Notre Dame Seishin University

In the context of the great confusion generated by the French Revolution, and in spite of her ill health, St. Julie Billiart (1751-1816) dedicated herself to reestablishing Christian belief. After making strenuous efforts with her supporters, she succeeded early in the 19th century in founding a Catholic educational order in France, the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, whose mission was to educate poor women and children. She always gave her blessing by saying, “Ah! qu’il est bon le bon Dieu!” (“Ah! How good is the good God!”) With these words in mind, since then, more than 2,100 members of the sisters of Notre Dame de Namur have been engaged in education in 8 countries and regions of the world (the U.S.A., Italy, the U.K., Belgium, France, Japan, Africa, and South America) to communicate the goodness of God to students. We have always called St. Julie “Mother Julie” out of deep love for her. Six members of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur from Waltham Province, in Massachusetts, the U.S.A., were sent to Okayama city in the west of Japan in August of 1924 in order to educate young Japanese women. The six sisters took over the management of Okayama Women’s High School, and did their best to give young women better and higher education, working with teachers who shared the same Christian aims in education. Their long efforts resulted in the foundation of Notre Dame Seishin University in 1949. Sr. Aimee Julie, the second President of Notre Dame Seishin University, had been one of the original six sisters. Notre Dame Seishin University, which was the first and the only women’s university in Okayama Prefecture in 1949, has already celebrated its 60th Jubilee. We now have 8 sister universities or colleges in the U.S.A., the U.K. and Belgium, and have agreed to collaborate with 12 others in Europe, North America, Australia and Asia regarding study abroad programs. We are eager to further our endeavors to provide an academic background for young people to become leaders in the 21st century.