As the dawn of Christmas morn approaches, the Sisters of Notre Dame send our prayerful best wishes and gratitude for your presence on our journey.  May these words fill your heart with an abundance of peace.

As the sun circles the earth... at every moment...

dawn is breaking forth...near or far... gently, silently, flooding the earth with light.

At dawn and at every moment... God's grace is breaking forth...

gently, silently, flooding the earth  with divine life and light...

In every person

In every place

In every encounter

In every inspiration

In every call to duty

In every difficulty

In every joy

At each dawn and every moment of 2020, may you experience

God's guidance...and peace.

Here is a look at the ways the SND sponsored institutions are giving back during this holiday season.   Generous outreach has always been a cherished tradition in SND education!

• La Reina High School & Middle School, Thousand Oaks (pictured above), partnered with the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels to sponsor 11 families through the Adopt-a-Family program. Students and staff provide Christmas gifts as well as household essentials for families in need in the downtown Los Angeles area.  
• Notre Dame Academy, Los Angeles, raised $500 for South Central LAMP (an SND partner ministry) and sent a van of canned goods for the mothers and children who receive services at LAMP.  They also raised $300 for Catholic Charities Angel's Flight program serving Runaway Teens.
• Notre Dame Academy Elementary School, Los Angeles, partnered with St. Timothy's Youth Ministry and collected toys for Santo Nino Childcare Center, a ministry of Catholic Charities that focuses on empowerment, dignity and inclusion for low-income working families. The school's Squires 'n' Knights music group also sang carols for the residents of Nazareth House, a Catholic-centered assisted living facility near the campus.
• Notre Dame Learning Center, Thousand Oaks, read stories about children living in poverty and collected canned goods to be donated to a local charity. Even the youngest kids learned how they could make a difference this holiday season!

The Sisters of Notre Dame are pleased to announce that Mike Scioscia (former LA Dodger and retired manager of the Los Angeles Angels) will serve as the Grand Marshall and kick-off the Nun Run on February 1!  

Be sure to register by January 3 to save $5 per registration since the prices for the 5K and 1-mile fun walk increase on January 4. 
Can't make it on February 1?  You can register as a Virtual Runner and still receive a medal and T-shirt so you can run on your own anytime, anyplace.

Support your favorite team in our team challenges or create your own team.   Prizes will be awarded for the largest and for the most-spirited teams!  And special thanks to our sponsors.  Proceeds from the event will support the SND Life & Ministry Fund, providing spiritual, educational and social outreach, both locally and around the world.  Thank you--we look forward to seeing you there!

In case you missed any of these stories of "where are they now" during 2019,
follow this link     to meet Sr. Lois Best, S.N.D., Gabriella Brignardello, Cathy Brunasso Cota, Fr. Paul Janowick, S.J., Lizette Martinez, Fr. Raymond Marquez, Melodie Camp Santana, Kimberly Shivley Tharpe and Mackenzie Vandergeest.

The "Where are they now" feature of the SND Mission Advancement Egram will give updates on our colleagues and former students--anyone entrusted to our care.  We want to share how they live the SND mission by serving, leading, and giving hope within our diverse society.  To submit information for this column, please email Sarah Marcuse at [email protected].  

There's still time to make a 2019 gift to support the ministries of the Sisters of Notre Dame.

* Consider giving appreciated stock, which allows you to make a bigger philanthropic impact by avoiding capital gains taxes.

* If you are age 70 ½ or older, consider making a charitable gift directly from your traditional IRA. An IRA "charitable rollover" counts toward your minimum required distribution and the amount transferred is not subject to federal income tax.

* If you'd like to make a gift via a mailed check, it must be postmarked on or before December 31.  Credit card gifts or direct debit gifts (from a bank account) may be made online through December 31.

For more information, please contact Sr. Lisa Megaffin at 805-402-8623 or [email protected].  Thank you and God bless you for being a partner with the Sisters of Notre Dame in sharing the hope and peace that Christ brings to our world.

International Website of the Sisters of Notre Dame |  In the Hands of the Potter 

SND Mission Advancement Egram   April, 2019 |  May, 2019 | June, 2019 |  July, 2019 | August, 2019 | September, 2019 | October, 2019 |  November, 2019  

Thank you for supporting The Sisters of Notre Dame when you shop with Amazonsmile !

  

Special thanks to our contributors to this egram:   Jen Coito, Darlene Goodman, Sr. M. Jolisa Lazaro, Sarah Marcuse, Chad Ribordy, Lisa Stupar,  Betsy Ward and Erika Wolfe-Heckler