Catherine “Andrew Marie” Waldron

Sister Catherine Waldron, SNDdeN grew up in a devoutly Catholic family with parents who modeled an active spiritual practice. When her father’s work brought the family to San Jose, California, they found the Sisters of Notre Dame at St. Mary Elementary School and Notre Dame High School. From an early age, teachers encouraged Sister Cathy to join religious life.

As a family, the Waldrons helped with school fundraisers and social events. Sister Cathy became immersed in the wider Notre Dame de Namur community and knew that she wanted to become part of the vowed community. However, when her older sister entered the novitiate, Sister Cathy tried to hold off, determined to make her own decision!

In a few months, though, she became very restless and knew that God was calling her to Notre Dame.

Sister Cathy describes her ministry as “a privilege.” Looking back, she realizes she never equated entering the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur with becoming a teacher.

“I was focused on being a member of a worldwide community communicating God’s love to the world,” she says.

She did, however, manage to teach all 12 grades of elementary and high school in a span of only eight years! Then, she was grateful to move into parish ministry.

Parish life held special appeal to Sister Cathy, who loved preparing liturgy, visiting parishioners, sacramental preparation, tutoring and summer schools for young people, and adult Bible study.

She especially felt a part of the wonderful African American parish community in Hunter’s Point, San Francisco, Our Lady of Lourdes. For her, that time was a marvelous blend of working with the materially poor and being enlivened by the Gospel Choir.

Following this ministry, Sister Cathy was chosen to serve on the Leadership Team of the former California Province and, on completing that service, was able to choose a ministry that combined the best of all her previous ministries when she began counseling psychology.

Sister Catherine Waldron, SNDdeN ministering in the Hunter’s Point parish of San Francisco in the 1970s.

The tumultuous ‘60s and ‘70s came with the Vatican Council calling the whole church and all religious congregations to renewal. In the midst of great changes and challenges, many of her friends—as well as her two sisters—left the Congregation.

“The challenges continually begged the question of what I was doing with my life,” she says. “Yet I have never felt peaceful with anything but continuing to renew my commitment daily. Many of us who remained have become passionate in visioning a new religious life.”

For many years, Sister Catherine ministered as a marriage and family therapist counseling around 20 people each week ranging in age from 4-70. Many sought her guidance as they focused on how to best understand, accept and redirect their life journeys. She also supervised interns serving as counselors in local school districts.

She says, “I love being able to be an instrument of God’s love by listening to their rich life experiences and by acknowledging their pain as they struggle for transformation and a new life purpose. Many come specifically for faith-based understanding and interpretation.”

Sister Eileen McCarthy has seen Sister Cathy’s work in all these ministries and says, “She has shared her gifts with many, many people. She reaches out, gives unconditional acceptance and shows people their worth.”

Sister Cathy has great hope for the SNDdeN community. She was among those who played a significant part in consolidating five USA provinces and served on the newly formed leadership team for the U.S. East-West Province. A life threatening infection rudely interrupted and radically altered her abilities to continue on the leadership. Today, her life is focused on prayer and reflection for the turbulent world we populate.