This year marks the 175th anniversary of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur arriving in California and the founding of Notre Dame San Jose. As the oldest girls’ school in the western United States and one of the oldest Catholic high schools in California, we strive to lift up our legacy while lighting the way to the future.

A History of Opportunity

The SNDdeN's California story has its roots in post-Revolutionary France, where Julie Billiart and Françoise Blin de Bourdon founded the congregation in 1804 with a mission to advance women and girls through education. In 1843, six Sisters answered an invitation to Oregon, enduring a seven-month sea voyage before arriving in August 1844 and establishing two schools in the Willamette Valley.

In Spring 1851, two of those Sisters traveled to San Francisco to meet four newly arriving members of the Oregon mission. There, Archbishop Joseph Alemany, O.P., urged them to remain and open a school in San José for children of gold rush families. They agreed, and on August 4, 1851, Notre Dame College opened on Santa Clara Street in what was then the state capital, offering day and boarding programs, as well as high school and college programs.

The Sisters expanded educational opportunities at a time when education for girls was far from guaranteed. True to Julie's spirit, no child was turned away. The school grew, the curriculum evolved, and in time it was chartered as the College of Notre Dame — the first college for women in California, celebrated as “the best school for young women in the West.”

Over time, the college and high school separated; Notre Dame de Namur University relocated to Belmont, while Notre Dame High School moved in 1928 to its present location at South 2nd and Reed Streets, into a home donated by Judge and State Senator Myles P. O'Connor and his wife, Amanda.

“One hundred seventy-five years after those first uncertain beginnings in San José, the tapestry woven by the Sisters is rich, far-reaching and evolving,” said Sister Kathryn Keenan, member of the NDSJ Board of Directors as well as the SNDdeN East-West Province Leadership Team. 

Kicking off the Celebration: Spring Liturgy

NDSJ is delighted to join with the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur and the Most Reverend Oscar Cantú, Bishop of San José, as we embark on a year-long celebration of 175 years of ministry, education, and women's leadership. It all begins with our annual Spring Liturgy this Friday, April 17, at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Joseph in Downtown San José.

Together, we will affirm the hallmarks and traditions unique to a Notre Dame Catholic education and reflect on our ongoing evolution as the Center for Women’s Leadership in Silicon Valley. We invite you to follow along via live stream on the NDSJ YouTube channel.

Following the liturgy, Notre Dame family and friends are welcome to join faculty, staff, students, and community members on campus from 12-1:30pm for a special reception featuring refreshments, student performances, and more. Please RSVP via this webform no later than 5pm Wednesday, April 15.