HNEM History
From 1843 to the present, the Congregation of the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary has founded and served in educational institutions bearing their name as well as other diocesan schools and ministries, with a dedication to developing the whole person and a particular emphasis on the education of young women and girls. In 2022, the U.S.-Ontario Province was granted approval to establish HNEM, a leadership group made up of Sisters and lay persons, to continue the active sponsorship of its eight educational institutions.
Sisters of the Holy Names – the Congregation
The Congregation of the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary (SNJM) is an international order of Catholic Sisters with a three-fold mission of prayer, ministry, and community. Our Sisters and Affiliates are dedicated to the full development of the human person through education, social justice, contemplation, and the arts.
Founded in the Province of Quebec, Canada, in 1843, the Congregation, led by its foundress Eulalie Durocher (later Blessed Marie Rose Durocher), responded with energy and purpose to the lack of formal education for young women and girls, especially in under-resourced areas. The number of Sisters grew quickly, and, despite the death of Marie Rose in 1849 at the young age of 38, by 1859 they had already begun to expand their life and ministry geographically, including into the United States.
They arrived first in Portland, Oregon, the “far west,” and later answered calls to New York, California, Florida, Washington, and Ontario, Canada. Over the years, they founded educational institutions on both coasts of the United States and responded to requests to lead and serve in many Catholic diocesan elementary and secondary schools. Today the Congregation continues to fulfill its mission in Canada, the United States, Lesotho, Brazil, and Peru.
The Formation of the U.S.-Ontario Province
In 2006, after a careful, thoughtful planning process, the four U.S. Provinces of California, New York, Oregon, and Washington, along with Ontario, Canada, joined together as one U.S.-Ontario Province. This initiative was in response to the demographic realities of religious congregations in the U.S. and beyond and the need to restructure administrative and other responsibilities.
Educational Ministries of the Province
The educational ministries sponsored by the U.S.-Ontario Province, all founded by the Sisters of the Holy Names between 1859 and 1994, have included one university, six all-girls’ secondary schools, a music center, and a nonprofit adult literacy center. Each ministry has its own civil corporation that includes a two-tiered governance structure that assures appropriate influence by the Sisters in areas of mission and fiscal viability. The longevity of the thriving legacy institutions and the mission-focused vitality of the two founded after 1980 demonstrate the effectiveness of this governance model and the strength of the educational programs.
The Establishment and Purpose of Holy Names Educational Ministries (HNEM)
Recognizing the challenging demographics of congregations of religious women and men in the United States, in 2016 the Sisters of the Holy Names began an intensive process of research and consultation, seeking models of sponsorship that would ensure a vibrant, mission-focused future for their educational institutions. When asked about the values they wanted maintained in any new model of sponsorship, the leaders of these ministries articulated two: their Catholic identity and their relationship with the Sisters, their Core Values and their mission and traditions.
The result of this process indicated that the best available option was to request of the Vatican a new MPJP to assume the sponsorship role. The Sisters of the Province, gathered at their Province Chapter in 2018, voted unanimously to approve this action. Subsequently, the Province Leadership Team also unanimously approved it.
The petition for the approval of a new MPJP, Holy Names Educational Ministries, was submitted to the Dicastery in Rome in October of 2021 and was officially approved on December 8, 2022.
Since then, a new HNEM Board has been appointed by the Province Leadership, currently consisting of five Sisters and four lay women and men. Formation programs have been developed and implemented for these Board members and for local ministry leaders. A new Charism Assessment Program has been created and an Executive Director has been hired to support and collaborate with the Board and the ministries.