The Sisters of St. Mary of Namur
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http://www.sistersofstmary.com/ Britain
Belgian Province

Beginnings
The Sisters of St. Mary of Namur began in the walled medieval Belgian city of Namur, complete with a commanding citadel at the confluence of the Sambres and the Meuse Rivers and a beautiful cathedral dominating the city square. Namur has been occupied since Roman times and has always been a city of military importance with waves of invasions including Phillip II of Spain, Louis XIV of France, and advancing German armies during World War II. St. Alban's Cathedral (Cathédrale Saint Aubin) was built between 1751 and 1767 on the site of a former Romanesque church, of which only the tower has survived. Near the cathedral stands St. Loup Church, built during the 17th century, where the eventual founder of the Sisters, Father Nicholas Joseph Minsart, was appointed pastor in 1813.

The congregation of St. Mary of Namur was founded after the French Revolution. In the years following the French Revolution, Father Minsart, a religious of the Order of St. Bernard, was deeply troubled by the plight of young girls in his parish. With no resources or education, deep poverty forced them into the most menial of tasks and even prostitution. In 1819, he asked two young women to open a sewing workshop so that skills and basic education could be offered. With these humble beginnings, Josephine Sana and Elizabeth Berger began the educational efforts of what eventually became the mission of the Sisters of St. Mary.

Even today the sisters observe November 11 as the beginning of the Order, and partake of a simple supper of baked potatoes and apples, remembering their beginnings in a little house in Namur.

Other young women soon came to join them, and, by 1834, the women were recognized as a religious congregation, approved by Bishop Barrett of Namur. On September 21, 1834, sixteen sisters received the habit. Among this group was Sister Claire of Jesus, who would be elected superior shortly before Father Minsart’s death in 1837. For the next thirty-six years, she led the community, devoting herself to forming the religious spirit of the sisters.

The sisters were excellent teachers, believing in providing spiritual development and educational opportunities to children, especially the poor. They established schools and academies in Belgium, and, in 1863, Mother Claire sent the first missionaries of the congregation to the United States of America. The Sisters came to Texas in 1873, continuing the venture into unknown places.

Mother Claire led the Sisters of St. Mary of
Namur Community for thirty-six years from
1837 - 1873.

Today the sisters are still educators and passionate supporters of non-violence, promoting the pursuit of peace and continuing their work in education, health care, prison ministries, immigration, and adult formation. The sisters maintain missions in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Cameroon, Tanzania, Brazil and the Dominican Republic.

The History of Bishop Dunne High School
In 1961, Bishop Dunne High School began under the name Our Lady of Good Counsel High School. The Sisters of St. Mary of Namur had established two girls’ high schools in Dallas; Our Lady of Good Counsel Academy in Oak Cliff in 1901 and St. Edward’s Academy in East Dallas in 1912. At the request of the Diocese of Dallas, the Sisters agreed to close the two high schools and invite students from them to be part of a new entity, a diocesan sponsored high school. The Sisters agreed to continue staffing the girls’ section of the institution, while the Brothers of the Sacred Heart were invited to staff the boys’ section of the school.

The school opened with the accreditation and as a continuation of Our Lady of Good Counsel, although boys were now welcome. The Sisters of St. Mary provided the principal and staff for the girls’ side and the Brothers of the Sacred Heart provided the principal and staff for the boys’ side.

In 1965, the name of the school was officially changed to Bishop Dunne in honor of one of the first bishops of Dallas. In 1969, the school officially became coeducational. At that time a Brother of the Sacred Heart was named principal, and a Sister of St. Mary of Namur was named assistant principal. The Sisters remained in administrative or teaching capacity at Bishop Dunne until 1992, residing in a convent on the grounds of the school. Today, one of the Sisters of St. Mary of Namur continues to guide us through her leadership on the Bishop Dunne School Advisory Council and as a retreat leader for student participants in Bishop Dunne’s Global Catholic Partnerships.

Roll of Honor – Sisters of St. Mary of Namur Who Have Taught at Bishop Dunne

Bishop Edward Dunne
Edward Joseph Dunne was the second Catholic Bishop of Dallas, and was born at Gertnahoe, Tipperary, Ireland, on April 23, 1848. He grew up in Chicago, where his parents had moved when he was very young. He was educated at St. Mary of the Lake School in Chicago, St. Francis Seminary in Milwaukee, and St. Mary's Seminary in Baltimore. He was ordained to the priesthood in 1871, returning to Chicago as an assistant parish priest. In 1873, he worked at St. Mary's Parish in Chicago, and in 1875, he was appointed pastor of the new parish of All Saints and the fiscal overseer of the Archdiocese of Chicago.

Dunne was installed as Bishop of Dallas on January 17, 1894. During his sixteen years as Bishop, Dunne built several schools, churches and St. Paul’s Hospital. He raised funds for, and helped design, the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, later renamed the Catedral Santuario de Guadalupe. He was known for his frugal lifestyle, vision for Dallas, and his commitment to education. On August 5, 1910, Dunne died of a heart attack and was buried in Chicago.

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