High Tea at Roncalli Catholic High School on October 4, 2002, brought 280 supporters of Catholic education together for an afternoon of entertainment and delicious food. The annual event, in its second year, is an occasion for the Notre Dame Sisters to join with friends, parents and alumni to show support for the outstanding work being done at Roncalli Catholic High School. 
Sr. Mary Beth Kubesh and Mary Wood, Director of Development, shared the honor of preparing the Notre Dame table. Hostesses set tables with their own tableware and centerpieces. Barbara Beauchamp-Hibberd, Coordinator of Planned Giving, joined in the creative planning that went into preparing the Notre Dame table. Other Notre Dame guests included Sr. Margaret Hickey, former teacher at Roncalli, Sr. Rita Ostry, Sr. Josita Hanus, Theresa Tsubaki and Connie Yates.  
Since the beginning of Roncalli Catholic High School, which was formed in 1975 by the merger of Notre Dame Academy and Rummel High School, the Notre Dame Sisters have been a part of the good work being done for young people at Roncalli. Currently Sr. Rosalee Burke is Development Officer at Roncalli.

100th Anniversary of the Rapid City Diocese
Sr. Karen Rolenc and Sr. Rita Marie Ostry journeyed to Rapid City, South Dakota, to join in the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Rapid City Diocese on September 21, 2002. The Notre Dame Community served in the Rapid City Diocese for 65 years at Our Lady of Lourdes mission on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. Sr. Rita taught seventh grade at Our Lady of Lourdes for twenty years before accepting her present ministry as part of the Leadership Team of the Notre Dame Sisters. 
The Sisters joined in a Liturgy that incorporated Native American and Hispanic culture. The Honoring Song was sung in Lakota. A purification rite known as Azilya Rite was performed. The petitions were read in English, Spanish and Lakota. Many of those in attendance wore traditional Lakota or Latino clothing.  
The Sisters also attended the reception following the Liturgy before returning to Nebraska.
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Fourteen of the residents of Seven Oaks of Florence and four volunteer Notre Dame Sisters worked with the YWCA to prepare for Domestic Violence Awareness Month by making awareness ribbons that will be handed out by various organizations during October. The volunteers spent hours cutting the ribbons, gluing them into a wearable shape and pinning them to cards. In the final tally, 1,512 ribbon cards were prepared.
In gratitude, the YWCA coordinator treated the volunteers to cake and ice cream on September 12, 2002. The residents remarked that they were pleased to be able to volunteer to do work that will benefit the community and raise awareness of the seriousness of the domestic violence problem.

"You are the salt of the earth...You are the light of the world."

The theme of World Youth Day in Toronto, July 23-28, 2002, filled the crowd of more than 500,000 youth representing 170 countries. Participants came away feeling excited about their faith, and ready to be salt and light to others.
Sr. Cynthia Hruby attended with a group from Wayne State College, Wayne, Nebraska, where she is Campus Minister. In spite of the rain and wind at Toronto's Downsview Park in the hours that Sr. Cynthia and her group waited for the Pope and the closing Mass, the experience was inspiring and energizing. A crowd of 800,000 attended the closing Mass, answering Pope John Paul's call to witness to and celebrate their Catholic faith.
For more about Sr. Cynthia's experiences at World Youth Day, see Sr. Cynthia's Ministry page.

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

Fourteen of the residents of Seven Oaks of Florence and four volunteer Notre Dame Sisters worked with the YWCA to prepare for Domestic Violence Awareness Month by making awareness ribbons that will be handed out by various organizations during October. The volunteers spent hours cutting the ribbons, gluing them into a wearable shape and pinning them to cards. In the final tally, 1,512 ribbon cards were prepared.
In gratitude, the YWCA coordinator treated the volunteers to cake and ice cream on September 12, 2002. The residents remarked that they were pleased to be able to volunteer to do work that will benefit the community and raise awareness of the seriousness of the domestic violence problem.

Seven Oaks of Florence participates in Omaha's Night Out
On Tuesday, August 7th, 2002, from 7:00p.m. and 8:30 P.M., Seven Oaks of Florence and Notre Dame Convent hosted a watermelon feed for their residents, staff, and neighbors in conjunction with Omaha’s Night Out, part of the national Night’s Out Program. This event was planned as part of the Neighborhood Watch Program, a program devolved nationally to help communities reduce crime, increase interaction between people living as neighbors, strengthen community ties, and foster increased residential participation in local neighborhoods.
Seven Oaks of Florence, a 77 apartment complex built by the Notre Dame Housing Corporation, managed by the Notre Dame Sisters, and in part subsidized both financially and through staffing by the Notre Dame Sisters as part of their mission call to the elderly, celebrated the 5th birthday of the completion of the first building, Building 1, in July of 2002. The watermelon feed was an outreach celebration planned by the staff and residents to build stronger neighborhood ties.
Seven Oaks of Florence sent out invitations to a 3 block area of the neighborhood and to the Florence area Firefighters and Emergency Medical Staff . The three Florence Firefighters and EMS's arrived in a fire truck, to the delight of the attending children. Between 60 and 70 people were in attendance, representing a variety of ages. All reported having a good time.
Plans are being made to have this hosted as an annual event, and some of the neighbors have already volunteered to bring their musical instruments next year for singing and polkas.

Notre Dame Associates Celebrate Fifth Anniversary

In 1997 men and women who were drawn to the Charism of the Notre Dame Sisters entered into a formal relationship as Associates. These first Associates participated in prayer, community and service with the Sisters. The movement grew, and expanded to include a group meeting in Wahoo, Nebraska. Soon Associates became involved in meeting the unmet needs of others by serving on Notre Dame committees studying non-violence and peace and justice issues. Co-Directors of the movement, Peggy Wilson and Mary Kay Meagher, ND, encouraged Associates to attend the national meetings of the North American Conference of Associates and Religious. In 2002, Sara Pahl Ramirez and Kris Lanik reported that the Associate movement continues to grow, strengthen the Church, and spread the charism of religious orders through lay involvement.
On Saturday August 10, 2002, in a solemn and joyful ceremony, six new Associates made commitments. Twenty-seven Notre Dame Associates now meet monthly to share in prayer and service to others.