Sr. Anne Mary Donovan

Sister Anne Mary Donovan- SNDdeN

Sister Anne Mary Donovan, SNDdeN was born in 1941 and raised in Exeter, New Hampshire. She enjoyed a happy childhood filled with outdoor adventures, sports and wonderful playmates. Her father, Jim Donovan, worked for the Exeter Banking Corporation, and her mother, Margaret Darcy Donovan, worked in finance. Her sister, Joan, was born in 1945. 

Sister Anne Mary first met the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur in the sixth grade. With the “bounce in their steps and the big smiles on their faces,” the Sisters made a deep impression on the young Sister Anne Mary. 

After graduating high school, she planned to attend the University of New Hampshire and become a physical education teacher. Her parents, however, insisted that she receive a liberal arts education—after that, she’d be free to do as she pleased. So, reluctantly, she attended Emmanuel College. This was a blessing and a pivotal moment for Sister Anne. “It was a wonderful four years,” she recalls, “I have always felt that God’s hand was with me, guiding me.”  

It was at college that Sister Anne Mary continued to feel the call to a religious vocation, but for the time being, she fought it off. After graduating, seeking to find herself, she went to Europe with a friend. Her travels took her to England, Germany, and Namur, Belgium. She was accepted to study at Oxford in England. While there, she traveled to Italy, where she stopped to visit the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur in Rome and asked to see the Superior General, Sister Loretto Julia, an American. “To this day,” shares Sister Anne Mary, “I don’t know what possessed me to do that.” 

When told that the young Anne Mary was considering a vocation, Sister Loretto Julia asked two questions: “Do you love God? Do you have good health?” Then, she said, “Who do you think you are that God should show you a miracle? Get on with it!” 

And so, Sister Anne Mary knew that she had to follow God’s call. In 1964, she entered as a postulant in Ipswich, Massachusetts. During this time she completed a MA in History from the University of New Hampshire. 

Her first mission was to Bishop Fenwick High School in Peabody, Massachusetts, where she taught Latin and English. After this, she was sent to Cardinal Cushing High School in South Boston, where she taught and helped with scheduling. 

Next, following in her parents’ footsteps, she became the treasurer for the Boston Province. During her four-year tenure in this position, she showed promise in financial strategy, restructuring and centralizing the Sisters’ finances. 

She earned an MBA from Boston College and then became the General Treasurer for the global Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur congregation. For fifteen years, she served in this capacity, playing an instrumental role in ensuring that the Sisters’ missions were funded.  

In 1998, she returned to her alma mater, Emmanuel College, continuing as Trustee and as Treasurer and Vice President of Finance, serving as an integral member of the Emmanuel College community and helping to develop the college’s future. In 2024, in recognition of her momentous impact, she was awarded an honorary doctorate from Emmanuel College. 

Looking back at her 60 years as a Sister of Notre Dame de Namur, Sister Anne Mary recognizes with gratitude her participation in contributing to the Notre Dame global mission.