“There is a sense of true joy in that room,” said Marla Wokurka, campus minister at Notre Dame High School (NDHS), St. Louis. “No electronics, no filters or social media, just real human contact and connection which fuels pure joy like nothing else.”

The “room” she is referring to is the gym at NDHS where once a month during the school year, it becomes the meeting space for a unique gathering. Some 90 students and 23 St. Louis area School Sisters of Notre Dame (SSND) join for Nun Buddies, a program which pairs the high schoolers with a sister “buddy.” Together, they share lunch and an activity, but more than that, create lasting bonds that connect generations.

The program began some 15 years ago, the idea of the then campus ministry team who recognized the special opportunity available to them with the school sharing the same larger campus as the sisters’ home, Sancta Maria in Ripa. Last year, as sisters began to move to new homes in preparation for the eventual sale of Sancta Maria in Ripa, sisters committed to commute to the high school to keep the program’s monthly meetings going.

“We had a club rush at the beginning of the school year, and the juniors and seniors were so excited about Nun Buddies,” said Marla. “Their enthusiasm encouraged the new 9th graders to sign up. Truly it is one of our most popular clubs.”

This is the first year that Sister Connie Schmidt is participating in the program. “What appealed to me was having the opportunity to spend some time with young people,” said Sister Connie. “My last ministry with youth was eight years ago and so I don’t want to lose understanding of how young people think and live these days, which seems like it’s such a changing time.”

Sister Connie continued, “Meeting with these young women from NDHS is a privilege, to see the charism of Blessed Theresa alive and well in them and their teachers that we meet too! They are so respectful and polite! They give off a lot of energy every time we meet each month. And I love that! I hope I am also sharing my love of SSND with them when I encourage them in their educational and spiritual formation that is such a part of their every day!”

“I like to share with them about how wonderful and fun it is to be a teacher and how really great it is to live in community with people who have a core belief straight from God and our foundresses,” said Sister Andre Soete, who is in her fourth year of being a Nun Buddy. “I share about all of the opportunities that I’ve had in my life to live with people and sisters of other cultures, first in Japan and then the experience of living in a whole different world in Nepal.”

Each Nun Buddies gathering includes group lunch and activity between sisters and students. Together, they enjoy games, crafts, storytelling or a holiday-focused activity. They exchange notes, gifts and treats, as well as stories about their lives, families, challenges and successes.

“I enjoy the treatment of important holidays and feasts of each month in a way that makes them the center of the activity,” said Sister Andre. “We celebrate and share traditions around Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Valentine’s Day, etc., and those in charge are careful to make different and fun activities around those themes. Those themes get us started in our conversations about various aspects of our lives and families, and it’s just a good start and a way to share and have fun.”

“As the campus minister and an alum, I think one of the greatest gifts of this program is that it bridges generations and passes down history,” said Marla. “It helps to keep the spirit and charisms of the SSND alive and active in a new generation. It is important for the students to know the stories of the great women who made the way for all we have today. Anytime there is a personal connection or a human face you can connect to a story, it makes that history more real and tangible. It keeps our story alive, active and fruitful.”

“I think what’s valuable and meaningful on the side of sisters is the opportunity to be with and have a relationship with these young high school kids and be in touch with this next generation,” said Sister Andre. “On the students’ side, I believe the girls have a chance to meet with women who are not their teachers, parents or grandparents, but another woman who can share her life (and maybe wisdom) with them.”

“Another great benefit is for the students to spend time with religious sisters and hear about a vocation and life that they may not usually be exposed to,” said Marla. “It may open some hearts for vocations and for the Holy Spirit to do deep work. It forms unique connections and friendships. Many of the students and sisters communicate by email or even “snail mail.” These young women are receiving wisdom, prayer and a perspective they might not find anywhere else. It is truly a beautiful and unique opportunity with benefits to both the sisters and the students.”

Even after graduation, the relationships fostered through Nun Buddies sometimes continue through calls and cards, and even invitations to weddings and other life events.

“I have a daughter who is now 21 and a junior in college who still writes and keeps in touch with her Nun Buddy,” said Marla. “This is not just a club; lifelong connections are being formed.”