The following friends of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur have shared their stories with us…memories of Notre Dame school years, of Sisters and of the impact that Notre Dame de Namur has had on them and their families.
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Melinda Bollinger
A lifetime connection to the Sisters.
Melinda Royer Bollinger has always felt “very connected to the Notre Dame family.” It’s no wonder she feels this way. She is a graduate of Notre Dame High School, Belmont (NDB) class of 1958, and attended the College of Notre Dame (CND) for two years. Her mother went to Notre Dame High School in San Francisco with Sister Catherine Julie Cunningham, and her grandmother, who lived one block from Mission Dolores, ran the cafeteria there. Her grandmother told Melinda that the Sisters would always take care of her, and after Melinda’s father died young, the Sisters helped keep Melinda and her sister on a good path.
Melinda enjoyed her years at NDB and CND and she still meets regularly with a group of friends from high school. She also continues her charity work with various children’s organizations, and enjoys traveling, and spending time with her four sons and five grandchildren.
The Sisters provided Melinda with an excellent academic education and instilled in her values and a sense of responsibility. Melinda has never forgotten the Sisters or the strong Catholic education she received from them, which is “so needed in today’s world.” That is why she has chosen to remember the Sisters in her trust. “The Sisters are pretty special women,” Melinda says with a smile, “I owe them a debt of gratitude.”
Mary Cea
Associate of Notre Dame de Namur who was welcomed by the Sisters.
Mary Cea fondly recalls when she and her husband Bob met the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur. One day after Mass at the Carmelite Monastery in Carmel, Sr. Marilyn Smith invited the couple up for Mass and a soup supper at the Sisters’ House of Prayer the following week. This was in 1978, and they and their three daughters had just moved to Carmel from New York City.
The friends they made at these monthly dinners became a second family to this day. Bob and Mary found the Sisters to be sincere and outspoken. They possessed a great sense of humor, gave gentle advice and had good common sense, which helped greatly at times in dealing with the girls.
Pegi Chesney
Remembering her favorite teachers.
I attended Notre Dame Elementary in Belmont (NDE) as a first and second grader in 1956 and then returned for my freshman year only in 1964. My first grade year was spent at the high school building because the elementary school wasn’t built yet. I have fond memories of that time!
My first-grade teacher, Sister Barbara Ann Kavanaugh, was my all-time favorite teacher! I often say had she been my teacher all the way up, I would have fared better in school as she “got me.” I didn’t have the same experience in second grade and desperately wanted to return to Sister Barbara Ann’s tutelage. She continues to be a very special and dear friend of mine to this day! We have had some wonderful lunches and dinners together and I feel so blessed to continue my relationship with her.
I left NDE to attend St. Charles Elementary, where the Sisters of Notre Dame also taught. had a few favorite teachers there, and one in particular was Sister Cecilia Wallace. I remember her as being a jolly teacher, laughing a lot. Now that they are retired, I am lucky to be able to visit her and some of my teachers at the Province Center in Belmont on occasion.
My sister Linda Pennington was also a NDE graduate and became a Sister of Notre Dame de Namur in 1957. She was in the convent for 15 years and taught in the states of California and Washington. Unfortunately, she passed away in 1998. Growing up with a sister in the convent had its own challenges but kept me very connected to the SNDdeNs. To this day I feel very warm and well received whenever I step foot in the Province Center. It often brings a tear to my eye.
Mary Fortune
Who else has vivid, treasured memories of Notre Dame San Jose?
Hail Notre Dame!
I have so many wonderful memories of The Sisters and Notre Dame San Jose. It is a treasured time I have never forgotten. What I learned from the Sisters was that I can do anything, and the sky is the limit. It shaped me into the woman I am today – confident, self-reliant, compassionate and caring.
To pick my favorite memory is impossible but I will share a few: I was so into art and hanging out in the studios in the old building (way back in the day). My favorite was taking classes from Sister Terry Davis and listening to the Mamas and Papas on the record player!
Another one was attending my first mass and they played “Day by Day” from Godspell – I was blown away. Or attending spirit week for the first time as a freshman and seeing the floor to ceiling poster murals – spectacular! So much energy and fun! Finally, my senior year we put on a Christmas play entitled “Flatabella” a take-off of Cinderella and I was Mother Reindeer. Too much fun!
Mary F. Fortune, NDSJ Class of 1977
Anne Hannigan
Associate of Notre Dame de Namur and member of the St. Julie Billiart Society.
The Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur have been a constant blessing in my life. Their belief in the goodness of God and the giftedness of each student enriched my life in classrooms years ago. Later, as an Associate of the SNDdeNs, I became increasingly aware of other Notre Dame ministries in this country and around the world. This good work needs our support now and for the future.
Over the years of our marriage, my husband, John, came to share my appreciation for the Sisters and for their ministries. Together, we were able to visit SNDdeN ministries here in the U.S., Belgium, and South Africa. In each ministry, we experienced transforming communities, bringing the goodness of God to those most in need.
Mrs. Nancy Hogan
Formerly, Sister Marie Timothy
The Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur have been a part of my life since early childhood. I was taught by them for 12 years, then went on to college. I grew to admire their example and dedication to education. The Sisters’ encouragement and supervision prepared me for my many careers. I myself was an SNDdeN for 22 years, (formerly Sr. Marie Timothy), and taught first grade for 23 years. I carried the Sisters with me as I went on to become a principal of a large public school, then a model, then marry a man with 10 children, and write my story, “A Nun’s Journey.”
I owe the SNDdeNs a wealth of gratitude for all they have given me, and I plan to honor them in my will.
Maggie Kennedy
Notre Dame graduate who remembered the Sisters in her will.
Margaret O’Shea Kennedy always felt grateful for the education she received from the Sisters at Mt. Carmel School in Redwood City and at Notre Dame Belmont (NDB), where she graduated in 1945. That education was quite an influence on her career, with Maggie becoming a teacher and elementary school principal.
When Maggie died on April 8, 2015, the feast day of St. Julie Billiart, St. Julie must have been part of a big heavenly welcome to Maggie!
Rosemary Aumais MacDonald
Niece of Sister Alice Brennan, SNDdeN
Our ‘journey’ with the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur began in 1942, when my aunt, Eileen Brennan, entered the Novitiate in Tyngsboro and took the name Sister Alice. Little did we know she was setting up her family for a life full of Catholic schools, Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur and a knowledge and devotion to St. Julie…but knowing Auntie, maybe she did!
My first memory of visiting Auntie Alice comes 57 years ago in South Boston. I was one of 24 cousins that eventually all would go to St. Augustine School in Andover, Mass.
Going to visit Auntie always included a station wagon and at least ten kids! My mom would always packed a wet face cloth so she could make sure we all arrived with clean faces and hands. When the station wagon would pull in, we’d look up on the roof of the school, and Auntie would greet us all with a big smile! The Brennans had arrived!
Led to a large room for our visit, we were treated to cookies and juice. That was followed by a very large game of “Button-Button, Who’s Got the Button”…I’m sure to try and keep the noise down to a minimum.
The station wagon followed her to her postings in Exeter, N.H., Woburn, Lawrence and Peabody, Mass. and many other locations. She finally settled in her hometown of Andover at St. Augustine School, joyfully doing her chosen work and able to take part in many family celebrations and our daily lives.
Having Auntie Alice as a Sister of Notre Dame de Namur meant every single Sister you had in school knew her…we weren’t sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing! One thing we knew for sure, we were getting the best possible education along with learning compassion, love and respect for all. These are values that we all carry with us today.
For Sister Mary, Sister Gertrude, Sister Rose of the Angels, Sisters Madeline and Christine, I am eternally grateful. This is only a short list, but each and every one of my teachers, both at St. Augustine and at St. Mary High School in Lawrence, Mass. are included in my daily prayers. I think Auntie may have taught me that prayer!
Auntie's later years were spent in Worcester, Mass. at the Long Term Care Facility…love and compassion personified! What a wonderful place, full of God’s love, His compassion and respect. Our visits always included Mass with the entire Community.
We lost Auntie in 2014, but her love and her life, we carry with us. The love and compassion she gave for so many years to others, came back to her ten-fold.
How good is the good God!
Judith Mahnke
Proud Notre Dame High School, Belmont graduate.
“The gift of the Sisters of Notre Dame in my life did not end with my graduation in 1975. Becoming involved with the NDB alumnae and the California Federation of ND Alumnae began a whole new chapter in my life, and I have come to know many of the Sisters and other graduates of Notre Dame. Although we went to different schools at different times, we all have one thing in common — our gratitude for the inspiration the Sisters have brought to each of our lives.”
Judith Mahnke teaches high school in San Francisco and lives there with her husband, musician Marc Baum, and their daughter Sarah, now in high school.
Lisa Mancini
Head of School, Notre Dame Academy, Worcester, Mass.
I have very fond memories of being a student at Notre Dame Academy, Worcester, Mass. from 1984-1988. During those years, I grew as both a student and as a young woman.
In addition to so many wonderful lay teachers to whom I will be forever grateful for preparing me for college and beyond, I have very special memories of classes with Sister Justina Daley and Sister Evelyn McKenna. Though Sister Justina was the Principal at NDA prior to my attending, to me, she was my Latin teacher for all four years. She was smart and devoted and perhaps the one person I have met in life I would consider a true Saint. She was very special to me and so many others. Sister Evelyn taught Religion classes while I was in high school and her commitment to service, within our own community and globally, made a big impression on me. It is because of her teachings that I still have a passion for service.
The other Sister of Notre Dame de Namur that I am truly grateful for is Sister Ann Morrison. Sister Ann was the Principal during my years at NDA and handed me my diploma at graduation. In fact, she served at the school for over 40 years. In her, I saw so many leadership traits that clearly made NDA so successful and exemplified the kind of leader I wanted to be.
Fast forward 30 years and my daughter had the privilege to attend NDA, graduating in 2018. While she was there, Sister Ann asked me to serve on the Board of Trustees, which I proudly did. A few years later, after Sister Ann’s retirement, followed by a few years of another Head of School, the Board asked me to step in as Acting Head of School and then offered me a permanent contract.
After decades with a career in business, I feel as though I have come back home to NDA. I look at the picture of Sister Justina in my office often – and I feel her love. I have the pleasure of seeing Sister Evelyn at Board meetings and on campus as she is still very involved in a number of service programs for the school. Each time we connect, I feel her strength. Sister Ann still lives on the NDA campus in Knollwood Mansion, what was the original school and then convent for the Sisters. I am so fortunate to be able to see her on her daily walks and enjoy conversation over tea. I feel her confidence in my ability to lead the school successfully as she did for so many years.
Beyond the SNDdeNs who have made in impact in my life at NDA, Worcester, I now have the pleasure of working with so many others involved in the SNDdeN ministries. God is Good!
Marilyn McElhaney
Associate of Notre Dame de Namur and College of Notre Dame graduate.
Marilyn McElhaney (College of Notre Dame, Class of 1968) values the strong influence that the Sisters of Notre Dame of Namur have had on her life. She can trace that influence to her days at the then-College of Notre Dame when she took a sociology class from Sister Roseanne Murphy. Sister Roseanne’s passion and joy in teaching sociology was contagious and Marilyn soon changed her major from history to social sciences. Marilyn loved her time at CND and made life-long friendships there.
Marilyn later attended graduate school at Santa Clara University and received an M.A. in Counseling Psychology. She then taught in Catholic elementary and high schools for 20 years. Most of her students were first-generation Americans whose parents immigrated from the Philippines or Latin America. Now retired, Marilyn volunteers her time in the Stephen Ministry, which is a national program in both Catholic and Protestant churches, in which volunteers provide a listening Christian presence for people who are going through life transitions.
In retirement, Marilyn has also had the opportunity to combine her favorite things – spirituality, love of learning, and travel – through her participation in three European pilgrimages. Marilyn counts the pilgrimage to Germany and France with Franciscan priest Richard Rohr as one of the highlights of her life. The pilgrimage led by Sister Roseanne, to Cuvilly, the French village where St. Julie Billiart grew up, and to the Notre Dame Motherhouse in Namur, Belgium, was equally inspiring and enriching.
Sister Roseanne was also Marilyn’s sponsor when she became an Associate in 2003. Being an Associate has given Marilyn “companions on the journey,” and an opportunity to be part of a vibrant and growing community.” Days of prayer and retreats have “deepened and broadened her understanding of Christ’s presence in our lives, “she said. In appreciation for the Sisters’ strong and positive presence in her life, Marilyn makes annual contributions to the Sisters, and has decided to remember the Sisters in her will. The Sisters are grateful for her long-time friendship and commitment to their work.
Jan Perlenda Salberg
Notre Dame High School, San Jose Class of 1944
“I received a superior education from the Sisters that I constantly refer back to,” says St. Julie Billiart Legacy Society member, Janice Perlenda Salberg (NDSJ 1944)
Jan grew up in San Jose, and she and her late husband Joe raised their children in San Jose. Jan still lives in San Jose, where she participates in a book club, attends the opera, and enjoys dining at the many restaurants in Santana Row.
Jan thanks the “wonderful Sisters” who taught her in elementary school and high school and prepared her for the future “so beautifully and with such love.”
Phil Segadelli
A former student remembers a life-long friendship with Sister June Canoles.
My name is Phil Segadelli. I was a 2nd grade student of Sister June (Andrew) Canoles in 1961 at St. Francis of Assisi School in Seahurst, Wash. Sister June was my introduction to Catholic elementary school. Wow! I thought to myself that if all the teachers were going to be as creative and fun as Sister Andrew was, I had underestimated what Catholic school was all about! She was so happy all the time! We had magic carpet rides, which of course, needed magic dust. Every day was an adventure for me and my classmates. As fate would have it, at the end of the school year, she sat down with my Mom and Dad and suggested that perhaps it would be best for me to redo 2nd grade. I guess maybe I had been having too much fun in her class! That suggestion on her part reset the tumblers of my life experience. The kids that I ended up going through school with are still friends to this day.
Around 1981, I became curious as to where this fabulous teacher was. I found her in Campbell, Calif. and to my surprise, she had very vivid memories of her time at St. Francis, and also remembered me as the rascal that I was back then. From that point on, Sister June and I stayed in touch. She was gracious enough to do a positive/negative analysis of my handwriting, which I treasure to this day.
In 2017, I finally made the trek to Belmont, Calif. with my wife Terri to visit this wonderful, interesting lady in person. What's the first thing she did that put me at ease and tickled me pink? Her laugh! We had only planned to spend the morning with Sister June, but she was so engaging and insisted we stay for lunch, that our half day became a full day! Oh, and did I mention, she had befriended 17 cats outside of her apartment window? And she loved to party! And she was not bashful about tooting her own horn as she closed in on the age of 90.
In your life, there are people that you just never forget that made such an impression and changed the course of your life, that you feel always indebted to them. Sister June is one of those people for me. I miss her, but I know that she was content moving on to Heaven. God bless her and all of us.
Michael Tuite
A family legacy of Notre Dame de Namur education.
“The Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur have a rich history with my family. My mother was a graduate from Notre Dame Belmont back in the early 1920’s, followed by my sisters, cousins, and later, my daughter. My own experience being educated by the Sisters at a mid-peninsula Catholic school was nothing short of an excellent start in life. Their devotion to faith, quality educational standards, and yes, a little occasional discipline, was perfect for me.
"Now it's my time to give back with financial support through my charitable trust to help the Sisters enjoy their retirement years after a long history of giving to all of us.”