Our Foundress, Mother Franzicka Lechner, was…

a PRAYING woman who fulfilled her mission through daily

communion with God;

a COURAGEOUS woman who was ready to face the social problems of her time;

a WISE woman who found ways to solve those problems;

an ACTIVE woman who overcame difficult and risky situations;

a TRUSTING woman who relied on the Providence of our Heavenly Father and

a JOYFUL woman who sought to bring the love of God to others.

Divine Providence guided Mother Franziska, our Foundress, to become familiar with the writings of the Rule of Saint Augustine.  In the conviction of this Doctor of the Church, a community of persons called by God is an essential pre-requisite for uniting the       contemplative and apostolic ways of life in the service of the Lord, and it is here that Mother Franziska saw a way to fulfill her mission.

According to the renewal efforts of the Second Vatican Council, the Congregation adapted Mother Franziska’s spirituality and constitutions to the changed situation in the Church and world.

The Rule of Saint Augustine remains the foundation of the Sisters’ religious life. The    Sisters today obviously cannot follow the letter of a rule that is over a thousand years old; however, the letter is also the carrier of the spirit.  Shaping her life in this spirit may help the Daughter of Divine Charity to fulfill her vocation to the Evangelical Counsels.

St. Mary’s Residence was the first American ministry of the Sisters who arrived from Europe in 1913.

In 1966, the present building, capable of accommodating 152 residents, was completed. It provides a safe haven for women arriving in New York City who seek affordable housing.

Women continuing their education or beginning their professional careers are accepted. In an effort to provide services to as many young women as possible, the length of stay at St. Mary’s Residence is limited to four years.

              Are you, or do you know someone that may be, interested in applying for an opening at St. Mary’s?

For more information:
Admissions
225 E. 72 St.
New York, NY 10021
(212) 249-6850 or [email protected]
Accounting/Finance:
[email protected]

Message of Thanks to the Sisters

Dear Sisters,

This letter of appreciation comes with much love and gratitude. St. Mary’s helped my family when we couldn’t find anywhere else for a family friend from Germany to stay.

St. Mary’s opened their doors to our dear Celina and we were able to spend several months with her in New York City while she applied for university and helped my boys after school, speaking German to them.

This would never have been

possible without the gracious spirit and open loving arms of St. Mary’s. It is times like these where I feel God more present than ever. We were so honored and blessed to have been so welcomed by you.

With eternal gratitude and love,

Liz Santini and Family

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150th Jubilee Celebration!
150th Jubilee Invitation

March 23rd, 2018 the Chapel at St. Joseph Retreat Center, Staten Island served as the stage for a remarkable beautiful opera performance. The artists, Hayden DeWitt, Allegra Durante, Preston Fritz Smith and Yiling Ding truly transported the audience to Shakespeare’s time.

Before the performance, the 45 attendees enjoyed a cocktail hour.  Assorted beverages paired perfectly with a selection of savory appetizers including crudités, shrimp cocktail, spanokopita, quiche, crab cakes, and more. For sweets, guests enjoyed tiramisu, lemon parfait, fresh mixed berries, and a beautiful assortment of homemade cookies prepared by the convent’s own Sr. Matilda.

During the festive cocktail hour, Liz Imbro engaged our guests about what they expected from the performance including which family would win—the Capulets or the Montagues. She also used the informal setting to offer insights on what to expect from a retreat and how to use the evening as an example of art as a form of spiritual retreat or meditation.

How did the chapel ever come to serve as a stage for art? We will call it a “Hill Family Affair.” Liz Cotter and Liz Imbro are long time friends of each other and supporters of their alma mater and the Sisters. The idea struck to host this event the week of St. Joseph’s day as a celebration and open house for the St. Joseph Retreat Center. Fortunately, Imbro is also family friends with Allegra Durante, whose ensemble was able to reunite for this repeat performance (originally held in 2015 as a fundraiser following the completion of the new chapel).

Those in attendance ranged from friends of friends, Hill alumnae, Lay Associates of the Sisters and St. Joseph   Retreat Center participants. The event served as a unique retreat tying together art, love and time for self reflection. It was also an opportunity for guests to see the site as a venue for private retreats, group retreats and more.

The cast gives special thanks to the Daughters of Divine Charity for inviting them to perform; to Elizabeth Imbro for making the re-introductions that brought us back here; to Charles Imbro for bringing the music in a very literal sense by providing us with a keyboard; and to Ascension Church, for providing rehearsal space in Manhattan.

Special thanks to Sister Matilda for baking beautiful cookies, made even more delicious with the love she pours into them. Another thanks is sent to Tiffany Mazza for returning home to Hill for the evening to assist as hostess and caterer.

Many religious orders of both men and women have established legacy societies for those special donors who have included the Sisters, Priests, or Brothers in their wills.  A few years ago the Daughters of Divine Charity established the Amor Dei Society, Latin for “God’s love,” to honor those donors who have included the Daughters of Divine Charity in their wills.

A charitable bequest enables you, the donor, to share in continuing the work of the Sisters whom you have supported during your lifetimes and have the ability to make it clear to your heirs your own charitable priorities.  Many believe that bequests are made only by the very rich.  This is NOT true.  Any donor can indicate an amount of money or a percentage of their estate in ones’ will to be given at the donors’ time of death.

Recently the Sisters received a very generous gift from a long – time donor at his passing.  Arthur Friedberg loved his aunt, Sister Ernestine, deeply.  Whenever possible he visited.  During his frequent calls they often spoke about what Sister Ernestine and her Sisters were doing in schools, the parishes and in the homes where they provided care for the elderly and the disabled. While the Sisters certainly join with his family mourning his passing, they know that, thanks to him, the ministries of the Sisters that he supported all his life will go on even after his death.

If you are interested in joining the Amor Dei Society, call our office at 718-720-7365 for more information.