As we recognize the contributions of the many School Sisters of Notre Dame (SSND) who have retired from long and inspiring careers in education, it is important to remember that SSND are still active in today’s educational system. SSND continue to serve as teachers, professors, tutors and administrators in both SSND-sponsored and affiliated ministries and beyond.
Sister Julie Brandt is just one of the sisters currently living an education-focused ministry. She began as a teacher in a small town in Minnesota and then went on to serve at the St. Bernard Mission School in Fort Yates, North Dakota. From there, she embarked on several leadership roles, including director of schools for the Joplin Area Catholic School System in Joplin, Missouri, and associate superintendent of schools for the Jefferson City Diocese in Jefferson City, Missouri.
An undated photo of a SSND preparing for a race with her students in Milwaukee.
Today, Sister Julie is president of New Ulm Area Catholic Schools, which encompasses a preschool, St. Anthony Elementary and Cathedral High School in New Ulm, Minnesota.
Like many SSND, she was inspired to embrace a life as a sister and a teacher due to her own positive experiences with SSND as a young student.
“I think the thing that really influenced me, in terms of the impact of sisters, was I saw them over and over again being women who were concerned about others, and they wanted to touch the lives of others in significant ways,” said Sister Julie. “I also saw them as being very committed to helping me grow as an individual and a student. They cared about more than just academics. They were there at our sporting events or to wipe a tear. It was that influence.”
Sister Julie entered the community in the 1980s and was initially alone as a postulant in Mankato, Minnesota, as fewer women her age were seeking a religious life. Of the time she remembers, “Being so busy I hardly had time to figure out I was alone. It was not really the common thing to do anymore, I saw it as a bit countercultural.”
While the presence of sisters in schools and school systems remains, the reality is there are fewer of them than in days past, and in that respect, not all students or parents may know what to expect when they do encounter a sister in their classrooms. In some instances, this can mean disproving antiquated stereotypes about “stern” sisters and resetting the narrative.
Says Sister Julie, “I worked 11 years on the Standing Rock Reservation both as teacher and principal and the people were very specific in saying, ‘We know you’re praying for us. We know you care about us deeply. Thank you for helping our children grow academically and providing a safe space.’”
“Parents want us to care about their kids, their child, and I think it is innately a part of who we are as SSND. The parents want us to help their child become part of a community, and I think that is one of the things that I do bring to a school. I do have that deep sense of wanting to be a unifier,” says Sister Julie. “It’s being willing to work with people and meet them where they are. Parents expect it's not just a religious education, it's that we provide the best education we can and help their child grow.”
Today’s educators face unique challenges which range from financial limitations to mental health struggles of students post-COVID. SSND who are still active in schools have evolved to meet these issues and continue the ministry.
In 2021, Sister Julie Brandt celebrated earning her Doctor of Education (Ed. D.) Degree in Catholic Educational Leadership from St. Louis University. Celebrating with her are two of the three SSND principals from her own educational experience. Sister Mary Louise McKenna (standing) and Sister Mary Dominic Klaseus. (Not pictured was her high school principal Sister Kate DuVal).
“I think what it does is it challenges us, with associates and our lay partners, to be a broader community,” says Sister Julie. “One of our sisters, Sister Cecilia Warner, works in our school, mostly tutoring, working with students who need assistance. I see her also being that person that just is really helping to invite the teachers, to invite the students to see with a broader vision and look at virtues and values.”
“When I first became a principal, I missed the relationships that teachers develop with a classroom of students and suddenly I was only relating to the students who were in trouble,” said Sister Julie. “Now I am trying to help teachers who are frustrated when kids are acting out in class. What’s the why beyond that? What’s the reason? Is there something under the surface? I think that a big part of the need today.”
What would Sister Julie want people to know about SSND as educators in 2025?
“I’ve had people say to me, ‘Oh, I didn’t know you were still in education as a community.’ So, I think first, that piece is yes, we are still very interested in education,” says Sister Julie. “There are fewer of us, so how we continue to make an impact? I was invited to lead a retreat day for another school focused on the role of teachers in a Catholic school. I jumped at the opportunity because it is another way to help influence and impact a broader group of teachers.”
“I certainly see myself as an educator,” says Sister Julie. “And I think most SSND, even if they are not formally in education, feel that role somewhere.”
Discover more about the many education focused ministries of SSND.