In the final days of the school, the Institute of Notre Dame will shut down on June 30 amidst a pandemic that hinders anyone from being inside the establishment. This institution, which has produced notable alumni such as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and former U.S. Senator Barbara Mikulski, will be closing its doors.
“Leaders expressed in an email to the IND community on Tuesday, ‘We had anticipated a different result and have been making tremendous efforts over the past few years to establish a viable future’.”
They cited financial difficulties and declining enrollment as reasons to raise at least $5 million to cover part of the building repairs’ cost.
Sister Charmaine Krohe, the head of the School Sisters of Notre Dame of Atlantic-Midwest Province, and Sister Patricia Murphy, the chair of the board of trustees, stated, “despite the unwavering dedication of the Sisters, the Board of Trustees, and the school’s leadership team, it has become apparent that there is no feasible way to move forward.”
The school has a recent history of educating a diverse group of boys and girls, with college as the destination for all of them. In the 1970s, the school moved its campus out of the suburbs and remained in the IND suburbs. Despite a declining city population and outbreaks of riots and disease, the school persevered. According to the school’s history, the first graduating class of IND could be heard from a distance as if they were firing cannons in the Civil War in July 1864.
The announcement of the news on Tuesday afternoon spread sadness and outrage around the country and the city, with graduates expressing their sadness and outrage, saying that the institution had shaped their morals and values.
Mikulski expressed deep sorrow in a statement, stating, “I felt a profound sadness when I learned today that the Institute of Notre Dame will be permanently shutting down.” “Baltimore is undeniably losing a cherished establishment.”
Mikulski stated that she gained knowledge about life’s principles as much as she did about Latin or literature.
Since I first attempted to learn angles, both in geometry and sewing, I have shed tears over my failed attempts at sewing buttonholes. Lucretia, my sister, has witnessed two of my failures. Despite this, she remarked, “Debating and drama were my favorite activities.”
My brother Tommy was a longtime member of the board of Hearts Our in Enshrined is Patria et Deo Pro — its creed. Both my mother and I went to IND. Pelosi tweeted, “Sad news.”
The creed signifies “for the Almighty and the nation.”
Martha McKenna, who served as the chair of the board and graduated from IND in 1992, credits her time at the school for shaping her future career in politics.
McKenna expressed, “If I hadn’t had those four years at IND, I can’t even imagine what my life would be like. It’s not just a commitment to social justice that comes from IND’s values.” McKenna added, “My love for Baltimore City came from going to school at IND.”
The comprehensive education attracted her to the cause of social justice, and she remembered being selected to provide then-Mayor of Baltimore, Kurt Schmoke, with a guided tour of the school.
“It meant everything to me,” expressed Alexis Poindexter, the valedictorian for the year 2019, who currently attends Williams College.
Jane’s sister, in particular, was said to have a guiding influence on her. She said that the faculty helped her conquer her work, especially when she initially struggled with academics.
Sister Jane expressed her distress by exclaiming, “I cannot fathom the fact that they are shutting down.” Engaged in texting her friends and preparing to make a phone call, she shared her disbelief just a few minutes after receiving the news. She mentioned that this revelation had a profound effect on her, making her realize that she may not have always been as compassionate and considerate as she could be.
John Pica, a former state senator who raised funds for a scholarship in memory of his deceased sister, stated that the closure was declared during a video conference, during which numerous students were in tears. He described the news as deeply saddening.
He expressed, “It was heartbreaking for these children and their families.” “Now, one hundred seventy-three years of hopes and recollections have been diminished and lost.”
The decision was made due to the worsened financial situation of the school, as there was not enough revenue. The board was advising that they would not continue to give money to the student body, who already had discounted tuition and financial aid, with 90% of the students receiving it. Additionally, enrollment had declined by 43% in the past five years, according to Murphy and Krohe, who were major contributors.
To construct a cutting-edge establishment, the educational institution required $34 million and an additional $5 million for urgent renovations. The school’s edifice, which had been situated on Aisquith Street in East Baltimore for over a hundred years, was in need of immediate attention.
“And now, COVID-19 has resulted in substantial, additional financial difficulty,” Krohe and Murphy stated in the letter to the community.
A previous educator, Mike Reeb, expressed that the Baltimore site “has been considered hallowed territory.” The sisters persisted in broadening their reach to additional states, yet the initial educational institution they constructed was in Baltimore. After establishing schools across Europe, they resolved to embark on a journey to America, establishing the school alongside a collective of School Sisters of Notre Dame.
Over the past few decades, the school remained in its declining neighborhood. As per a 1997 article in the Baltimore Sun, the school remained unaffected during the Baltimore riots in 1968, except for the graffiti of “soul sisters” on the building. They supported students and one another during the 1918 pandemic. As participants in the Underground Railroad, the sisters assisted enslaved individuals in attaining freedom amidst the Civil War.
According to Sean Caine, a representative of the Archdiocese, “For many years, it has served as a shining example of Catholic education,” emphasizing that the narrative of Catholic education in Baltimore would not be complete without starting with the Institute of Notre Dame.
He mentioned that the Archdiocese is dedicated to assisting its students in discovering alternative Catholic schools to enroll in.
Christine Goins, a 2005 alumna currently residing in North Carolina, expressed her astonishment at discovering that the establishment will not endure for future generations.
She expressed, “IND was a sanctuary for self-expression…,”. “It was a location where you could belt out songs at maximum volume in its dining areas and engage in solemn prayers in its exquisite chapel hours afterwards.”
She said that beyond the plaster walls, high windows, and beautiful woodwork, we discovered the significance of contributing and assisting others on the streets beyond.
Maria Pica, Pica’s sister, used to bring out her uniform and recite IND cheers during family holiday gatherings before she passed away from leukemia in 2006. She completed her studies and graduated in the year 1971.
Pica said he is concerned about the fate of students who must find new schools to attend — and he hopes to figure out how to pay for them and offer them assistance.
The leadership stated in their email that it is important for us to come together in person to provide comfort and support to one another. They expressed deep regret that the community cannot hold a closing ceremony to remember, celebrate, and mourn, as they had hoped.