Early Education in the USA by the Sisters of Notre Dame

The foundresses and their early companions had been trained in Munster by the immediate successors of Bernard Overberg, “master of the schoolmasters.” In contrast to public school teaching in America, the sisters’ teaching was oriented to the development of the human person founded in the Gospel. Children learned that God was a loving Father, and each child had great dignity. Pedagogical methods aimed to unfold all the capability of the young person. This type of teaching promoted the best possible advancement of the child, thus contributing to a society in which people are brothers and sisters with an eternal destiny. From earliest days until the present, character formation held pride of place in all educational programs of the congregation.

From 1877 until 1892, Sister Mary Bernarda Preger was the prefect for all the schools of the Sisters of Notre Dame in the United States. Young sister-teachers submitted their lesson plans for approval, and they had helping teachers, a method practiced into this millennium. The sisters continued their own education through many summers of further study. Every sister-teacher was imbued with the knowledge that their teaching ministry required a “sacrificial love and a deep knowledge of the human heart” allowing them to welcome every student and give “special attention to the weaker ones.”

A summary of the activities in the year 1888 shows a continuation of the apostolic ministry begun by the foundresses, Sister Maria Aloysia Wolbring and Sister Maria Ignatia Kühling.  Of the 51 sisters 42 were teaching in elementary schools, along with two secondary schools, three orphanages, courses in music, one boarding school, and one home for the aged.

The blogs throughout this summer have focused on the Sisters of Notre Dame coming to America 175 years ago, along with their ministries during the first two decades in the United States. Before the various commemorative events close, there will still be a concluding celebration in November. You’ll read about it soon, but it’s time now for me to return to my blogs that perhaps will have more interest to our readers less familiar with the Sisters of Notre Dame.