"Washington has a unique place in the history of the School Sisters of Notre Dame (SSND).
"St. Francis Borgia Parish was their first mission in Missouri outside of St. Louis.
"SSNDs chronicle the Confederate attack on Washington in October 1864.
"Our Lady of Lourdes Parish welcomed SSNDs to staff their new school during the centennial year of SSND’s presence in Washington.
"SSNDs have had a presence in Washington from 1859 to the present.
"Twelve years after the School Sisters of Notre Dame came to America from Bavaria, two sisters and a candidate arrived from Milwaukee to begin teaching in the parish school at St. Francis Borgia. They were Sisters Pia Blunde and Anna Busemann and Candidate Magdalena Bauer.
"The pastor, Father Seisl, SJ, had pleaded with Mother Caroline Friess for sisters to teach in the small school.
"On Nov. 3, 1859, they began with nine pupils, and by spring there were 60 children enrolled.
"From these small beginnings, the school flourished into the expanding St. Francis Borgia Grade and High School.
"When Our Lady of Lourdes Parish began in 1959, the School Sisters of Notre Dame were asked to staff their new elementary school. Three sisters arrived to open the new school in September 1959 — Sisters Jana Soukup, Maynard Werner and Antone (Carleen) Reck.
"During the past 155 years, SSNDs have ministered as teachers and administrators in elementary and secondary education, pastoral ministers, catechetical and liturgical educators.
"Over 520 sisters have served the St. Francis Borgia Parish and 30 sisters have served at Our Lady of Lourdes.
"One hundred women have entered the School Sister of Notre Dame — 75 who were born in Washington or entered from St. Francis Borgia and 25 from surrounding parishes in Krakow, Dutzow, Concord Hill, Neier and Gildehaus.
"Today, as the School Sisters of Notre Dame celebrate their 180th anniversary, they are a multicultural, international congregation of women religious with nearly 3,000 vowed members serving in 24 countries on five continents.
"Their mission is to spread the good news of Jesus Christ and witness to unity in diversity. They seek to empower and companion others through formal education, social justice endeavors, working for systemic and structural changes as they reach out to youth, women and the poor.
"Inspired by the courageous legacy of their ancestors, they strive to meet the urgent needs of our world community in our historical era." ~ The Missourian, May 22, 2014