Nuns renew ties with former members

Special to the WCR
Waterdown, Ont.

We are looking forward to July 20, when many former members of our community will be here at our motherhouse in Waterdown, Ont. These former members are women who at some time shared their lives and the mission of SSND, and now continue their faith journey in a different way.

"On the occasion of our 75th anniversary," said Sister Marie Taylor who is on the organizing committee, "we engage in the sacred act of remembering those who worked side by side with us during their time with the School Sisters of Notre Dame. It is important for us as a community that we acknowledge that these women were a part of our lives."

Finding former members has proved to be a challenge. "We have a list of people who had taken vows although many of the names are their religious names. Sisters also gave us names of people they remembered from the novitiate and the postulancy," said Taylor.

The greatest challenge was finding addresses. Some former members have kept in touch with the community and were easy to locate, Taylor said. Others were found by looking through phone books and asking mutual friends. Some were not found.

The sisters invite those unable to attend the July gathering to contact Patricia Stortz and plan to visit on another day. Several have already made plans to come to the Sept. 7 and 8 open house.

If you are a former member of the School Sisters of Notre Dame and would like more information about the Sept. 7-8 open house please contact Patricia Stortz, communications coordinator, School Sisters of Notre Dame, at 905-689-6344 ext 209 or pstortz@worldchat.com.

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