About the Sisters News
The Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur ask for prayers for the repose of the soul of Sister Marie Smith, SNDdeN, who passed away on April 1, 2025
Join the Sister Dorothy Stang, SNDdeN — A Pilgrimage of Hope and Courage, on April 26, 2025, commemorating the 20th anniversary of her martyrdom. This guided tour visits eight locations connected to her life journey from Ohio to Brazil. Morning (8:30 am) and afternoon (1 pm) tours available, starting at Chaminade Julienne Catholic High School. Space limited, register by April 18
Prayer, Knowledge, Action: find inspiration for a little bit of good you can do this week through garden prayer, understanding food insecurity, and community gardening initiatives that nurture both spirit and those in need.
"We are an expression of goodness. That's our call. To find and express and spread goodness in the world." Notre Dame Mission Volunteers, founded by the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, transforms lives through education and service. This video showcases how NDMV partners with AmeriCorps to provide meaningful volunteer opportunities nationwide, emphasizing dignity, community connection, and educational access for people experiencing poverty. Discover how you can join a legacy of service that creates lasting positive change in communities across America. This video is produced by Notre Dame Mission Volunteers AmeriCorps. Learn more at ndmva.org
This Lent, respond to global suffering through prayer, fasting and almsgiving. Move beyond indifference to active compassion for people affected by war and natural disasters. Discover how these traditional practices can transform both the world and your own spiritual journey.
Religious leaders and community members unite in El Paso on Saint Oscar Romero's feast day to advocate for immigrants' rights, challenging asylum bans and deportation policies. Sister Rebecca Trujillo, SNDdeN, joins in solidarity with people seeking asylum, embodying the mission to make God's goodness known through welcoming strangers and advocating for people who are made poor.
AmeriCorps have featured Notre Dame Mission Volunteers (NDMV) for their community-building impact nationwide. Nearly 300 AmeriCorps members serve with NDMV annually as tutors, mentors, and classroom assistants, supporting education and job readiness programs.
A recap of NDMV's 2025 Mid-Year Conference highlighting service projects, awards, and community connections during AmeriCorps Week. Learn how Notre Dame Mission Volunteers continue Saint Julie's legacy of education and service in marginalized communities.
Throughout the year, women religious stand alongside people who are made poor, educate children, battle injustice and foster hope in communities worldwide. This Catholic Sisters Week (March 8-14), we celebrate the profound impact of women religious through the #LikeaCatholicSister campaign. As Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, we live simply and joyously in St. Julie's footsteps, spreading God's goodness beyond boundaries of nation, state and tribe.
Kristin Matthes, SNDdeN joins an innovative House of Discernment in Pittsburgh where four congregations create community while supporting women exploring religious vocations through prayer, discussion, and shared living.
Lent is upon us, and the idea of sacrifice. Sacrifice is something we do for our families, for our country, for our friends, for our neighbors, for our faith. In your own life, you are no stranger to it. As loving people, we often deprive ourselves of resources, ambitions or careers, and at the same time feel right about doing so. Not joyous necessarily, but right. We see that at root sacrificing embodies what Christ wants for us – to love one another.
This Vatican News article reflects on Sr. Dorothy Stang's enduring legacy 20 years after her assassination while defending Amazon farmers and forests, highlighting how her work continues to flourish despite ongoing injustice.
This Lenten reflection from the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur invites us to see this season through the eyes of farmers preparing fields in winter. Rather than simply giving up chocolate or TV, discover how to actively till the soil of your spiritual life through prayer, kindness, and service to neighbors in need.
Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur welcomes Donna Groene as director of mission integration for Ohio Province after 35 years at Mount Notre Dame High School, continuing their legacy of education for life.
In a report published by Repórter Brazil on February 11, 2025, Bishop João Muniz Alves ordered the uncovering of Sister Dorothy Stang's memorial painting at Santa Luzia Church in Anapu, Pará. The painting had been hidden beneath cloth.
A recording of our special Mass commemorating the 20th anniversary of Sister Dorothy Stang's witness to God's goodness in the Amazon rainforest. This celebration honors her life and legacy as a Sister of Notre Dame de Namur whose deep faith in God's presence in all creation led her to serve alongside people who were made poor in Brazil. Her spiritual conviction that protecting the Amazon and its people was sacred work guided her mission until her martyrdom on February 12, 2005.
Watch WDTN-TV coverage of our 'Seeds of Inspiration' event, celebrating Sister Dorothy Stang's enduring legacy of standing with communities facing poverty and environmental challenges in Brazil.
In a meaningful gathering at the Notre Dame Mission Volunteer MidYear Conference, Sister Judi Clemens, SNDdeN shared her thoughts following a screening of "The Student, The Nun and the Amazon." Sister Judi recounted the powerful story of Sister Dorothy Stang, SNDdeN, whose life embodied the congregation's commitment to serving where others may not choose to go.
Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur gather in Kenya for International Leadership meeting, celebrating 60 years of educational partnership since 1965. From teacher training programs to today's flourishing ministries, our congregation continues St. Julie's mission of making God's goodness known through education, welcoming Sisters from across the globe to strengthen our communion and widen our vision.
In 2018, our paths beautifully intersected when University of Notre Dame computer science student Bridget Hart felt called to research Sister Dorothy Stang's transformative mission in Brazil. Working alongside Sister Judith Clemens, SNDdeN, Bridget captured how Sister Dorothy lived our mission of making God's goodness known – walking with people made poor while protecting their homes in the Amazon rainforest.
U.S. Sister Dorothy Stang, a Sister of Notre Dame de Namur from Dayton, Ohio, became the first woman honored among the "new martyrs of the Americas" at Rome's Basilica of St. Bartholomew on January 10, 2025. Sister Stang, killed in the Amazon in 2005 while advocating for land rights for people who are poor and sustainable development, had her relics placed alongside those of St. Oscar Romero. The ceremony included family and congregation leadership, who are now considering opening a sainthood cause for Sister Stang after initially focusing resources on continuing her work in Brazil, as reported by Catholic News Service, January 13, 2025.
Global Sisters Report: Sister Dorothy Stang's relics honored at Rome's new martyrs' shrine, commemorating the Notre Dame de Namur sister's dedication to Amazon conservation and social justice. Her 20-year legacy of defending the poor and environment continues to inspire climate action and solidarity.
We invite you to read the Vatican News article published January 11, 2025, highlighting Sister Dorothy Stang's inclusion as the first U.S. woman in the memorial for modern martyrs. The ceremony, hosted by the Community of Sant'Egidio in Rome, honors those who, like Sister Dorothy, have given their lives in service of God's people.
On January 10, 2025, the Basilica di San Bartolomeo all'Isola witnessed a profound moment as Sister Dorothy Stang, SNDdeN, was honored as a modern martyr. The Community of Sant'Egidio organized this meaningful ceremony to celebrate her extraordinary witness to God's goodness. Her legacy continues to inspire our mission of education, justice, and care for creation. View the recording here.
Recording of the symposium exploring women religious in climate action, featuring Sister Dorothy Stang's enduring legacy in ecological justice. Distinguished speakers from the Pontifical Gregorian University and global religious communities discuss Catholic social teaching, environmental stewardship, and faith-based climate advocacy. Concludes with historic Vespers service installing Sr. Dorothy's relic at Basilica San Bartolomeo.