Sister Elizabeth Calcagni, a beloved educator, founder of the Notre Dame Montessori School, and dedicated member of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, passed away peacefully on October 7, 2024. She was a remarkable figure whose life’s work profoundly impacted countless children and families throughout the Dorchester community and in particular, the Harbor Point neighborhood.

Born in 1935, Sister Elizabeth entered the Order of Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur in 1954, embracing a life of service and education. In 1973, at the invitation of Fr. George Carrigg, she founded the Notre Dame Montessori School in the basement of St. Christopher Church, where she served as director for 42 years. Under her guidance, the school became a community institution, nurturing more than 1,000 children from diverse backgrounds and ensuring that quality education was accessible to all. Sister Elizabeth was unwavering in her commitment to her mission, exemplified by her policy that no child would ever be turned away, regardless of their family’s ability to pay.

Her thoughtful and joyful approach to education fostered self-esteem, independence, inner motivation and a love of learning among her students. Sister Elizabeth believed that each child has unique potential and deserves the opportunity to thrive. Her passion for teaching and her nurturing spirit created an environment where children felt safe, loved, and inspired to learn.

Sister Elizabeth leaves behind a legacy of compassion, dedication, and innovation in education. Her loving influence will continue to be felt through the lives of the children she taught, the teachers she trained, the families she supported, and the values she instilled in them all. She will be dearly missed by her students, fellow sisters, and the community that she so lovingly served.

Sister Elizabeth’s funeral will be held Friday, October 18 in St. Christopher’s Church, 265 Mount Vernon St., Dorchester, with a visitation period at 10 a.m. followed by Sharing of Memories at 10:30 a.m. and a Mass at 11 a.m.

Friends and family are invited to celebrate her extraordinary life and the enduring impact she had on the lives of so many.

Burial will be in Worcester County Memorial Park, Paxton at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, donations in her memory may be made to the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, 351 Broadway, Everett, MA 02149

NOTES

Sr. Elizabeth was invited to open her school in 1973 by
Fr. George Carrigg, longtime pastor of St. Christopher Church. Since then, Sr. Elizabeth and her
teachers have been a steady, welcoming, nurturing force amidst many changes in the neighborhood
over the last 4+ decades, and an educational institution of the highest quality and best start for its
young students. Throughout the years, the School remained wholly committed to its strong tradition
of quality education available to all, regardless of ability to pay - no child was ever turned away.
With Sister’s Elizabeth’s leadership, the school’s success is demonstrated in part by the commitment
of its teachers over the years and the generations of families who have come through its doors.
Some families attending the Celebration on June 13 th will have sent both children and grandchildren to
the school. Margarita Rosario, a former teacher at the school and her family will participate in the
festivities. Ms. Rosario sent all five of her children, who now range in ages 26 to 40 years old, to the
Notre Dame Montessori School. She loved the school so much as a parent that she became a
teacher there from 1977 through 1994. Still active as a volunteer at NDMS, Ms. Rosario has seen
generations of her family become part of the Notre Dame Montessori School community, “My children
and grandchildren, nieces and nephews loved going to school here. As students at NDMS, they
always came home with such excitement about learning.”
Sister Elizabeth Calcagni, Director of the School, and her teachers provide the only affordable, high quality
early childhood educational opportunity for many under-served children in the Columbia Point area and
neighboring communities. The program aims at building self-esteem, independence and inner motivation.
Most students at the school benefit substantially from the sliding-scale tuition and no child has ever been
turned away for financial reasons.
The Notre Dame Montessori School has planted the seeds of learning in more than 1,100 children since it
first opened in the basement of St. Christopher Church in 1973. It remains wholly committed to continuing
its strong 40-year tradition of providing quality education available to all, regardless of ability to pay.