To begin the new year, Sisters and Associates from the Sisters of Charity of New York and the Sisters of Charity of St. Elizabeth came together in Convent Station, NJ for the Feast of the Epiphany, and to celebrate the Feast of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton.
August 28, 2024 will mark the 250th anniversary of our foundress’ birth.
More than 150 participants braved an impending snow storm to gather for the special occasion. The day began with a breakfast social in the Academy of Saint Elizabeth Study Hall, followed by an engaging panel presentation on Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton: Seeker, Servant, Saint.
Sr. Claire Regan, SCNY, Sr. Noreen Neary, SCNJ, and SCNY Associate, Lisa A. Shay, were the presenters for the morning, while Sr. Ceil McManus, SCNJ, served as MC.
The Feast of the Epiphany was very significant to Elizabeth. Her decision to convert to Catholicism came soon after reading and reflecting on a sermon about the three wise men seeking the Child born in Bethlehem, which she saw as paralleling her own quest for the one true Church.
Elizabeth was known as “Mother” to her Sisters in community, and what mother would not also be experienced as SERVANT through her generous, loving care given to those she loves.
Her legacy has also been enshrined in the St. Elizabeth Ann Seton parish in Livorno, Italy, which I visited through a sequence of events that I can only attribute to Providence.
Following time for plenty of lively table discussions, participants made their way to the Holy Family Chapel for Liturgy, before enjoying a delicious luncheon in the Academy Study Hall.
