The relationship between the University of Notre Dame and Saint Mary’s College spans over 180 years. In order to accurately explain the origins of the union between both institutions, it is beneficial to set a historical foundation for the forces that compelled the Congregation of the Holy Cross to preach in South Bend. Blessed Brother Basil Moreau founded the Congregation of the Holy Cross in Le Mans, France in 1836 (Hahn 19). After obtaining agency and influence as a Catholic missionary throughout France, Father Moreau and his counterpart, Father Sorin, set their sights on evangelizing in the newly pioneered wilderness of the United States, and South Bend, Indiana was a prime location. This effort to evangelize was not without its own problems, as the United States and its citizens were predominantly Protestant. Therefore, the congregation of the Holy Cross “like their co-religionists elsewhere in the nation…. felt the need to prove their ability to be devout Catholics and good Americans” when they arrived in South Bend in 1843 (Hahn 8). Thus, the Brothers and Sisters of the Holy Cross had to ensure that their actions were beyond reproach in order to secure the future success of both their congregation and their new college.
In his efforts to recruit more lay people to operate the mission and teach at newly-founded Bertrand boarding school, Father Sorin requested that four sisters of the Holy Cross travel to America to help him in his educational efforts and housekeeping, sparking what would be known as the union between Notre Dame and Saint Mary’s College. On June 6, 1843, these sisters arrived at a second Holy Cross mission in Bertrand, Michigan and “immediately began the domestic work, which included overseeing the sacristy, the infirmary, the laundry, and the dairy. In addition they took on many other menial tasks that might be needed and also did some teaching to area children” (Hahn 29; see also Sister Mary Immaculate 8-9). As time passed, the sisters’ roles continued to expand and evolve, with the role of teaching becoming increasingly important until, eventually, Saint Mary’s College was born.