Foundation Day – An international celebration of our roots

Today we celebrate the founding of our religious community, which began in Coesfeld, Germany.

A little bit of the story…

By the time Hilligonde Wolbring was seven years old, both of her parents and her baby brother had died. She was put into the home of her aunt and uncle and several cousins. As she grew up she hoped to be a missionary, but the idea was discouraged by those around her. Being a missionary was too dangerous for a young woman in that day. They encouraged her to help those in need in her own town. Instead Hilligonde decided to become a teacher. In 1846 being a teacher meant going through an intense and regimented preparation program that involved academic and spiritual development. Hilligonde also had to pass a state examination, and remaining unmarried.

When she began to teach at a parish school, she became friends with another teacher who had been there several years named Elisabeth Kühling. They shared  a passion for teaching and a desire to do more for the poor and neglected children in their school. As we ourselves know, with a friend, it is easier to brainstorm ideas and plan projects. That is what they did. They decided to get a large house so they could bring in orphans and care for them.

At the school and parish was a young, energetic priest called Father Elting, who taught religion. He encouraged Hilligonde and Elisabeth to begin a religious community so their work could become permanent and grow. Father Elting connected with a community of sisters in Holland (Sisters of Notre Dame of Amersfoort, Holland) that matched the direction and spirit of Hilligonde and Elisabeth. Sisters from Holland came and taught these young women how to be sisters, what the vows meant and how to live them.

On October 1, 1850, Hilligonde became Sister Maria Aloysia and Elisabeth became Sister Maria Ignatia, novices of the Sisters of Notre Dame. After a few years the laws for teacher training in the two countries changed, so the group of sisters in Germany became independent from the sisters in Holland. By that time there were eleven sisters who made their vows and 22 novices. October 1 is considered Foundation Day because it was the first day that Sisters of Notre Dame were in Coesfeld, Germany.

In 1874, sisters came to the United States because the oppression of the Catholic Church in Germany meant the sisters could not function publicly. So they came to the U.S. and first began schools in parishes where there were German immigrants. St. Peter Church in Cleveland, OH, St. John Church in Delphos, OH, and Mother of God Church in Covington, KY are a few places where the sisters opened schools right away.

Now there are about 2,100 Sisters of Notre Dame in 18 countries on five continents, working in schools and other related ministries. Let us pray for them, their work and their continued success.

Good and Provident God, today as we celebrate the beginnings of the Sisters of NotreDame of Coesfeld, Germany, we offer you praise and thanksgiving for all that the sisters have given and continue to give for over 160 years.  May we who share in their charism of trusting in a good and provident God, show that trust in our daily lives, also.

Amen.