Jubilarians: Sister Jean Amore, SMIC; Sister Janice Edwards, RSM; Sister Esther Falzone, SCC

Sister Jean Amore, SMIC
60 Years

I see all created things as reflecting God’s love. I form relationships with trees, rivers, plants, animals and humans. I talk to them and even embrace them. … I walked today giving thanks to God for the warmth of the sun and all that gives me life today,” said Sister Jean Amore.

Sister Jean Amore, a resident of McAuley Hall Health Center, Watchung, and originally from Illinois, was born the eldest of eight children in Spring Grove, Il. Her family was very active in the parish of this small town.

While in Spring Grove, she attended the parish Catholic school where her teachers were of the congregation of the Missionary Sisters of the Immaculate Conception. Jean felt very much connected with the sisters and after high school entered the congregation located in West Paterson, on Sept. 10, 1961, with her investiture taking place on Aug. 11, 1962.

Sister Jean has served in a long list of ministries over her time in religious life in West Texas, Houston as well as New Jersey, including as an elementary school teacher, director of religious education and as pastoral minister in parishes, chaplain assistant in hospitals, and activities director at the Holy Family Residence in West Paterson.

Much of Sister Jean’s ministry years were spent in West Texas where the congregation identified this as United States mission territory for having a lack of priests and sisters to serve in dioceses that covered large territories. Later, studying in Houston for her master’s degree in religious education, she continued serving many years in that area where the congregation had a strong history of service to the Afro-American community.

Sister Jean was missioned in Big Spring, Tex., in the Diocese of San Angelo as a teacher and assistant principal of the parish elementary school, and director of religious education for the parish as well. She served the local Air Force Base community, which included work with parish youth programs.

Sister Jean was very active with the diocesan youth SEARCH retreat programs. “We want to bring God’s People to the experience of Christian Community where there is true love for one another,” she commented. Sister Jean’s goals were to prepare both young adults and adults to take over sponsorship of the different youth activities in the parish.

She has also been director of volunteers and coordinator of the overseas mission program at Franciscan Mission Service in Washington, D.C. Among her ministries was a great passion to end state killings of persons on death row where she accompanied several people to their executions. Sister was treasurer of Endeavor Death Row Projects in Houston from 1986-1992.

From 2007-2012 Sister Jean’s ministry focus was working in hospital chaplaincy at Valley Hospital, Ridgewood, and Passaic Valley Hospice, Totowa. Her last assignment was pastoral ministry at St. Bonaventure’s Church, Paterson. She retired in 2014 and has resided at McAuley Hall Health Center since 2001.

By Paul Peyton, Correspondent


Sister Janice Edwards, RSM
60 Years

Mercy Sister Janice Edwards, daughter of George and Marie Edwards, was born in Somers Point. Her Catholic school elementary education was earned from St. Peter School, Pleasantville, and secondary studies were instilled in her at Holy Spirit High School, Absecon. She graduated from high school in 1965 and entered the Sisters of Mercy on Sept. 8 that same year from St. Bernadette Parish, Northfield.

Sister Janice earned a bachelor of arts degree in history from Georgian Court College (now University), Lakewood; a master of divinity in Scripture and theology from Princeton Theological Seminary, Princeton, and a doctorate in spiritual direction from Weston School of Theology in Boston, Mass.

Sister Janice began her ministry in 1970 as a primary teacher in Burlington and moved to junior high grades, followed by parish ministry in Freehold and spiritual direction in Mount Holly. With her doctorate completed, she ministered in several roles in the dioceses of Camden, Trenton and Metuchen, including The Upper Room Spiritual Center, Neptune. Responsibilities in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia included serving as coordinator and teacher of the graduate program in spirituality at Chestnut Hill College, Chestnut Hill, Pa., as well as ministry in St. Malachy Convent, Philadelphia, Pa.

Surgery to remove a benign but destructive brain tumor and recovery interrupted the years during Sister Janice’s term in leadership; she told her personal stories and those of her spiritual directees to highlight how God’s great-hearted love transforms us in her book “Wild Dancing: Embraced by Untamed Love.”

Later, she returned to her roles in spirituality, teaching, directing and supervising in Ascension Church (now St. Teresa of Calcutta Parish), Bradley Beach. The religious sister also held a four-year term as a member of the general council of the Sisters of Mercy of New Jersey. Sister Janice is retired and lives on the campus of Mount St. Mary Academy, Watchung.

By Christina Leslie, Contributing Editor


Sister Esther Falzone, SCC
60 Years

From serving as a teacher and principal to parish assignments and leadership in her order, the six decades of ministry for Sister Esther Falzone, SCC, have taken her to communities large and small throughout the United States.

Sister Esther first met the Sisters of Christian Charity when she was a seventh grader at the former St. Mary’s Assumption School in Pittston, Pa. in the Diocese of Scranton.

“I knew immediately that I wanted to be a sister like my teacher, Sister Victoris, who was so kind, generous and happy,” she said. “That thought stayed with me through high school.”

Halfway through her senior year, she wrote a letter asking to enter the order, which she did on September 6, 1964. She received her Holy Habit on August 21, 1965, professed her first Holy Vows on August 21, 1967, and professed her Final Vows on August 15, 1974.

Sister Esther earned her bachelor’s degree in education and social sciences from Marillac College in St. Louis, Mo., and would later earn a master’s degree in education from Seton Hall University and a second master’s degree in administration from Marywood University in Dunmore, Pa.

Early in her ministry, Sister Esther served as a primary school teacher in the Dioceses of Allenton, Paterson and Scranton, and the Archdioceses of Newark, New York and Philadelphia. She later held several school principal positions, as well.

“My greatest joy was teaching these young children and encouraging them to sing their hearts out in Mass and participate fully,” she said. “During these years, I played the guitar which enlivened all our singing. One of my second graders, when grown, was inspired to start a band called ‘The Sister Esther Band’, which I believe is still playing in the Mountain Top and Wilkes-Barre area.”

In 2010, she began a new ministry as a pastoral associate, with a start in Chicago before returning to the East Coast with a parish assignment in Saddle River where she is proud of establishing a senior’s social club.

Sister Esther then joined the Diocese of Metuchen through a pastoral associate role at St. James Parish, Basking Ridge. There, she found joy training altar servers and supporting the parish. She continues to serve the parish there today, working part-time while also serving as a Councilor on the Provincialate Team for her order.

“I have the opportunity to work with and serve my Sisters in Community in our North American Province,” she said. “I have truly been blessed by God with all my ministry assignments because the sisters and the people I met throughout my life have enriched me beyond measure.”

By David Karas, Correspondent