for the
Alumnae
of NDA

A Century of Notre Dame: Alumnae Come Home

On September 12, 2026, more than 140 Notre Dame Academy alumnae returned to a place that holds generations of memories as they gathered for the annual Alumnae Reunion and the Centennial Celebration of the Notre Dame Campus.

The celebration came almost exactly 100 years after the Academy building was dedicated on August 15, 1926. Classes began that September with ninth, tenth and eleventh grades. Notre Dame Academy welcomed both day students from the Omaha area and boarding students who lived at the Academy while attending school. Just 26 young women enrolled during that first year, beginning a legacy that would eventually touch the lives of generations of students and their families.

A century later, alumnae once again filled the halls and Chapel of their beloved school. The Class of 1966 marked an especially meaningful milestone, celebrating its 60th reunion.

Archbishop Michael G. McGovern celebrated Mass in the Notre Dame Chapel, bringing together alumnae, Notre Dame Sisters, and friends in gratitude for the faith, friendships, and traditions that have spanned across the decades. At the conclusion of Mass, Archbishop McGovern blessed the Centennial Declaration, commemorating 100 years of faith, education, service, and community on the Notre Dame Campus.

Peggy Peirce Mandel, Class of 1966, spoke on behalf of her classmates as they celebrated 60 years since their graduation. Linda Finken Shanahan ’62, president of the Notre Dame Academy Alumnae Association, then led alumnae in singing the Notre Dame Academy school song. Voices once again filled the Chapel with a song remembered by generations of Notre Dame women.

Following Mass, alumnae gathered for a reception, where classmates reconnected, shared stories, and reminisced about their years at Notre Dame. There was plenty of laughter, good food and, most importantly, the joy of being together again.

From the 26 young women who entered Notre Dame Academy in 1926 to the more than 140 alumnae who returned for the Centennial celebration 100 years later, the reunion was a beautiful reminder that while buildings and communities change with time, the friendships, values and spirit of Notre Dame continue.

For one special afternoon, a century of Notre Dame Academy history came together under one roof, and it felt a little like coming home.

Watch the Blessing of the Centennial Declaration

One hundred years of faith, education, service and community were commemorated in a special Centennial Declaration. Watch as Archbishop Michael G. McGovern blesses the declaration during the Notre Dame Campus Centennial Celebration on September 12, 2026.