Sisters of Charity Reflect on Elizabeth

An Interview with Mother Seton
By S. Ruth Hunt

 As part of the 200th anniversary celebration of Elizabeth Seton’s founding of the Sisters of Charity in 1809, we have asked a few Sisters of Charity to prepare a reflection piece on Mother Seton. The following is the first of four reflections appearing in Intercom in 2009.

RH: May I refer to you as Mother, since my questions will relate to the Congregations that you founded and whose members called you mother?

MS: I would prefer that you do. I think of myself as mother of my own children, as well as the women who have followed me into religious life as Sisters of Charity.

RH: As we celebrate this 200 th anniversary of the founding of your religious community, are you surprised by what you witness in the congregation?

MS: My answer would have to be yes and no. I am amazed that, through the years, God has blessed so many young people with the grace of a vocation, especially to the Sisters of Charity. I am surprised by all the changes they have experienced. They have faced many transitions, some of them very traumatic. However, I am not surprised by what they have done and by what they continue to do. I asked of them to be Daughters of the Church, and they have done this exceptionally well.

RH: You mention the Church. Do you see any difference in the Church structure you dealt with and the Church the sisters deal with today?

MS: I had many friends among Church leaders who guided me both spiritually and in forming a community. The Church, as I knew it as a convert, was a very hierarchical structure, and since I knew nothing else, it did not pose much of a problem for me. There were many times that the leaders of the Church and I did not see eye-to-eye, and I suspect I took them by surprise when I questioned, and upon occasion, rejected their opinions. My sisters have lived through the time of Vatican Council II and in response to that I feel they have been open to the Spirit, reaffirming their commitment to love God and neighbor. They have reaffirmed their belief that all are created equal and the Church is losing a valuable resource when it disregards the role of women in the Church.

RH: What do you most value about your community today?

MS: What I wanted most was for my sisters to be “counter-cultural,” to be a sign to the world that we could have a world where all are considered equal. I wanted them to show people it was possible to live simply, to live together in community, to be free to serve all, to work for peace and justice. I see them work daily to accomplish this, and I am so proud.

RH: You founded your community to be educators did you not?

MS: Not necessarily. When I moved to Baltimore, Md., I taught young women in order to support myself and my children. I always valued education as the cornerstone of a society whose people will have the basic necessities for themselves and for all people. Today the community is involved in many types of ministry, but I still see them as educators, regardless of the work they do. They have stepped out to “meet the needs of the time” and are using their gifts and talents in ways I never would have dreamed possible.

RH: How do you see the Sisters of Charity moving into the future?

MS: They will do what needs to be done, steeped in Scripture and nourished by Eucharist. They will work hard to plan for the future, but they will leave the outcome to God. I cannot predict what religious life will look like in another 200 years. I suspect it will be quite different from what we have today. Whatever will be born will be of God, and the women involved will be deeply committed to love, service to others and willingness to take risks.

(Note from writer: These are my own personal thoughts on what Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, our mother, would say if she were interviewed today.)

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