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YEAR2007

VOLUME

u Charism and founding &n= bsp;

u What is a charism

u food for thought

Sisters

focus

Sisters of notre dame de Namur

Making known God’s goodness

Charism and founding

The Congregation of the Sisters of = Notre Dame de Namur was founded by Marie = Rose Julie Billiart, a woman filled wi= th love for God and God’s people. She responded to the call to commit= her life completely to God and to spread everywhere the Gospel message tha= t God is indeed good.

Her joy and deep-rooted trust in= God, her “good and tender Father,” made strong in years of con= templative prayer, of physical pain, and persecution, attracted Françoise Blin de Bourdon and others to foll= ow Jesus according to Julie’s spirit and wisdom.

The Congregation began in France= in 1804—a time of religious and social uphea= val—when a small group of women pledged themselves by vow to God and = dedicated themselves to the instruction of poor children.

Julie encouraged in her sisters = deep union with God, liberty of spirit, and courage: qualities needed for a= n apostolic vocation. She frequently reminded them of the words she heard a= t Compiègne, “Behold = the daughters I will give you in the Institute marked by my cross.” <= /span>

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The spirit of the sisters was on= e of “simplicity, obedience, and charity, and their desire was to ded= icate themselves to the poor in the most abandoned places.” (Rule of 1818)

Julie, with Françoise as co-foundres= s, established schools “for the gratuitous instruction of poor childr= en to prepare them for the duties of their state in life and for the sacram= ents.”

(Rule of 1818)

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VOCATION INFO

Jesus calls us as his disciples = to a new way of life—a gospel way of life. Jesus calls each one of us= by name. Each one of us—clergy, religious, layperson, married, singl= e, adult, child—has a personal vocation. God intends each one of us t= o play a unique role in carrying out the divine plan. The challenge is for = us to understand our role and to respond generously to God’s call. (A= dapted from the United States Catholic Catechism for Adu= lts, p. 452)

This series is complied from the = Constitutions and Directory of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur (1= 989)—an international congregation of religious women serving on five= continents.

As gospel women we are all called to be holy regardless o= f our state of life. These reflection questions are offered as a guide for = your discernment.

· When in your life have yo= u experienced the goodness of God? Has this experience directed you to tell= others?

· Are you a person full of = joy? Is your joy based on a deep-rooted trust in God? Are you able to say &= #8220;God is good” during hard times?

· Like St. Julie we are cal= led to face the issues of our world with courage. How are you a person of c= ourage? When do you need courage? How do you grow in courage?

· Julie encouraged in her s= isters deep union with God, liberty of spirit, and courage. How do you live= out these qualities?

· Julie used the word simpl= icity to describe a way of relating to God, neighbor and self. How are you = becoming an authentic person?

· What would you say is the= biggest problem facing the world today? What gifts have you been given to = help the “whole world?”

= We share in the church’s work of evangelization through the apostolat= e of education expressed in diverse ministries, such as—catechesis, f= ormal education, health care, pastoral work, and community development.

= We encourage a style of ministry which enables people to develop a capacity= to analyze experience, to recognize the presence of God therein, and to as= sume responsibility for shaping life according to gospel values.

(Directives #1-2)

Questions or Comments: ASKanSND@SNDdeN.org

To be REMOVED for our list, please hit reply and put= remove in the subject line.

Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, 30 Jeffreys Neck Roa= d, Ipswich, MA 01938-1308

It was Julie’s vision and = hope that her sisters would go throughout the world, proclaiming God’= s loving care for all peoples. In consultation with ecclesiastical authorit= ies, she determined the nature and spirit of the Congregation. Despite oppo= sition and misunderstanding, she was able to establish a central government= to foster unity and apostolic mobility.

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Julie named the congregation the= Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur as an expression of her love for Mary, woma= n of faith, who rejoiced in the glorious mystery of salvation and in God= 217;s mercy to the poor. (Constitutions #1-8)