St. Julie was determined to make known the goodness of God. She described the person in love with God living a simple focused life, ‘Simplicity resembles that beautiful flower called the sunflower which follows all the movements of the sun and ever turns towards it. Those who possess the beautiful virtue of simplicity are always turned towards God alone.’ This focus made her a woman who lived courageously through her actions and was determined to bring the news of her loving God into the most abandoned places and to the poorest people. She wanted to give them tools to change their lives and the lives of others. This was her mission for Catholic education.  

The sisters arrived in March 1851. Two years earlier, Fr James Nugent, the pioneering social reformer and founder of modern day Nugent care, had seen 600 people gathered for Mass and 200 children ready to receive instruction at St. Mary’s in the centre of the city. Poverty was rife. This sight led him to see the need to bring the renowned teaching order of Notre Dame to Liverpool. Within two months of their arrival and educating six hundred children gathered in a basic school at St Nicholas, a revolution had been effected such that HM Inspector of Schools wrote ‘It is a special character of institutions conducted by teachers of this class, that the intellectual work they accomplish, however valuable and effective, is uniformly accompanied by a more precious moral and religious triumph, of which they alone seemed to possess the secret.’ Catholic education transforms the whole person – intellect, moral and religious. On the Monday week after their arrival the sisters began the work of secondary education. They began with 9 pupils - one who later joined the Liverpool community - and eight months later the numbers had increased to over 30. We rejoice that from small seeds grow large trees. The sisters knew that education provided a means of change to transform the opportunities for young women for generations. They wanted to provide high quality education for girls in a rapidly growing and industrialising city where children lacked access to the schooling that would equip then for the social, economic and moral challenges of the era.

The sisters quickly became a vital presence in the local community. They laid the foundations for a network of schools that would serve Liverpool for more than 175 years. From 3 Islington Flags to Mount Pleasant, Everton Valley and Woolton, and much later to the amalgamation and renewal which led to St Julie’s Catholic High School and Notre Dame Catholic Academy. We thank God for the sister’s achievement of female education and development of leadership which promotes the value and dignity of women, raises their aspirations and ambition, develops resilience, independence and forms women to serve their communities with faith and generosity.

This legacy continues powerfully today through the schools and colleges founded by the Sisters of Notre Dame. We think also of Notre Dame College that became part of the Liverpool Hope to educate firstly Catholic teachers and then a wider audience of young people. Your presence in the cathedral today is a witness to this vision.

On this feast of the Annunciation we celebrate the moment when the young girl, Mary of Nazareth, said ‘Yes, Thy Will be Done’ to the angel Gabriel sent by God. From the humility of her obscure life in Nazareth, she was chosen in God’s mysterious plan to be the Mother of the Saviour Jesus Christ. We can image the scene portrayed in many beautiful paintings of the angel greeting Mary. The angel’s wings quiver; the angel Gabriel asks the question; the air of disturbed by the angel’s question as it travels to Mary’s ears; there is a moment of waiting and Mary then says ‘Fiat, Yes, Thy Will be done’. Each of the sisters responded to this call.

Today this invitation to follow God’s call is extended to each one of you present. How is God calling you to develop your gifts and use them in the service and for the good of others? The words of St John Henry Newman on the little card given to you come to mind. It begins, ‘God knows me and calls me by my name... God has created me to do Him some definite service, He has committed some work to me which He has not committed to another. I have my mission... I am necessary for his purposes, I have a part in this great work... I will trust Him’

On this day of rejoicing may God bless you and the work begun by the Sisters of Notre Dame 175 years ago here in Liverpool. May you continue it into the future.