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“Our
charism flows from our spiritual heritage, especially
the gifts of Mother Caroline Friess, who, through
courageous leadership, adapted the congregation to life on another
continent, perceptively reading the signs of the times, risking
innovative response to the needs of the new world.”
You Are Sent, Prologue
On July 22, we remember the death of Mother Caroline
Friess, considered by many to be co-foundress of the SSND congregation
in North America. In 1847, at the age of 23, Sister Caroline Friess
set sail for America with Mother Theresa, three sisters, and a novice.
In 1850, Mother Caroline opened the first American motherhouse in
Milwaukee. That same year, she was appointed Vicar General of the
School Sisters of Notre Dame in America. Six years later she would
become an American citizen.
For more than forty years, Mother Caroline led the
sisters in North America. Traveling throughout the United States
and Canada, she established missions, educated children, and encouraged
women to enter religious life, always sharing her gifts of strength,
courage, and compassion with every person she encountered. Like
Mother Theresa, Caroline Friess trusted firmly in God. When she
died in 1892, all who knew her honored her as a “blessing
to the Church in America.”
May Mother Caroline’s spirit encourage us to
use our gifts to continue responding to the needs of the world today.
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