The Catalyst (TC): Why do you think it is important for the NDB community to celebrate Foundresses Week?

Amy Jobin (AJ): Because we are a Notre Dame school and we share that history with all of the other Notre Dame schools in the United States and with the Sisters of Notre Dame, and because Saint Julie’s mission was so strongly focused on education, this week every year when February 2 is happening is a great time for us and for Notre Dame communities all around the world to celebrate together. Saint Julie’s mission is so timeless. It was strong back when she founded the order, and there are still so many parts of it that are relevant to education today.

TC: During Fundresses Week, how does NDB interact with and connect with other Notre Dame schools?

AJ: One thing that we did this year is we asked the sisters from Africa to come in during the prayer service and talk with us about the Notre Dame Education Center in Malava, Kenya. I think it’s great for Notre Dame schools to be learning about the other Notre Dame schools throughout the world. The other thing that we’ve done this year is that there is a thing called the Notre Dame Education Forum happening this year. It’s focused on climate and high school students from the United States, Europe, Africa and Japan, are meeting online to Talk about Laudato Si and climate change. Notre Dame has five students who are participating in the Notre Dame Global Education Forum.

TC: How has NDB, especially the Hallmarks in Action Board, helped the community and campus celebrate Foundresses week?

AJ: Hallmarks in Action, I just want to say a big thank you to them. They really stepped up and worked so hard the last two weeks, in addition to many, many student volunteers who came in during collaboration time and study halls to help prepare things for Foundresses Week. So it was a really nice effort from the students in our community. Also, the French department helped us this year and had students prepare to say prayers in French online, which we all know is the language of Julie and Francoise, our foundresses. It’s 218 years this year since they founded the order and started their school, so we had big birthday cards that students could sign. The other piece is the trivia contest, and Hallmarks in Action decided to focus that on Dorthy Stang this year. And it’s just one more way that students were able to get to know more about Notre Dame and its mission.

TC: How have NDB’s Foundresses Week celebrations reflected this year’s theme, “Hearts as wide as the world”?

AJ: It’s just remembering that Julie and Francoise never meant for their order to stay only in France and open schools only in France. From the very beginning, they meant for their order to work all around the world and to really expand and for that mission to be spread.It was really a mission with a lot of heart and with a bigger vision. Also, I would say bringing in the sisters from Kenya was another way that we could reach out across the world to another Notre Dame community.