Seven School Sisters of Notre Dame celebrate
CHATAWA — On Saturday, June 13, at St. Mary of the Pines Retreat Center seven School Sisters of Notre Dame (SSND) will celebrate 75th, 60th and 50th jubilee anniversaries. The jubilarians will be recognized by the School Sisters of Notre Dame Community, family members, and friends, with a Mass and reception. This year’s jubilarians include Sister Dolorosa Stack celebrating her 75th jubilee; Sisters Dorothy Ann Balser, Mary Brian Overfield, Dorothy Scherer and Herman Marie Siebenmorgan celebrating 60th jubilees; and Sisters Rose Ann Bacak and Suzanne Pescay celebrating 50th jubilees.
A native of New Orleans, Sister Stack began her teaching ministry as a sixth grade teacher at Sacred Heart School in New Orleans. For 47 years she taught elementary and junior high students in schools in Missouri and Louisiana.
Sister Stack joined the retirement community of St. Mary of the Pines in Chatawa, in 1989 where continues serving the community through prayer and presence.
Sister Balser is the sister of Father Edward Balser, a retired priest in the Diocese of Jackson. A classroom teacher for 30 years, she taught elementary school students in Missouri, Louisiana, Texas, and Mississippi. In 1979, Sister Balser left the classroom to serve as pastoral minister at Brookhaven St. Francis of Assisi Parish. In 1985, Sister Balser joined several School Sisters of Notre Dame ministering internationally in Ghana, West Africa.
In 1996, Sister Balser returned to the United States and ministered through community service at St. Mary of the Pines. She continues to serve the SSND and world community through community service, prayer and hospitality. Sister Overfield, a classroom teacher for 18 years, taught elementary and middle school students in Wisconsin and college students at her alma mater Mt. Mary College in Milwaukee, Wisc. In 1974, she shifted her focus from classroom education to pastoral ministry, moving to Phoenix, Ariz., and later to Abilene, Texas.
Four years later, she would answer the call to serve the SSND community as administrator at St. Mary of the Pines.
In 1997, she returned to parish ministry in Midland, Texas. In 2003 she joined the retirement community of St. Mary of the Pines where she continues ministry through community service, prayer and hospitality.
An elementary and middle school classroom teacher and school administrator for 24 years, Sister Scherer served in schools in Louisiana, Missouri and Texas. In 1973, she left the classroom for pastoral ministry, serving in Arizona and Louisiana.
In 1999, she came to serve the SSND community as Director of Finance at St. Mary of the Pines. Today, she continues to serve the community through community service, prayer and hospitality. Sister Siebenmorgan spent 52 years as an elementary, intermediate, and special education teacher and school administrator in 22 schools in Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Texas, Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana.
In 2001, she joined the community of St. Mary of the Pines where she continues to serve the SSND community through community service, prayer and hospitality.
A native of Kerrville, Texas Sister Bacak professed her vows in 1959, taking the name Sister Mary Benjamin. A high school business education teacher for 13 years, Sister Bacak taught at high schools in Texas and Louisiana.
In 1974, Sister Bacak was asked to put her office and secretarial skills into practice in the school office at St. Francis of Assisi School in Brookhaven. One year later she began 11 years of community service to the SSND community, first at St. Mary of the Pines, Chatawa, and then at the province’s motherhouse in Irving, Texas.
From 1986 to 2006, Sister Bacak’s business skills took her back to Texas and then to Jackson, and later to Notre Dame Education Center in Canton. While in Canton (1997-2006), Sister Bacak continued the use of her secretarial skills and also reentered the classroom as an adult literacy teacher. Since 2006, she has served as receptionist/secretary at the Dallas Province’s Provincial Offices in Dallas.
Born in New Orleans, La., Sister Pescay began her teaching career in 1961 teaching elementary school students in Baton Rouge, La., and then special education students in Dallas, Texas.
Sister Pescay returned to Baton Rouge in 1969, serving the diocese as coordinator of special elementary education for the next nine years. In 1979 she moved to Houston to minister as associate superintendent of special services in the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston for 19 years.
From 1997 to 2005 Sister Pescay served the SSND community as the administrator at St. Mary of the Pines. She is currently the executive director of The Willwoods, Malta Park Senior Living Residence, in New Orleans.
Established in 1961, the Dallas Province of the School Sisters of Notre Dame is one of six North American provinces of an international congregation of women religious who live in community and serve the mission of Jesus through educational ministry.
This year’s jubilarians include Sister Dolorosa Stack celebrating her 75th jubilee; Sisters Dorothy Ann Balser, Mary Brian Overfield, Dorothy Scherer and Herman Marie Siebenmorgan celebrating 60th jubilees; and Sisters Rose Ann Bacak and Suzanne Pescay celebrating 50th jubilees.
of Jackson. A classroom teacher for 30 years, she taught elementary school students in Missouri, Louisiana, Texas, and Mississippi. In 1979, Sister Balser left the classroom to serve as pastoral minister at Brookhaven St. Francis of Assisi Parish. In 1985, Sister Balser joined several School Sisters of Notre Dame ministering internationally in Ghana, West Africa. 
Sister Overfield, a classroom teacher for 18 years, taught elementary and middle school students in Wisconsin and college students at her alma mater Mt. Mary College in Milwaukee, Wisc. In 1974, she shifted her focus from classroom education to pastoral ministry, moving to Phoenix, Ariz., and later to Abilene, Texas. 
l classroom teacher and school administrator for 24 years, Sister Scherer served in schools in Louisiana, Missouri and Texas. In 1973, she left the classroom for pastoral ministry, serving in Arizona and Louisiana.
Sister Siebenmorgan spent 52 years as an elementary, intermediate, and special education teacher and school administrator in 22 schools in Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Texas, Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana. 
began 11 years of community service to the SSND community, first at St. Mary of the Pines, Chatawa, and then at the province’s motherhouse in Irving, Texas.
Houston for 19 years. 