Daughters of Divine Charity

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

Happenings

Sacred Heart of Jesus

DAUGHTERS OF DIVINE CHARITY
Holy Family Vice-Province
850 Hylan Boulevard
Staten Island, New York 10305
Tel.: (+1/718)720-7365

September 1, 2024

Dear Friends in Christ,

It is with great joy that we share and ask you to join us in prayer as we, the Congregation of the Daughters of Divine Charity prepare for the 150th anniversary of our Consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, by our foundress, Servant of God, Mother Franziska Lechner on June 17, 1875.

June 7th 2024, has a significant meaning for each Daughter of Divine Charity as we embarked on a special yearlong renewal of our charism and love for the Sacred Heart of Jesus by opening this jubilee year with a Mass of Thanksgiving celebrated by Bishop Whalen.  On this day throughout our Congregation the Sisters gathered for an hour of prayer before the Blessed Sacrament to reflect on our theme, “Reviving our charismatic identity of being daughters in the Son.” These monthly First Friday celebrations are being prepared by each Province/Vice-Province to renew each Sister as she reflects and contemplates on the Gospel messages, growing in our spirituality and more deeply towards the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

This feast of the Daughters of Divine Charity is celebrated by the Universal Church each June which began because of the revelations to Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque in 1673.  Jesus appeared to her and revealed ways to venerate His Sacred Heart and explained the immense love He has for humanity, appearing with His heart visible outside his chest, on fire, and surrounded by a crown of thorns.  These visions continued for 18 months.

On June 16, 1675, Jesus spoke to Sr. Margaret Mary, asking her to promote a feast that honored His Sacred Heart.  He gave Sister Margaret Mary 12 promises made to all who venerate and promote the devotion to the Sacred Heart.

Won’t you consider joining us in our chapel or privately at home each First Friday of the month from September through June to pray and celebrate this Jubilee with us in gratitude to God for our vocation and especially at this time for the renewal of our charism and love of the Sacred Heart.  Our Holy Hour is lovingly spent before the Blessed Sacrament from 4:00 to 5:00. We are united in faith with our Sisters and laity throughout the world in this common Holy Hour prepared by the Provinces and Vice-Provinces of our Congregation.    Each prayer service concludes with the Litany of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and a final prayer.

Litany to the Sacred Heart

Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
God our Father in heaven, have mercy on us
God the Son, Redeemer of the world
God the Holy Spirit
Holy Trinity, one God,
Heart of Jesus, Son of the eternal Father,
Heart of Jesus, formed by the Holy Spirit in the womb of the Virgin Mother,
Heart of Jesus, one with the eternal Word
Heart of Jesus, infinite in majesty
Heart of Jesus, holy temple of God
Heart of Jesus, tabernacle of the Most High, have mercy on us
Heart of Jesus, house of God and gate of heaven
Heart of Jesus, aflame with love for us,
Heart of Jesus, source of justice and love
Heart of Jesus, full of goodness and love
Heart of Jesus, well-spring of all virtue
Heart of Jesus, worthy of all praise
Heart of Jesus, king and center of all hearts
Heart of Jesus, treasure-house of wisdom and knowledge
Heart of Jesus, in whom there dwells the fullness of God
Heart of Jesus, in whom the Father is well pleased
Heart of Jesus, from whose fullness we have all received
Heart of Jesus, desire of the eternal hills,
Heart of Jesus, patient and full of mercy
Heart of Jesus, generous to all who turn to you
Heart of Jesus, fountain of life and holiness
Heart of Jesus, atonement for our sins
Heart of Jesus, overwhelmed with insults
Heart of Jesus, broken for our sins
Heart of Jesus, obedient even to death
Heart of Jesus, pierced by a lance
Heart of Jesus, source of all consolation
Heart of Jesus, our life and resurrection,
Heart of Jesus, our peace and reconciliation
Heart of Jesus, victim of our sins
Heart of Jesus, salvation of all who trust in you
Heart of Jesus, hope of all who die in you
Heart of Jesus, delight of all the saints,
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us
Jesus, gentle and humble of heart, Touch our hearts and make them like your own.

Let us pray: Grant, we pray, almighty God, that we, who glory in the Heart of your beloved Son and recall the wonders of his love for us, may be made worthy to receive an overflowing measure of grace from that fount of heavenly gifts. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.1

Concluding Prayer: “Remember, O Most Sweet Jesus”

Remember, O most Sweet Jesus, that none who have recourse to your
Sacred Heart, implored its assistance, or called for mercy have ever been
abandoned.  Filled and animated by this same confidence, O Divine Heart,
Ruler of all hearts, we fly to you groaning beneath the weight of our sins,
we prostrate ourselves before you.  Despise not our feeble prayers but
listen to them with a favorable ear and vouchsafe to answer them.
Show us that you have the heart of the best of fathers and that He who
has deigned to give you to us for our salvation, will through you, receive
our prayers.    Amen.     Sacred Heart of Jesus, I trust in you.

We rejoice with our Holy Father as he proclaimed the opening of the Jubilee Year of the Universal Church under the motto “Pilgrims of Hope.”  Pope Francis states that “Hope does not disappoint.  It is an act of faith to take hope, the humblest of virtues, the most daily, because it is like oxygen to breathe life and gives it meaning.”

These special jubilee celebrations happen to coincide with our 28th General Chapter which will take place from June 27 to July 18th of 2025 in Rome.  It is on this day, June 27, the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, that our Congregation will once again be Consecrated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and our names will be inscribed in the register in the church of del Gesù, in Rome by our Superior General Sister Maria Dulce Adams, F.D.C.

May the most Sacred Heart of Jesus enfold you all in His loving care as we pray for one another and the world to live in peace and feel the mercy and healing touch of Jesus.

God Bless, with gratitude and love for our vocation “making God’s Love visible” we invite you to join us in prayer during these next ten months and perhaps strengthening your own love for the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary.

Sister Mary Coffelt, F.D.C. and all the Daughters of Divine Charity
especially the Sisters of Holy Family Vice-Province

1 Prayer book of the Congregation of the Daughters of Divine Charity

At 93 Sister Lawrence Called Home to God

Sr. M. Lawrence Churko F.D.C passed away peacefully at St. Joseph Hill Convent on Sunday January 9, 2022. Following the advice and encouragement of their countrymen, John Churko and Catherine Boda also became determined to try their good fortune in the Land of Plenty and the world of great possibilities. After experiencing various areas, they joined the Hungarian Colony in Toledo Ohio. It was a good move and soon Mr. Churko found satisfying work and Catherine was well accepted by the women who introduced her to profitable work. Because both were busy in their new settlement, they no longer were under any strain or anxiety. John and Catherine became friends and eventually married. Within time their fondest dream materialized and they were blest with fifteen children. Unfortunately, many of them died in early childhood. The good parents were very saddened by their loss but continued to love and nourish their remaining children The last child born was Mary Ann, born on August 13, 1928. She enjoyed the love of her dear mother, but her mother died when she was just three and a half years old. The Daughters of Divine Charity proposed that the bereaved father send his youngest child, to St. Elizabeth’s Orphanage in Detroit, an adjunct of Holy Cross Church. Mary Ann spent 10 years at the home, nurtured, guided and loved by the Sisters. It was here that she received her elementary education. Later she attended St. Joseph Hill Academy in Staten Island for several years. Her two sisters and a brother eventually established themselves very well and had Mary Ann join them, share their life, and attend the Central Catholic High School from which she graduated in 1948. 

On September 12, 1948 she entered the familiar grounds of St. Joseph Hill Convent as a candidate. Here she continued the basic tenets of Community Life. Because of her sincere desire to become a Religious, she was invited to enter the Novitate on August 16, 1949, receiving the name of Sister M. Lawrence. This was a special time to deepen her prayer life and learn the sacredness of her Religious Vows. On August 15, 1951 she made her Simple Profession and on August 16, 1956 her Final profession. 

By her kind nature and love for children, she was assigned to the teaching profession. For her preparation she attended various colleges and received her BA with a major in History and a minor in Education. 

In the East she taught in Roebling, New Brunswick and Trenton New Jersey as well as in South Bend, Indiana. She spent 43 years in California, at St. Therese and St Charles in San Diego and in St. Joseph’s in Fontana. 

Sister Lawrence was a concerned kind teacher, who loved and understood children. During these years she was the Superior, Principal, Sacristan and CCD teacher. She fullfilled each of these positions with distinction. 

Sister loved all sports especially baseball and was very partial to the Los Angeles Angels. She was a good driver and willingly accompanied the Sisters to their destinations. 

In 1999 she was assigned as Vice Principlal of St. Joseph Hill Academy. It was a responsible assignment but she knew with God’s help and the support of her Community, she would succeed to please God, the children and their parents. 

Mr. Hansen, the current Elementary School Principal, spoke of Sister’s warm personality and her sense of humor. When she first met Mr. Hansen she asked him how he preferred to be called; Larry or Lawrence, he replied Larry. Sister said that’s good, I prefer Lawrence and I would not want people to confuse the two of us. Her remarked that her presence in the school was invaluable, how she so enjoyed being around the school children, helping prepare them for the Sacrements of Penance and Communion and .the joy she took in setting the Chapel up for Mass, 

Visitation for Sister will be on Thursday January 13, 2022 in the Chapel at St. Jospeh Hill Academy from 2-4 p.m. A Mass of Christian Burial wiil be offered at 4: 30. Sister will be laid to rest in St. Ignatius Cemetey in Orgeon Ohio on Janary 25, 2022. 

Contributions to Sisters Memory can be made the the Daughters of Divine Charity 

Letter sent by Sr. Lucyna

“On the Solemnity of Christ, the King of the Universe,Novemeber 21, on the very day of the anniversary of thebirth of our Congregation, the celebration of the much awaited and demanding closure of the aforementionedprocess is scheduled. The ceremony will take place in the”Mother Thrice Admirable” church and will be followed by Vespers. “

This ceremony marked the end of the diocesan process andthat Sister Lucyna Mroczek, who is the postulator, will bringthe material of the Cause to the Dicastery for the Causes ofSaints in the Vatican.

So, we lift up our prayers to God in gratitude for the life ofour Foundress who founded the Daughters of Divine Charity in 1868 and we her daughter wish to continue tospread her charism of “making God’s Love visible” to thepeople of God and beg her to intercede for us in praying for new vocations to carry on our mission of serving theelderly, women and youth, by living “All for God, for thePoor and for our Congregation.”

Advent

Dearest Friend,

Advent, as we all know, is the liturgical season during which we prepare spiritually for the coming of Christ on the feast of Christmas. Many families use a special calendar –an Advent calendar—as a reminder of the importance of this time. Each day gives us a reminder of the peace, love, joy, and hope spoken of in the pre-Christmas liturgical readings. These four ideals are often considered during our time at Mass, but are we losing track of them during the chaos of the week?  Perhaps we are.

Peace. Love. Joy. Hope. Whether your prayers are for you and loved ones or the world at large, these four words can be beacons of light leading to the bright promise of Christmas. Let us find a few more minutes a day, a few hours a week, for just this brief season of Advent. Put aside the holiday to-do list, the ongoing worries each of us faces, and remember why this season is so important in our community of faith.

During the coming weeks as autumn turns to winter, let’s not get lost in the hustle and bustle of decorating and searching for gifts. Let’s, instead, focus on the real meaning of Christmas. Although, as Sisters, we have chosen to focus all our energies on our students, patients, residents under our care, and dear Sisters with whom we share our lives, we too, can forget to focus on peace, love, joy, and hope which are the essential elements of the season.

This is a time of year when we ask you to show your support with a contribution. Time and again your donations have come when most needed to care for our Sisters or to improve our homes.  Those gifts are always appreciated. This year, we continue our efforts in meeting the needs of the Sisters during their senior years with any support we receive.

Today we remind all our friends, family, and supporters that we hope you will send us your prayer intentions. This Advent we also invite you to join us in prayer and reflection each morning or evening and remember that Christ is coming. Please use our weekly guides below.

May the Holy Family continue to bless you.

Gratefully yours in Christ,

Sister M. William McGovern, FDC

P.S. Please consider making a donation to our Sisters which will be put to immediate use.

Perhaps you can use these weekly topics as your “Advent Calendar” and focus on the four gifts of the season.

Week One- Peace -Let’s look at the whole spectrum of peace in the world, in our country, in our families, and in our hearts.  Most of us will never be able to enact world peace or anything beyond maybe peace in our families; but we can work on peace in our hearts.  This first week of Advent let’s pray for peace for ourselves, our loved ones, and our neighbors.

Week Two – Love – As we enter week two of Advent let us try to remember that love is not the sentimental “Hallmark” feeling. Love is an act of the will.  We may not “love” the person who rubs us the wrong way, but we can pray for them and seek a way to show them kindness. This is just a small way to fulfill God’s request that we love Him, all His creations, and ourselves.

Week Three – Joy- Once again joy is not that bubbly, happy feeling.  It is that satisfying sense of pleasure that we get when we have either done something nice for someone or better still, when we see something or someone that reminds us of a blessed time in our lives.  Let us try to look for a moment of joy each day of this week

Week Four – Hope- I believe that God in His wisdom saves the best for last! No matter how bad the news reports are or the headlines in the papers are or how much suffering we see in our home life at times at times, we can always have hope knowing that God is with us, providing strength and guidance. Hope in and of itself is the best Christmas gift we could be given.

A Centennial Celebration

Who would have ever imagined that 100 years ago that the baby girl born on August 29th 1921, to Steven and Barbara Evanchec, who named her Teresa Anne would reach the distinguished, remarkable and unbelievable age of 100.

August 2021 represents many important events in the life of Sister Bernadete Evanchec, F.D.C.   August 29, 2021 marks her incredible milestone, her 100th birthday and on August 28th, the Feast of St. Augustine, our Spiritual Father, Sister Bernadette with faith, love, joy, and dedication serving the people of God also celebrates 81 years of religious profession.

On Tuesday, August 17th Sister Bernadette was able to join the Sisters at Leonora Hall Convent and the Residents of Francesca, for a Mass of Thanksgiving at 11:00 concelebrated by Father Kraker and Father McCafferty.

Father Kraker gave a very simple yet beautiful message in light of the 100 precious years of Sr. Bernadette’s life and her loving witnesses as a Daughter of Divine Charity wherever she served as organist, principal, teacher, catechist, and as eucharistic minister, as she visited the sick and the elderly bringing Jesus into their hearts and feeding their souls with conversation and the assurance that Jesus is always with them.  Father Kraker concluded his remarks by stating that we are all called to serve Jesus and give witness by our lives no matter how long or short our time on earth for we are promised eternity.

Before the final blessing, Mrs. Mary Tosenberger, a resident of Francesca gave a brief reflection on having Sr. Bernadette in her life.  Mary has known Sister Bernadette for 70 plus years growing up in the Croatian Parish of Christ the King in Akron, Ohio.  She recalled the many parish activities that Sr. Bernadette helped to organize and to reach and involve the youth and the members of the parish especially through creative musical programs.  Music was a great way to bring young and old together and very often singing in Croatian especially their favorite  hymns for the celebration of the Eucharist thus touching their hearts, while at the same time deepening and strengthening their faith.  Mary gave an example of raising money to assist the parish in acquiring a new organ.  Mary conveyed the joy, enthusiasm that Sr. Bernadette exemplified while being so very active in the parish ministry and teaching of religion and social functions.  These years have gone by all to quickly but we take this moment to recall and thank Sister Bernadette for being a part of our lives.  God Bless you on your 100th birthday.

Following the Eucharist Sister Bernadette enjoyed a delicious meal and the singing of Happy Birthday in which Sister Bernadette harmonized with joy and delight as she then blew out the candles with a smile.   Sister Imelda Marinovich 99 shared a special card that she made for her novice mate, reminding her of her favorite saying that everyone was familiar with:  “It’s a great life, if you don’t weaken.”   In other words, she wanted to share her life with others, God’s unconditional LOVE with JOY, as our Foundress instructed her daughters, by “doing good, to give joy, to make happy and lead all to Heaven.”

The centennial celebration ended all to quickly at 2:15, as Sister Bernadette was scheduled to be picked up by special transport returning her to St. Edward’s Nursing Home.  Sister Bernadette and the Sisters enjoyed their time together remembering the past and grateful for this opportunity to be together as a community acknowledging the life of Sister Bernadette who with her sisters has lived our motto “All for God, for the Poor and For our Congregation.”

Submitted by Sr. Martin Green, F.D.C.

image-5
image
image-4
image-3
image-2
image-1