Daughters of Divine Charity

Together We Live in the Legacy that is the Daughters of the Divine Charity

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Christmas Day – Come Into The Light

Christmas Day – Come Into The Light

            Blessed Christmas!  Today is a day of light and love and we rejoice and celebrate.  This Advent, the word light has resonated with me.  Many of the Mass readings describe Christ as the Light. This continues at Christmas in the scripture passage from Isaiah 9:1 (which is the Mass reading during the night,)

 “the people who walked in darkness – have seen a light; upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom – a light has shown.”

            In the gospel reading for the Mass during the day we have the mystical and lyrical passage that begins John’s gospel.

            1:1‑5 “In the beginning was the Word… all things come to be through Him and without Him nothing came to be – what came to be through Him was life – and the life was the light of the human race; – the light shines in the darkness – and the darkness has not overcome it.”

              In December the days are shorter and there are more hours of darkness.  In some ways I treasure the darkness – I see the stars more brightly and the different phases of the moon.  The Christmas lights brighten homes and places that may seem ordinary and a little bleak in the bareness of winter. I sleep better in the dark.  I draw my shades to the very bottom of the window sill because the littlest stream of light in my room awakens me.  I sleep with blindfolds on as well to keep the light out.  I am in “a dead” sleep.  Every morning upon awakening I remove the blindfolds and can see. That light makes all the difference. In our spiritual life if we are not connected to the light of Christ, we remain dead.

            As we begin the Christmas season (and we have 20 days of celebration) I ask myself, have I prepared myself during Advent to truly let the light in?  The littlest ray of light can eradicate the darkness. There is an interplay between light and darkness and knowing what is dark and what is light can help us discern what choices we make.  Is something bringing me closer to the light like a moth to a flame or is it bringing further away and further into the darkness.

 Close your eyes and envision the star of Bethlehem illuminating the sky and pointing to Christ in the manger.  Are we being a light for others and pointing the way to Christ and to life itself?  “Have you cleared away anything that is not of Christ? “This is the question Thomas Merton asked in describing the Advent mystery.

            When we open our souls to the light, we see the shadows.  Our faults, habitual sinful behavior, compulsive thoughts, grief, depression, spiritual desolation and addiction.  We cannot keep them hidden pretending they are not there nor be ashamed of them. Affliction and brokenness is part of the human condition.  Christ came to show us how His grace can heal our brokenness and our humanness. As you look at the Nativity, pray with St. Augustine, “Look, Oh Jesus, and let all the darkness of our souls disappear before the beams of your brightness.”

 This Christmas embrace the healing light, and remember a ray of light can lead you out of the shadows. As you get closer to the light the shadows and darkness disappear. This is the gift Christmas.

            Remember a ray of light can lead you out of the shadows.  As you get closer to the light the shadows and darkness disappear.  This is the gift of Christmas and Christ.

Christmas 2023 Appeal

Dear Friends and Benefactors,

The feast of the Epiphany, the Three Kings, traditionally celebrated on January 6th reminds us of the perseverance, curiosity and desire of the Magi in following the spectacular star, the uncharted path, to find the one who was foretold to come.   Discovering the infant Jesus in Bethlehem, must have been an awesome, humbling experience which brought inexpressible joy as they presented their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh to honor Him.   

Like the Magi, the women who have entered the Congregation of the Daughters of Divine Charity have followed not a bright star, but answered a call from within, searching for the community to which they would be able to respond to their vocation of serving the people of God “making HIS love visible”. Being that beacon of love and light, uplifting and supporting each other in prayer and community.

The Sisters have indeed spent their lives faithfully devoted to bringing the love of Jesus to others, as they have encountered the family of God, as teachers, nurses, catechists, administrators, sacristans, care givers in the hope that others will also live their lives in service for Jesus.  

For the retired Sisters, their service doesn’t end when they announce their retirement.  The Sisters are beacons of light in the lives of many friends and families.  Their daily prayers and Mass intentions are most often for those whom they have served throughout the years or for prayer requests they have promised to pray for.      

The beauty and splendor of the autumn season is approaching with its brilliant fall colors reminding us that Thanksgiving will soon be upon us followed by the Advent season, anticipating the joyful celebration of the Birth of our Savior.

Today in this season of thanksgiving, I wish to thank you on behalf of all the Sisters for being a part of their history and for allowing them to make a lasting impression in your life.  We are so grateful that you continue to keep them in your prayers and are so thoughtful and generous in your support of the Daughters of Divine Charity as we continue to care for our most senior and infirm Sisters.  

With gratitude to God, we thank you in advance for your financial support.  Please know that your needs and intentions are remembered in the Sisters’ daily prayers and monthly Mass intention for all our friends and benefactors.  

God Bless YOU!

With love, prayer and gratitude, 
Sister Mary Coffelt, F.D.C.
Provincial Superior

P.S. I hope that we can count on you for a contribution towards the care of our Sisters. Thank you, again, for your generosity and prayers.

Advent

Advent

Week 1
Week 1

AN ADVENT CHALLENGE

The first Sunday of Advent marks the end of the liturgical season of ordinary time, and we begin a new liturgical year. In this season of Advent 2023, I propose a challenge.

1. Celebrate Christmas and the Incarnation of Christ with joy; and

2. Reflect on the end of time; and ask if you will be ready when He returns.

Advent is a season of preparation and waiting. Mother Church reminds us during Advent to prepare for Christ's second coming, and to examine our own lives and ask, "Am I ready for my own death? Am I ready for judgment when Christ comes again?"

"Are we laboring to make our lives conform to His?" Thomas A. Kempsis, Page 15, Imitation of Christ.

Bishop Barron explains, "Christianity in a certain sense is a religion of fulfillment. The Lord has come, the Incarnation and the Resurrection have taken place. It's happened already. But in another sense, Christianity is permanently a religion of waiting, because we wait in joyful hope for the second coming of the Lord. That's why there is a permanent Advent quality to the Christian life."

There are 106 references in the Bible to waiting. Most of us, and society at large, does not like to wait. Life is faster than ever, and a sense of immediacy infects every aspect of our lives. Reflect on today's readings, does anything resonate with you?

Isaiah 63:17, "Return for the sake of your servants."

Psalm 80:8, "Give us new life."

First Corinthians 1:6-7, "As the testimony to Christ was confirmed among you, so that you are not lacking any spiritual gift as you wait for the revelation of our Lord, Jesus Christ."

Mark 13:33, "Jesus said to his disciples, 'Be watchful! Be alert! You do not know when the time will come.'"

In His word, we are reminded to be aware of God's presence and to continue in love and faith until he comes again. That is the true meaning of preparing for and celebrating Christmas.

Week 2
Week 3
Week 4

Sister Mary William

Thank you to Pamela Silvestri for the Beautiful Words about Sister William

Sister Mary William passed away peacefully surrounded by her Sisters at St. Joseph Hill convent on Holy Thursday April 6, 2023.

She was born Mary Margaret McGovern in then- Richmond Memorial Hospital on April 16, 1937.  She lived in Great Kills and attended St. Clare School for elementary grades and graduated from St. Joseph Hill Academy High School.

Sister entered the novitiate of the Daughters of Divine Charity on August 15, 1955, taking the name Sister Mary William.  She graduated from Fordham University with both Bachelors and Masters degrees in English.

Her first teaching assignment in 1958 was in St. Joseph Hill Academy High School.  Over the years, she taught French, British Literature, and Advanced Placement English, served as faculty advisor of the school newspaper, the yearbook and Student Council.  In 1966, she was asked to establish a Guidance Department at the Academy and served as its first director.

In 1971 she became the Provincial Secretary of St. Joseph Province, a post she held for six years.  Following that she retuned to St. Joseph Hill Academy where she continued teaching English as well as instituting a course in journalism.

She served on the Provincial Council of the Congregation for eight years, then served as the Provincial.  Over the years she was chosen six times to represent the Sisters at their international General Chapter, held every six years at the Congregation’s Generalate, first in Vienna and then in Rome.

In 1996 after completing her first term as Provincial, she became the co-director of Development for the Province, with the responsibility of raising funds to support the elderly and infirm Sisters.  During this time, she moderated the Daughters of Divine Charity Associate Program in the United States, taking it from a membership of one to being a wide-ranging group in all areas of the country where the Sisters served. In 2008, she was again named Provincial of St. Joseph Province.  In 2012, when St. Joseph Province, based at St. Joseph Hill on Staten Island, joined with two other Provinces of the Congregation – one based in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan and one in Akron, Ohio-she was chosen to be the first Provincial Superior of the newly formed Holy Family Province, based at St. Joseph Hill convent.

After overseeing the construction of a new convent for the Sisters at St. Joseph Hill, who had been living in a retrofitted school building, she was faced with the challenge of rebuilding the original convent building, which the Sisters had acquired in 1919 and which had been heavily damaged by an arson fire in 2013.  During the course of the renovations, she oversaw the opening of St. Joseph Retreat Center.  When her term as Provincial expired, she became President of St. Joseph Hill Academy.  She served on the board of St. Joseph Hill Academy and continued working in the Development Office of the Daughters of Divine Charity.

She was predeceased by her father, William A. McGovern, her mother, Marie McGovern her brother William A. McGovern, M.D. and her nephew William McGovern.  She is survived by her niece, Laura McGovern Olszewski, her grandniece, Sarah and her grandnephew, Christian, as well as her all her Sisters in Holy Family Province.

Schedule of Services:

Wednesday, April 12th 2 pm – 8 pm
Visitation, St. Joseph Hill Convent

Thursday, April 13th 10 am
Mass of Christian Burial, St. Joseph Hill Convent
Interment, Resurrection Cemetery, Staten Island, NY
Repast, St. Joseph Hill Convent

New Chairs will Make a World of Difference

New Chairs will Make a
World of Difference to Our Sisters.
Will You Help Us Today?

Support Our Sisters!

I hope this letter finds you in good spirits as we prepare for the coming Paschal banquet.

Lent is such a special time for those of our faith. A time to contemplate and reflect on the sacrifice Jesus made for us. As Sisters, this is a time when we focus on mediation. Our communal prayers reflect on the gifts we have shared through our lives and celebrate all those whom we have been able to share God's love with through teaching, nursing, and helping those that could not help themselves.

There is also something special about the seasonal change that occurs during Lent. As the weather begins to warm and flowers begin to bloom, many of the Sisters can often be heard praying in the communal living room or meditating in the gardens. With nearly every Sister in our convents now retired or receiving full-time aid from healthcare professionals, there is a sense of peace and calm knowing they can spend their days in quiet comfort. They are so thankful to all those that contributed to making their homes comfortable and inviting over the years.

Recently the Sisters noticed that despite their efforts to take exceptional care of things like their recliners and dining room chairs, the wear and tear over the last decade is beginning to show. Combined with the changing needs of the elderly Sisters that need strong armrests and chairs that are best suited for their current physical challenges, the Sister who serves as the Convent Administrator, Sister Regina has asked for assistance to replace 35 dining room chairs and 4 recliners. Sister Regina has researched the best available options and is taken aback at the cost of these items. The price of each dining room chair is $275 and the recliners range from $400 to $500.

These are very simple items that greatly alter life in the convent. Being able to confidently rise from the dining room chairs, allowing more Sisters to join the community for shared meals. Otherwise, they hesitate to leave their bedroom leaving them to eat alone or with their health assistant. Appropriate seating in a living room brings all the Sisters together not just for social events but community prayer and discussion.

At this time, I ask that you consider making a donation to our Sisters' new seating. We hope to have all our replacements as soon as possible.

We appreciate your support and thank you for considering our needs.

May St. Joseph continue to bless you.

Yours in prayer,
Sister M. William McGovern, FDC

April 17th – Easter Sunday – ALLELUIA, ALLELUIA!

He has risen!

           Jesus’ mission was completed and now there is a new life for all men and women. We have listened to God’s word and prayed. How will we live our faith more fully? Can the actions we undertook during Lent be carried forward? How can we remove the obstacles that keep us from a greater spiritual life?

            Give thanks to the Lord for He is good.

            For His mercy endures forever…

            I shall not

die, but live and declare the works of the Lord.