Peggy Russell
Oxford, Pennsylvania
Associate since 1990
“Sister Alfred, who became a dear friend, introduced poetry and taught us to use it for calming and slipping into another world.”
-Peggy Russell
For more than twenty years Peggy Russell has been an Associated with the School Sisters of Notre Dame. Most recently, she served as the Atlantic-Midwest Associate director before stepping down in December of 2016.
A few words from Peggy about why she became an Associate:
“Sister Mary Burke taught me compassion. She was my first grade teacher and she consoled me every afternoon, as it was the first time I had been separated from my mother. Even though she had a full classroom of 70 children, she knelt beside my chair and put her arm around me while she explained that when the big hand of the clock was there and the little one was there, my mommy would be waiting across the street for me.
Until then, we were going to do some fun things. In the photo shown, she created this card for me—and one for each of my classmates—to offer our First Communion for our parents. My mother kept this and now I keep it as a reminder of the impact the sisters have had upon my life.
In second grade, Sister Angela helped us get in touch with reality as the studies became harder. Sister Philomena taught us about the global world as our studies broadened. Sister Alfred, who later became a dear friend, introduced poetry and taught us to use it for calming and slipping into another world. Sister Maria Goretti brought music to our little mountain school by playing piano and sharing her love of music.
Sister Mary Frances Angermaier, my very dear and important companion sister in the Associate relationship, has nurtured me since I became an Associate.”
