Mrs Lorraine Platt (neé Doheny) Manchester Association
The British Federation of Notre Dame de Namur Associations was founded to “… bring into communication with one another the old pupils of the Notre Dame de Namur Schools of Great Britain through their organised Associations, by affording facilities for mutual assistance among its members, for the furtherance of Catholic education and interests, to formulate and promote movements requiring the support of educated Catholic women, and for the welfare of Notre Dame de Namur.”
Each Notre Dame school has or has had an association of past students and members of staff and each association is/was, in turn, part of the British Federation of Notre Dame de Namur Associations.
Over the years most of these schools have changed their character, sometimes merging with other schools to become a large co-educational comprehensives, while others, too small to be viable, closed.
If you are a former student or member of staff of Notre Dame, you will recall that the sisters’ mission was to educate and foster the development of girls and young women, in order that they would take on a full and positive role in an everchanging world.
No doubt each of us can recall the name of a sister who had a seminal influence in our early formative days at school. We can also name one (or more) close friendships made in those earlier days, friends, who have gone on to share part, or all of our own life’s journey.
We are conscious of our understanding of the dignity of womanhood and have passed this on to our own. As past students or members of staff of the schools of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, we can be thankful for the many graces and gifts bestowed on us because of our association with the congregation.
For those pupils, students or former members of staff who would like to keep alive their association with the Sisters of Notre Dame, but are unable to go to any meetings for whatever reason, it might be helpful to know that there are over seventy Direct Members. Direct Members can join the association and become members and so receive annual information about everything that is happening together with a copy of the annual St Julie News.
