In January, Sister Anna Marie Reha joined a ministry trip to South Sudan. What was initially intended to be a one-time event has, instead, inspired Sister Anna Marie to plan a return to the country and its people this fall.

In her reflection of the experience so far, she writes, “Our God is a mischievous God. God only had to get me to Old Fangak and knew that I would fall in love and that my return would be a ‘done deal’ before I even knew what was happening! I was captivated by the culture, the joy of music and dance, the celebration of faith. And I was moved by the many needs, especially in the school. God spoke to my missionary heart . . . I clearly heard God’s call and so, I will return to Old Fangak in early September.”

In May, a group of students from Notre Dame High School in St. Louis (NDHS) made the exciting journey to Kyoto, Japan, to visit their Notre Dame Jogakuin Jr. and Sr. High School counterparts.

The trip was a one-of-a-kind experience rooted in meaningful cultural exchange and a shared School Sisters of Notre Dame (SSND) foundation. The students from St. Louis experienced what a typical school day in Japan is like and even participated in home visits with their local student hosts. They sampled the cuisine, embraced traditional clothing and explored historically significant sites.

“This was my first time leaving my own country. I had expected it to be possibly terrifying, and that I would feel very far from home,” said NDHS student Elizabeth Merrill. “In reality, I was able to live in the moment and this experience closed some of the space that I felt between myself and the rest of the world.”

Major gifts make possible major projects. For more than 190 years, School Sisters of Notre Dame (SSND) have been known for transforming the world through education. Many people reading this newsletter may have had sisters as teachers themselves! In the generous and trailblazing spirit of Mother Caroline, SSND established the Mother Caroline Society, our major giving society. The society is an exclusive community of donors who have been moved to make a one-time gift of $5,000 or more to SSND since January 1, 2024.

Major gifts support the continued active efforts of SSND as educators, alongside their many other roles in communities near and far: caregivers, advocates, spiritual directors and more. Gifts are also essential in helping provide for sisters in their retirement years.