” Sister Marie said. “I feel privileged to be here and to use all that God has been given me. It is wonderful to be chosen to help this way.”

Sister Marietta Fritz, SNDdeN

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“We don’t take just anyone here.”

For more than 20 years, Sister Marietta Fritz has been a powerful source of hope for women in Saginaw when it’s time for them to leave prison. She runs Emmaus House—a community of eight homes that offers a clean, safe family-like environment for women who would otherwise have no place to go. “But we don’t take just anyone,” Sister Marietta cautioned. “Our guests must come from jail, prison or rehab.” Their stays are temporary, just until a guest can be on her own.

In each Emmaus House, the accommodations are simple but cozy. Some of homes have house managers who oversee the operations and look after the guests. Others are “step up” homes for women who are headed toward independence. All operate under the same philosophy. “At Emmaus House,” Sister Marietta explained, “we believe people have the potential to become what God wants them to be, regardless of what they’ve done. We believe each person is good, and a unique expression of God. Our hope is to provide an environment in which each woman can come to realize her own goodness—and the goodness of God.”