LOWELL -- The Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur founded St. Patrick School and Education Center in 1852 to educate the children of poor immigrants working in Lowell's mills. To this day, the teachers still strive to maintain the sisters' spirit of service, diversity, and community.

In a Dec. 13 interview, Principal Tim Ruggere said that coming to work at St. Patrick's felt like coming home. He was taught by the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur when he was growing up in Dorchester. Having attended Catholic schools, he experienced a culture shock when he began his career in education working in public schools. After an early retirement, a friend convinced him to apply for the position at St. Patrick School. Ruggere became the principal last spring, making him the school's first male principal in 175 years.

"When I toured the building, I fell in love with the place. And I really fell in love with Sister Julie Billiart's story," Ruggere said, referring to the foundress of the order.

Today, most of the faculty and staff are laypeople. Only a few are religious sisters, and only one is a Sister of Notre Dame de Namur. But both the lay and the religious teachers practice and pass on the hallmarks of the order. These include proclaiming God's goodness, by deed even more than word; honoring the dignity of each person; working toward justice and peace; and fostering community among those they serve.

Linda Trouville, a former public school principal and superintendent, came out of retirement to work at St. Patrick School last year. She now teaches science, religion, world history, and music. She took it upon herself to begin a music and arts program when she saw that the school was not teaching those subjects. She directed all the students in a production of "The Lion King" last year, and they are planning to put on "The Wizard of Oz" this spring.

She said she loves the "comradery" of the teachers, whom she described as "self-sacrificing."

"They do a lot on their own, they make do with what they have, and they enhance it with their own creativity. It's just amazing how they do that. And they never complain. That, to me, says a lot, that it's a career for them, not just a job," Trouville said.

Like Ruggere, Michelle Schecter also had a connection to the Sisters of Notre Dame before she joined the faculty. She previously worked at the St. Julie Asian Center, an adult education center for Lowell's immigrant community, providing free daycare to clients. When it closed in the mid-2000s, the sister in charge put Schecter in touch with St. Patrick School, where she became a kindergarten and pre-K aide. She took over as the full-time kindergarten teacher 10 years ago.

Schecter said one of the best things the school does is celebrate the diversity of their community. This reflects one of the hallmarks of the Sisters of Notre Dame, embracing diversity as a gift.

"The different cultures that are within this community is wonderful. And if you walk into our school you will see the representation of all the different ethnicities in the City of Lowell," Schecter said.

Every year, the school holds International Day, when they celebrate and learn about the many cultures present in their community. Students are invited to wear their culture's traditional clothing and participate in a fashion show. They also can bring traditional dishes to share at lunch. Teachers set up activities from different countries for students to try in each classroom, like Irish step-dancing.

Another hallmark of the Sisters of Notre Dame is a commitment to community service. Both teachers and students take part in this. Some years, they have helped clean the library during Catholic Schools Week. Schecter's class collects money and shops for items to donate to the Lowell Humane Society.

"They give what they can. We can still participate in these community service projects, and the parents are really, really good with that. Even though they might be struggling at home, they could still give a couple dollars to help us give back to community service, which stands out in our school. So, they might not have a lot, but they do share a lot," Schecter said.

She said the hallmarks and mission of the Sisters of Notre Dame are "an integral part of our school."

"I love the school, I love the mission, I love the family that we have there, the kids and the staff. I just hope we can continue to service the community that we service for years and years to come," Schecter said.