The Nun Study

"Educators to the End"

In 1986, Dr. David Snowdon introduced his research on aging to the School Sisters of Notre Dame in Mankato, MN, and asked for their participation in a pilot study. In 1991, additional participation by School Sisters of Notre Dame throughout the United States led to a total of 678 members in his study that is now known as the Nun Study. These sisters, dedicated to education, saw his request as another way to teach, even beyond their lifetimes.

Numerous articles have appeared on the Nun Study, but the appearance of S. Hermana Maurer on the cover of TIME magazine was a first in SSND history. She is one of three women religious ever to be pictured on the cover of TIME: Mother Mary Columba of Maryknoll, in 1955, and Mother Theresa of Calcutta, in 1975.

For more information, visit www.nunstudy.org or view a CNN report here.

Information taken from "Sturdy Roots: An Educational Resource for Studying the Heritage and Spirit of the School Sisters of Notre Dame" http://www.sturdyroots.org/ns_nun_study.htm .