“Take every day as a ring which
you must engrave, adorn, and
embellish with your actions,
to be offered up in the evening
at the altar of God.”

On Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2021, Sisters of Charity Associates renewed their commitments during morning and evening Zoom prayer services. Associates from Ohio, Colorado, Alaska, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Maryland and England participated in the virtual ceremonies, committing themselves “to live in the spirit of the Charity charism and mission and to risk the sacred journey.”

Sisters of Charity and health care, direct service workers in the Motherhouse and Mother Margaret Hall were the first to receive the Moderna vaccine on campus Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021. Another supply is expected next week for all remaining SC employees who choose to receive it. Sisters of Charity President Pat Hayden, who received the vaccine on Wednesday, said of the experience, “It was great. I didn’t even realize I got it. This is truly a gift and blessing for the world.”

The Community welcomed eight new Associates in Mission on Sunday, Jan. 3 in Springhill, Florida. Congratulations to: (front row, from left) Iris Ramirez, Janine Poisson, Heather Litton, (back row, from left) Margaret Martin, Jean Leonard, Theresia Griffin, Gail Metcalf and Judith Brooks.

Sisters of Charity employees with congregational offices in Seton Hall began their move from the building in December. Offices relocated around the Motherhouse campus, with newly updated spaces.

Sisters and employees are embracing the holiday spirit in Mother Margaret Hall nursing facility. Trees are trimmed, stockings hung and decorations adorn the hallways as we prepare to celebrate Jesus’ birth and the Christmas season.

Thirty Sisters and Associates gathered Dec. 8 for an “Associate Share” Christmas Tea. Everyone participating brought their own tea and shared their most treasured Christmas memories or traditions. It was an opportunity to hear how unique some of the traditions were, and at the same time realize how similar many are, as well.

Mount St. Joseph sparkled under the thin blanket of snow that fell earlier this week in the Cincinnati area – the first snowfall of the season!

Sisters living in Mother Margaret Hall nursing facility, with the help of Activities Team members, completed a beautiful “Rock Garden Rosary” in November. Each stone was thoughtfully painted and together assembled into this garden installation. The garden is located under two trees near the entrance of the MMH back patio. It is the perfect way to have prayerful time while enjoying the beauty of the seasonal weather.

Twenty-two Sisters of Charity participated in Seton High School’s annual walk on Saturday, Oct. 31 to benefit Seton families in need of support. Wearing Seton T-shirts the Sisters participated virtually, walking around the property of Mother Margaret Hall and the Motherhouse.

S. Donna Steffen presented a three-hour workshop on the enneagram for the Vincentian Volunteers at St. Vincent de Paul on Wednesday, Oct. 28. Seven post-college volunteers are participating in the program this year.

The CURA team and their families had fun creating their own pumpkin patch for Sisters during Halloween week. The decorated pumpkins brightened the dining experience. Many thanks to them for their generosity and thoughtfulness in bringing a seasonal spirit to the Community.

In remembrance of those Sisters and Associates we lost over the past year, a number of prayer services and memorials were participated in by the Family of Charity. At the Mount St. Joseph Motherhouse, the annual Memorial Service honoring the Sisters, Associates and family members lost from Nov. 1, 2019 to Oct. 31, 2020 was livestreamed for all to take part in. In Juneau, Alaska, Associate Janet Olmstead and her daughters decorated vigil candles that were lit at an All Souls Day Mass at the National Shrine of St. Therese in Juneau.

As the pandemic continues to require caution and distance for the safety of all our Sisters, SC Associates have found creative ways to keep their connection strong. This past week TinySaints bookmarks of Elizabeth Seton were delivered to Sisters living in Mother Margaret Hall. Associate director Chanin Wilson designed, printed and laminated the bookmarks in Colorado, and Administrative Assistant Sue DiTullio finished the process here in Cincinnati before distribution. It is their hope that the bookmarks let the Sisters know their Associates are thinking of them, praying for them and looking forward to the day when they can be together again.

While the pandemic has made volunteering more complicated for many Sisters of Charity, the need is still there. For a second time in the last month, a group of Motherhouse Sisters participated in the PB&J Outreach Project of Our Daily Bread. The Sisters prepared peanut butter and jelly sandwiches in the Mount St. Joseph Motherhouse Dining Room to be delivered to Our Daily Bread soup kitchen and social center; the sandwiches accompany the guests who received the hot meal at noon, giving them something to eat later in the day.

After a few delays due to the pandemic and months of dedicated training, Associate Karen Martin recently completed her Flying Pig virtual 10k and half-marathon. Karen walked the 10k in September and completed the half-marathon on Oct. 5 at the Miami Trail. As part of her participation she raised money for the Intercommunity Justice and Peace Center. “It’s an easy choice to support an organization with committed people who minister for the needs that I believe are critical for a robust and vibrant local, national and global world,” she said.

Last week members of the Sisters of Charity Leadership Team had the opportunity to see firsthand the changes at SC sponsored ministry DePaul Cristo Rey High School. DPCR’s new President Siobhan Taylor took the group on a tour through the school’s new academic building, which includes three floors of classrooms, science labs and offices, as well as the new wellness center and counseling suite. The building connects to the new gymnasium/cafeteria/student center that was completed last August. Thanks to the support from the SC Community, major donors who believe in the school’s mission and the Greater Cincinnati community the school’s new home is completed.

Associate Karen Elliott, C.PP.S., and S. Barbara Davis observed their special anniversaries last week with a double jubilee celebration. S. Karen celebrates 40 years as a woman religious in 2020 while S. Barbara celebrates 60 years.

This year’s jubilarians were celebrated in the Motherhouse and Mother Margaret Hall on Thursday, Oct. 1. During lunch Leadership Team members visited with Sisters living in Mother Margaret Hall. A prayer service was held at 4 p.m. for all and could be viewed by closed circuit and livestream. Motherhouse Sisters had a social prior to a celebratory dinner that evening.

Last weekend, Sisters Patty Huffman, DC, and Vivien Linkhauer, SC (Seton Hill) received a warm welcome at the SC Federation’s House of Charity in New Orleans, Louisiana. They join Sister of Charity of Cincinnati Monica Gundler and S. Peg Johnson, SCL. To read more about the House of Charity’s collaborative ministry, please visit https://sistersofcharityfederation.org/hoc_sept2020/.