About
us

We are a group of consecrated Catholic women who love God so much that we want to share this love with others. Because we are an apostolic community (not monastic), our prayer life comes to fruition in our service to those in need. Our Charism is the particular call to service of our community. Together we strive to help ourselves and others realize how much we are loved by God. This knowledge enables us and others to be at peace and to reach out to others with compassion.

Named after “Our Lady,” we strive to model our lives after Mary who was always open to God’s action in her life. Proactive, she was the first apostle, instigator of Jesus’ first miracle, present throughout his crucifixion and death, and a wise counselor to the early Church.

Community is important to us and we make it a point to keep in constant touch with one another. (Today’s technology makes it easy!) In our daily living and praying together we support each other as persons and in our ministry. As a total community we gather three times each year to pray, share, learn and make major community decisions.

When we join the Notre Dame Sisters, we make a public consecration of self to God and the service of God through the Congregation. At that time we take three vows—chastity, poverty and obedience.

our
Mission and Vision

Mission

We accept from God the call to reach out to people with unmet needs, to nurture in them a conviction of God’s love that they may recognize their own gifts in and through the limitations and pain.

Vision

As we, the Notre Dame Sisters, continue to respond to the call of Christ, we commit ourselves to building a world Christian community of love and support for each person by meeting unmet needs. In the spirit of Christ and our founders, we will alleviate the pains of alienation and eradicate its causes by enabling persons to be reconciled to God, themselves and others through a lifestyle of prayer, simplicity, hospitality, service and risk.

Charism

We, the Notre Dame Sisters, are called to be women of faith and prayer, Living like Mary in dependence on God. Rooted in community, we are sent to share our gifts in joyful, loving service to others.

Our Vows

Poverty

We pledge ourselves to live simply and hold all material goods in common. We recognize created things as gifts of God and rejoice in them, use them gratefully and share them gladly. We also accept the lack of material goods and the sacrifices which our ministries impose.

Gospel poverty makes us more aware of the needs of our neighbor. We seek to understand and identify with the poor of the world and share generously and responsibly with them. We take as models the simplicity of Mary and the poverty and humility of our founders.

Our Vows

Chastity

We consecrate ourselves to God and give witness to God’s primacy in our lives. We choose celibacy for the sake of Christ, even as we recognize the value of marriage and motherhood. By this vow, we are called to be of service to others, a service marked by non-possessive love.

Consecrated chastity is a sign of deep faith. Like Mary, virgin and mother, we depend on the promises of God, secure in the conviction that the love of God will never fail us.

Our Vows

Obedience

We live and work in a spirit of dialogue, discernment and shared decision-making. It is a commitment to place our personal gifts at the service of our mission. We work together in a spirit of collaboration.

Annual Report 2023-2024

Our
History

The Community of Notre Dame Sisters dates back to the 16th century. It was founded in Lorraine, France in 1597 by St. Peter Fourier and Blessed Alix LeClerc.

Read Historical Narrative View Historical Timeline

Leadership
Team

The Omaha Province is part of an international congregation headquartered in the Czech Republic with members located in Germany, Slovakia, the United States and the Czech Republic.

Leadership for each group is composed of a president and three councilors who serve for a four-year term. They are chosen by the sisters of their province through a discernment process. Sr. Rita Ostry, ND is the Provincial President. Srs. Mary Kay Meagher and Mary Ann Zimmer are Councilors.

About
us

our
Mission and Vision

Mission

Vision

Charism