Sisters of Christian Charity celebrating two milestone anniversaries

The New Year of 2024 finds the Sisters of Christian Charity have been celebrating not one but two milestones: 175 years as a congregation and 150 years in the United States.

The Sisters of Christian Charity is a congregation of vowed women religious responding to God’s call to bring the love of Christ to the world. The sisters work in a variety of ministries including education, healthcare, pastoral work, retreats and social work.

The congregation was founded by Mother Pauline von Mallinckrodt in 1849 in Paderborn, Germany.

“The congregation has existed for 175 years, which is amazing,” said Sister Ann Lavelle, director of mission advancement for the Mendham-based congregation. “It started in one town, in one country, and quickly spread to many cities and towns in Germany until the Kulturkampf … which closed down most missions.” The Kulturkampf was a conflict from 1872 to 1887 between the German government and the papacy for, among other things, control of schools and Church appointments. Catholic Church suppression was at its height during these years.

“This marked the beginning of life for the Congregation in North and South America. The rate of speed at which the congregation grew was impressive,” Sister Ann said.

Today the congregation is present in North and South America, Europe and Asia.

The sisters arrived in the United States in 1873. Their first motherhouse was in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. The congregation quickly grew in the United States because of more German families coming the United States. As of Mother Pauline’s death on April 30, 1881, there were 213 sisters ministering in North America.

In 1916 the motherhouse was transferred to Wilmette, Illinois, until 1927.

At this point the North American Province divided into two provinces: The Western Province with a motherhouse in Wilmette and the Eastern Province with a motherhouse in Mendham.

On Nov. 4, 2023, the two reunited to become the North American Province. This was in conjunction with a Mass at St. Nicholas Church in Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania, celebrating the 175th anniversary of the congregation and the 150th anniversary of Sisters of Christian Charity coming to the United States.

Today there are more than 300 members of the congregation; there are seven women in formation.

Sister Lavelle – who entered the congregation in 1974 – considers the interest of young women a response to God’s call to religious life for that particular person: “Each of us has a mission here on earth. Finding God’s will for yourself is a job each of us has. It could be religious life, married life or single life. Discernment of your life’s work is something that each person has to do.”

Life changes, society changes and women’s roles in society have changed over the years. “What God has in store for us is yet to be seen. We are open to His will,” she said.

To celebrate the two anniversaries of the congregation, there were some events that were enhancements of previous events, and others were new events.

In August, the sisters opened their celebratory year and celebrated jubilarians at a Mass with a dinner and program. The sisters received a special pin marking the 175th anniversary. In the afternoon there was a prayer service.

In September, the 10th annual Gold Outing took place at Fiddler’s Elbow, Bedminister, with the largest number of golfers attending, and in October the 10th annual Run for a Nun took place at Natirar Park, Peapack-Gladestone.

In November there was a 175th Anniversary Mass in Wilkes-Barre, and in December there was a Christmas Open House at Villa Pauline, the congregation’s retreat center that originally was the Cromwell mansion before the sisters purchased it in 1927. It was used as the first motherhouse of the Eastern Province until a larger motherhouse was built.

Sister Ann said her hope for the future of the Sisters of Christian Charity is similar to that of its foundress’ hope: “If God wills to grant growth and prosperity to the congregation, wills to extend its sphere of activity, then may it proceed courageously, taking as its motto: ‘In God we can do all things; of ourselves nothing.’”

For more information on the Sisters of Christian Charity, go to www.sccus.org.