Monthly Update

Christmas Caroling with the Sisters

The Sisters invite you to join them for an evening of Christmas Caroling in the Convent on December 17th at 6 PM.

 

Celebrate the Christmas season with some of their favorites “Silent Night”, “Away in a Manger”, and more!

 

We ask that you RSVP to [email protected] by December 15th.

 

Holiday Class: Christmas Cookie Favorites

Join us on December 11th at 6:30 PM sharp in the New Convent Kitchen and learn how to make her favorite Christmas cookies.

 

To guarantee your spot in the last class of the year, we ask that you pre-pay a fee of $60 here.

 

This class, about 2 hours, will feature Christmas favorites such as sugar cookies, tea tassies, thumb print cookies, and white chocolate cranberry bliss cookies.

 

Students will also learn how to make Carole’s to die for Magic Bars.

 

Class will begin promptly at 6:30 PM in the New Convent Kitchen and should last approximately 2 hours.

 

Bring an apron and a doggie bag to pack leftovers.

 

Price of the class is $60 per person. We ask that you reserve your spot in advance by clicking here.

On Saturday October 4, 2014 three of the Sisters celebrated their years if service and commitment as Daughters of Divine Charity.
Sister M. Mercedes Sterlein celebrated 70 years as a Sister. Sister M. Evangela Hoffman, 60 years and Sister M. Rita Meyer 50 years. Each Sister renewed her vows of Chastity, Poverty and Obedience at Mass celebrated by Rev. Michael Goonan, SSP and Rev. Matthew Roehrig, SSP in the presence of their religious Sisters and family and friends.

A celebratory brunch was held after Mass with invited guests and the Junior Lay Associates form Saint Joseph Hill Academy High School who helped coordinate the Mass.

 

Before St. Joseph Hill Academy’s high school students began their 2014-2015 school year, our faculty was welcomed home to Hill on September 3. To open the school year, Sister M. Denise Martin, F.D.C. began the meeting as all things are started at Hill, in prayer. Below is the beautiful prayer written and led by Sister Denise.

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Loving God,
we come to you filled with gratitude for making us partners
of your ongoing work of creation as Catholic Educators.
You call us to be part of this community and bless us with a unique legacy
that began with Mother Franziska Lechner and has been passed from generation to generation.

The gift of our mission, founded on Christian values and  the traditions of the Daughters of Divine Charity seeks to educate and empower young women to be confident independent thinkers with strong character and leadership qualities, who stand  ready to meet society’s challenges.
This mission enables us to make decisions which call us to stand in solidarity and kinship with all those who share our earthly journey and moves us to perform active service rooted  in justice and love.

These gifts of our Hill heritage invite us to be part of a tradition  which strives for the highest good as our motto Summum Bonum suggests and that builds on the wisdom of the past with a vision open to the opportunities of the future.

These gifts also challenge us to move beyond our norm,
To broaden our imagination,
To deepen our trust,
And to establish your kingdom here on earth by teaching as your Son, Jesus did.

Fill us with enthusiasm and wonder as we receive these gifts
with open minds, generous hearts, and a willing spirit.
Following the example of Mother Franziska, may we, too,
ask for no reward except that of  knowing that we are making God’s love visible.
May we take full possession of this heritage and joyfully pass it on
to young women who walk behind us into the future.

Amen.

Traveling all the way from Eastern Europe Sister Elvira Tadic and Sister Danica Sanader began their tour of the United States in Staten Island on March 25. Their tour of the United States apostalates began with a trip to Manhattan. At St. Mary’s Residence, they were introduced to several of the building’s residents and were able to meet with the Sisters that manage the day to day operations for the entire building.

While staying in the St. Joseph Hill Convent, the Sisters were able to visit St. Joseph Hill Academy’s Elementary and High Schools. While in the school, they were greeted with students from the youngest grades in Pre-K and welcomed by students in the high school who were able to speak to them in their native language.

Their weekend on Staten Island was filled with celebrations. Saturday began with Mass with their fellow Sisters and then off to a luncheon where the Daughters of Divine Charity received an award honoring their support of the Seton School for Learning. Although the event benefitted the students at the Seton Foundation School for Learning, it was clear to Sister Elvira and Sister Danica that the Sisters bring great joy and happiness to their families. While dancing with the students and Sisters, they were able to meet the students’ family members and teachers and learn how grateful the school community is to the Daughters of Divine Charity.

Next, Sister Elvira and Sister Danica were accompanied by Sister William and Sister Regina to St. Elizabeth’s in Bloomfield Hills, MI. Here they spent time with the Sisters gaining an appreciation for the setting of their convent. During their visit they were also able to visit Akron, OH. While in Akron, the Sisters were able to see the Sisters’ work in action in the Lenora Hall. This apostalate provides care for women that are developmentally disabled as well as care for the elderly.

Throughout their visit the Sisters in the United States, they were able to see the real lives and real work happening here. Sister William hopes that they will return home with stories to entice some of the Sisters from their Province to relocate to the United States to help the Sisters here continue to carry out their mission.