News that the Institute of Notre Dame would cease operations effective June 30 came not just in the midst of an economic downturn, but near the end of the academic year, compounding anxiety for 161 current juniors, sophomores and freshmen, as well as the dozens of men and women who serve on its faculty and staff.
They’re mourning the loss of a beloved institution, and searching for a new place to study and work – all while practicing remote learning because of the coronavirus pandemic.
School Sister of Notre Dame Charmaine Krohe, provincial leader of the SSND’s Atlantic-Midwest Province, and School Sister Patricia Murphy, chairwoman of IND’s Board of Trustees, announced May 5 the closing of the school, which was founded by their order in 1847.
IND faced increased expenses on the facility front – $5 million in urgently needed repairs to its building on Aisquith Street and $34 million to make it a “state-of-the-art” facility – and declining enrollment.
IND’s final graduation, originally scheduled for May 30 at the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen in Homeland, has been pushed back to July 26. The class of 2020 numbers 54 girls. It’s the smallest graduating class in recent memory, as IND graduated 94 in 2016.
IND has 66 juniors, 45 sophomores and 50 freshmen. Lisa Wetzel, assistant head of school for academics, said that the re-enrollment deadline had been extended in response to the pandemic causing “financial uncertainty for so many.”
“Girls are still attending class, teachers are still teaching,” Wetzel said. “Now they’re all dealing with needing to find a school for next year.”
Wetzel leads of team that has gotten help from other Catholic high schools, including five all-girls schools in the Greater Baltimore area: The Catholic High School of Baltimore; Maryvale Preparatory School, Lutherville; Mercy High School, Baltimore, Mount de Sales Academy, Catonsville; and Notre Dame Preparatory School, Towson. As of June 9, meanwhile, The John Carroll School in Bel Air had enrolled 10 former IND students.
“They’ve all been gracious, and open to the work we’re trying to do,” Wetzel said. “We’d love to see our girls continue in Catholic schools.”
Sarah Rye, an IND sophomore, was attracted by its Shadow Day, the opportunity for overseas enrichment and the Penguins’ crew team. She also applied to NDP two years ago, and her name remained in its computer bank.Now she has already enrolled at NDP for the 2020-21 year.
If anything, her parents are even more sold on Catholic schools.
“Everyone at IND knew her name,” Rebecca Rye said. “With COVID-19, we’ve been terribly impressed with its ability to switch gears. It did not skip a beat, and went to online learning with the same academic rigor it had in a physical classroom. That’s one of the reasons we continued to look at Catholic schools.”
IND traditions included a showcase basketball game against Mercy High; the late School Sister of Notre Dame Hilda “Hildie” Sutherland, who gave six decades of service to the school; and scores of students who themselves became SSNDs.
They include Sister Patricia Murphy, the board chairwoman and a 1962 graduate, and Sister Patricia McCarron, the headmistress of NDP and a member of the class of 1980.
“My life was greatly enriched and significantly impacted at IND,” the latter said. “I was part of something special, part of a community that made a difference in the world. Like my predecessors, I was called to live the Gospel message, respond to God’s call in my life and live a life of service to others.”
Email Paul McMullen at pmcmullen@CatholicReview.org
Also see:
Alumnae mourn the loss of Institute of Notre Dame, the ‘hidden gem of Baltimore’
IND, oldest girls’ prep school in Maryland, closing its doors for good
‘Sister Hildie’ was beloved presence at IND for more than six decades
