Ellen “Mary Jude” Dabrieo

“My soul proclaims your greatness, O God! My heart rejoices in you, my Savior, because you have showered your servant with blessing!”

-Luke 1:46-48

The 10th child born into a family of six girls and six boys, she and her siblings all went to the local Parish school staffed by the Sisters of Notre Dame. Throughout high school, she fought the idea of entering the Sisters of Notre Dame. In those days, a Sister would ask, “Have you ever thought of entering the convent?” She would always think yes and answer no.

“In the middle of my sophomore year in college, the thought became more persistent and I had to pay attention to it. Midway through that year, I reconnected with the Sisters and decided that I would enter.”

She entered in Waltham, Mass. on February 10, 1959, and in 2019 she celebrated 60 incredible years as a Sister of Notre Dame de Namur.

She was missioned to Brazil in 1968, which changed her view of the world, the church and religious life. “I learned to speak Portuguese, live in another culture and read the bible from a different perspective, that of the poor. This was a time when, after Vatican II, missiology was changing and the Bishops of Latin America, especially Brazil, took a leading role to bring a new pedagogical process to the local Churches. The formation of Small Christian Communities became the driving force of a renewed church. I was blessed to have been part of this.”

She loves the St. Julie quote “Teach them what they need to know.”

“Sometimes this has been math and spelling; sometimes religion and French; sometimes ESOL and Scripture; sometimes immigration law and rights; sometimes translating for school registration, medical services, housing issues; whatever they need to know.”

At this time of Jubilee, she says,  “My soul proclaims your greatness, O God! My heart rejoices in you, my Savior, because you have showered your servant with blessing!”

Updated in 2026.