On January 3 approximately 450 members of four of the Sisters of Charity Federation congregations gathered at Convent Station to inaugurate the Bicentennial Year of the founding of the Sisters of Charity in Emmitsburg during the summer of 2009. – On January 10 sisters across the Midwest and Northeast will celebrate  her feast day at 2 p.m. at the St. Joseph Motherhouse, 5900 Delhi Road, Cincinnati.
Among those celebrating at Convent Station were representatives of
- The Sisters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul, New York
- The Sisters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul, Halifax
- The Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth, New Jersey
- The Daughters of Charity, Northeast Province, Albany
They are part of the Sisters of Charity Federation which comprises 12 congregations, approximately 4,000 vowed members and 700 lay associates, serving coast to coast in the U.S., Canada, and more than 30 other countries. We trace our roots to St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, who adapted the rule and the vision of St. Vincent de Paul and St. Louise de Marillac for the needs of the Church in early 19th century America.
Tags: Sisters of Charity, Sisters of Charity Federation
Elizabeth Seton is an amazing woman. I think she walks with everyone who is of Charity. She is with us in a way and God knows we need her still. She is our North American Saint of Charity.
The USA has so few canonized Saints–7, I believe, not counting the North American Martyrs. Mexico has over 50 canonized Saints–I think Elizabeth would make a big deal of that, because the Americas are really one huge continent and if we counted canonized Saints across the Central and South American locations, we’d have 130 or more.
She, Elizabeth, would teach all of us this reality.
Polish readers are invited to read the article: RozpoczÄ™cie obchodów 200-lecia Sióstr MiÅ‚osierdzia w Stanach Zjednoczonych – “Seton Bicentennial Legacy” in Famvin Polska
And Fr. John Freund was the main celebrant of the liturgy. He gave a wonderful homily that is still being quoted among many of the attendees.
The celebration was rather historic as it brought together Sisters and Daughters of Charity from the NY/NJ area for the first time (at least in recent history). We hope that it will be followed by many more.