The 1980's

At the 18th General Chapter in 1983, Rev. Basil Heiser, O.F.M. Conv. celebrated the July 16 Mass prior to the election of the Superior General.  In his homily, Rev. Heiser noted, "Your assembly may be compared to that of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Apostles at the first Pentecost because you, too, await the grace of the Holy Spirit to guide you in this most important election. . . . You have chosen July 16 as the date on which to elect the Superior General since it was on July 16, 1866 that Mother Pauline made her perpetual profession of vows.  Your commemoration of that event is a renewal, too, of your profession to continue the mission of evangelization God gave her and which she bequeathed to you. . . . In the process of aggiornamento, of adaptation to the times and needs of the Church and of the people of today, you have revised your Constitutions and updated your way of life.  You recognize the necessity of your structured community life as outlined in your Constitutions. . . . In the course of this Chapter you have been reviewing the state of affairs, and it will be the special charge of the Superior General whom you elect to implement the decisions made regarding a more fruitful life of consecration and a more efficacious ministry in fulfillment of your calling and consecration."  [On July 16, 1983, Mother M. Pierre Koesters was re-elected to the ministry of Superior General of the Congregation of the Sisters of Christian Charity.]

The theme of the 19th General Chapter (October 2 - November 4, 1989) was "Witness to Jesus through Fidelity to the Charism of Blessed Pauline."  The document published at the end of this General Chapter states, "As we finished our revision of the Constitutions and addressed the concerns of each province, we recognized the necessity of re-animating the apostolic spirituality of our Congregation.  We unanimously agreed that for us, as Sisters of Christian Charity, the Holy Eucharist is the source of this renewal. . . . It is not enough to receive and adore the Eucharistic Body of the Lord; we must allow ourselves to be transformed by him, so that each of us can really say, 'It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.' We are to go forth from the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist to his presence in our Sisters, in all whom we meet, and in all the situations of our life. . . .  Our apostolate will be living and fruitful to the degree that we allow ourselves to be impelled by Christ to share the bread and wine of our life with his people.  This love will open our eyes to the needs of our contemporaries. . . . As we evaluate our apostolic works, we must address the issues of our energy output  Do we spend our energy in making visible the love, the goodness, and the friendliness of our God, or do we overemphasize the institutional and organizational dimensions of the apostolate?  Our authenticity as messengers of the gospel depends upon our willingness both to be present to God's people and to proclaim the gospel by our words and lives. . . . If we serve the Kingdom as a Eucharistic people in joy and love, and are convinced of the importance of our religious life for the Church and for the world, we can be confident that God will grant us perseverance in our own call and will provide the vocations that he needs."

[At the 19th General Chapter, Sister Gregoris Michels, of the German Province, was elected as the tenth Superior General of the Congregation of the Sisters of Christian Charity.]
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Do you have questions you would like us to address in these posts?  Please reply to this post and let us know!

The Sisters of Christian Charity of the North American Eastern Province will hold our Provincial Chapter from February 14-18, 2019.  Please join us in praying the prayer for our Provincial Chapter.

17th General Chapter

Yesterday's post noted that the revision of the Constitutions was "brought to completion in the General Chapter of 1978."   This Chapter is more appropriately referred to as the "Seventeenth General Chapter," as it occurred in two sessions -- in July and August of 1977 (Session I) and in July and August of 1978 (Session II).  To inform the Sisters of Christian Charity throughout the world of the Chapter proceedings, General Chapter "Bulletins" were disseminated.  Excerpts of these are shared here:

On July 9, 1977, Father Mark Said, O.P., Professor of Canon Law and chairman of the Commission for the Revision of Canon Law for Religious, gave a conference to prepare the Sisters for their work of revision of the Constitutions:  "We have to go deep; we have to make a real excavation to get to the real core, the gem which is in our own Institute; the inspiration that is at the base of this structure.  Remember that this inspiration comes directly from the Holy Spirit, so that our Institute . . . is not merely a human thing; it is a way of following Christ especially for us as given to us by that holy person whom we call Foundress."

On August 1, 1977, Father Elio Gambari, M.M., an authority on Formation, gave a conference on "the important place Formation holds in the structure of a Community. . . . Father stressed very strongly the idea of "Ongoing Formation" as one of the prescriptions of the Council; the responsibility of each member of the Congregation to continually work at her spiritual and professional formation: theological, scriptural, liturgical, etc., through reading, renewals, retreats, workshops, etc. This is of basic importance for the growth in holiness for the individual as well as for the entire Congregation, and in consequence for becoming more genuine witnesses to Christ and more effective in the service of the Church."

Session I ended on August 15, 1977, but the Constitutions were still incomplete and remained that way until session II began in July 1978.

Session II of the Seventeenth General Chapter began on July 3, 1978, with a Mass celebrated by Bishop Andrea Pangrazio, whose homily "stressed the fact that the Chapter was a praying community, a community of love and an organ of responsibility."  The Sisters also reflected on Cardinal [Eduardo Francisco] Pironio's document on General Chapters in which he states, "A Chapter is always, by force of the Gospel, a call to conversion."

On July 17, 1978, Father Elio Gambari, M.M., offered the Votive Mass of the Holy Spirit prior to the election of the new Superior General.  [During the Chapter of 1966, Mother M. Augustilde had been elected, the first North American to hold the office of Superior General.  She was now at the end of her second six-year term in that ministry.]  In his homily, Father Gambari "stressed that what we were about to do (election) was not our work nor the results of our votes; it was the work of the Holy Spirit.  The election was not merely a juridical act, but a spiritual one. . . . The power given to the person elected does not come from us but from the Holy Spirit."  Following the Mass, Mother M.  Pierre Koesters -- a North American Sister who, at the time of her election was the Provincial Superior in the Uruguay-Argentina Province -- was elected as the ninth General Superior of the Congregation of the Sisters of Christian Charity.

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Do you have questions you would like us to address in these posts?  Please reply to this post and let us know!

The Sisters of Christian Charity of the North American Eastern Province will hold our Provincial Chapter from February 14-18, 2019.  Please join us in praying the prayer for our Provincial Chapter.

From 1969 to 1978

As mentioned in yesterday's post, the SCC General Chapter of 1966 began to consider how to carry out the decisions of the Second Vatican Council, especially as articulated in the document, Perfectae Caritatis (Decree on the Adaptation and Renewal of Religious Life) issued on October 28, 1965.

In her book, Religious Life at the Crossroads (2013, Orbis Books), Sister Amy Hereford, CSJ, notes:
"Following the council, religious institutes began the task of renewal in earnest. The early twentieth century had been a time of homogenization of religious institutes, with women's communities mandated to conform their lives to myriad external and structural requirements.  The late twentieth century was a time to return to the sources of their founders, exploring the documents and stories of the founding generation.  As the Decree on the Adaptation and Renewal of Religious Life puts it:  'The adaptation and renewal of religious life includes both the constant return to the sources of all Christian life and to the original spirit of the institutes and their adaptation to the changed conditions of our time' (Perfectae Caritatis, no. 1).

"The council called in the same document for the balancing of the gospel, the founding stories, developments in theology, the signs of the times, and the spirit of renewal (no. 2). In the process of renewal, the council foresaw the need to involve all members of each institute, so that the renewal would not simply remain on paper, but would be an authentic renewal of the life and ministry of religious.  Finally, the renewal process would include revision of the documents that regulated the life: 'the constitutions, directories, custom books, books of prayers and ceremonies and such like'" (no. 3).

"Religious women undertook this work with diligence and dedication" (Chapter 1, "The History of Religious Life from an Evolutionary Perspective," "Second Vatican Council," e-book location 665).

For the Sisters of Christian Charity, the focus on renewal was important enough to convene an "extraordinary" Chapter in 1969.  That is, after the General Chapter of 1966 began the work of renewal, this work would ordinarily have been continued by the General Chapter of 1972, six years later.  However, the "diligence and dedication" with which renewal was approached required an "extraordinary" Chapter.

Sister Anna Schwanz, SCC, writes, "The revision of the Constitutions in the spirit of the Council was the main work of the extraordinary Chapter of 1969.  Beforehand, a commission of representatives from each Province was entrusted with the task of preparing a first draft.  The Constitutions were then revised based on this first draft and on the work of the Provincial Chapters.  The result was a greater emphasis on the responsibility of each Sister.  The Provinces and the individual houses were given more freedom regarding daily schedules and the choice of common prayers.  These new directives took effect in January 1970.

"The revision was continued in the Chapter of 1972 and brought to completion in the General Chapter of 1978. . . . In general, it was a time of renewal, but sometimes there was also unrest and confusion.  It was a time of searching, of experimenting, of constant re-evaluation, a 'time of enthusiasm and adventurousness, of imaginativeness and creative fidelity, but also of fragile certainty, of improvisation and bitter disappointments.'"
. . .
"The General Chapter of 1972 [also] directed each Province to newly research Mother Pauline's charism from the source materials on hand.  For our Congregation this was the beginning of a farther spiritual journey; because a 'reflection on the charism of the founder should basically serve, . . . to see her charismatic way anew and better, so that we are able to find our way, our apostolate, appropriate to our times.'

"In all Provinces, a large number of the Sisters participated in this work.  Letters (there were 3,450 in the Paderborn Archives) and other documents, e.g., travel diaries and retreat notes, were enthusiastically read and studied. . . ."
. . .
"In the summer of 1974 an international commission of five Sisters, one representative from each Province, met in the Motherhouse in Paderborn to study the work of the Provinces, to coordinate it and to produce a summary.  Every Sister received a copy of this expanded study, The Charism of Pauline von Mallinckrodt, because the mandate to live Mother Pauline's Charism, the Charism of our Congregation, in the here and now is directed to each individual."
. . .
"From today's viewpoint it becomes clear that the personality, the spirituality and the Charism of Pauline von Mallinckrodt is a strong bond uniting all despite the varied development of the Provinces.  It is the task of each Sister to live ever more deeply from the inner spiritual strength which has been given to us in our Charism"  (Als Antwort Auf Gottes Ruf, Bonifatius, 2016, pp. 134-139, English translation by Sister Mary Perpetua Rehle, SCC).
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Do you have questions you would like us to address in these posts?  Please reply to this post and let us know!

The Sisters of Christian Charity of the North American Eastern Province will hold our Provincial Chapter from February 14-18, 2019.  Please join us in praying the prayer for our Provincial Chapter.

General Chapters: 1960 and 1966

From Als Antwort Auf Gottes Ruf (In Response to God's Call), (Bonifatius, 2016) by Sister Anna Schwanz, SCC, translated into English by Sister Mary Perpetua Rehle, SCC:

"The General Chapter of 1960 granted all Sisters who had been transferred to another Province 'a home visit of several weeks.'  We can only imagine what it meant for Sisters, often after decades, to return home and visit elderly parents or siblings, to visit the Motherhouse that had been a second home to them during their formation, to experience the old that they treasured and naturally also to see the changes. . . . 'Again and again one noticed how happy the Sisters were with their impressions of their homeland and, on the other hand, how valuable it was for the Sisters in Germany to learn firsthand about the activities of the Congregation in foreign countries.'  During the years from 1960 to 1963, 126 Sisters from South America and 56 Sisters from North America visited their homes in Germany.  The number of German Sisters in America decreased sharply during the following years.  A few Sisters from the USA who were serving in South America also visited their home Province during these years" (141).

"The Second Vatican Council [1962-1965] had a far-reaching effect on the Church and religious Congregations, including ours. . . . The decree Perfectae Caritatis, concerning the renewal of religious life, which was of great importance for Orders and Congregations, was issued on October 28, 1965."
. . .
"During the Chapter of 1966, Mother M. Augustilde Giesen was elected Superior General, the first North American to hold this office.  The delegates spent much time in extensive deliberations to determine how the decisions of the Council could be carried out in light of the decree, especially regarding the renewal in the spirit of the Founder and the adaptation to the circumstances and challenges of the times. . . . Emphasis was [placed] on spiritual renewal through the deepening of prayer life, faithful living of a vowed life, the support of a 'healthy family spirit' and a 'new appreciation of the individual's share in the responsibility for the spirit and activities of our Congregation.'  This renewal was supported by the changes undertaken by the Chapter in regard to prayer, vows and government.  With the reduction of so-called vocal 'obligatory prayers' in favor of deepened personal spirituality, a development began and continued in the years that followed.  The recommendation to plan sufficient time for personal spiritual reading and especially for the daily reading of Sacred Scripture led to a greater appreciation of the Gospel as good news.  Various changes in daily life became evident in the effort to adapt to the changing times.  In response to the decree, an extraordinary Chapter was planned in three years to evaluate and analyze the results.  Until then 'the Sisters were given the opportunity to make suggestions regarding changes, approval or omission of the provisions, as well as in regard to the revision of the Constitutions and the Community Prayer Book, which would be addressed in the next Chapter'" (134-135).
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Do you have questions you would like us to address in these posts?  Please reply to this post and let us know!

The Sisters of Christian Charity of the North American Eastern Province will hold our Provincial Chapter from February 14-18, 2019.  Please join us in praying the prayer for our Provincial Chapter.

Catholic Schools Week 2019

From January 27 to February 2, we celebrate Catholic Schools Week, which is an annual celebration of Catholic education in the United States.  This year's theme is "Catholic Schools: Learn. Serve. Lead. Succeed." Schools will typically observe this week with Masses and other activities for students, parents and staff.  The Catholic Schools Week website (here) has more information.  Additionally, please visit the Sisters of Christian Charity website (here) to see a list of the schools where we currently serve. We offer our prayers and thanks to everyone who ministers in Catholic education. 

Panama in the Capital (and more from D.C.)

We offer our prayers for everyone traveling to the DC Catholic Festival, "Panama in the Capital," today, including several Sisters of Christian Charity.  From the website: "Panama in the Capital is a one-day Catholic festival celebrating World Youth Day Panama in our nation's capital with thousands of young adults."  The event will be held at the Catholic University of America, Saint John Paul II National Shrine and the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. 

Today we are also sharing another photo from the 46th annual March for Life on January 18 in Washington, D.C.  Thanks to Sister Joseph for sharing this photo of the students from Assumption College for Sisters (a sponsored work of the Sisters of Christian Charity) as they witnessed for life!

General Chapters: 1932-1954

From Als Antwort Auf Gottes Ruf (In Response to God's Call), (Bonifatius, 2016) by Sister Anna Schwanz, SCC, translated into English by Sister Mary Perpetua Rehle, SCC:

"The 10th General Chapter in August 1932, during which Mother Anselmis Nickes was elected General Superior, took place in the period immediately before the Dictatorship [in Germany].  One of the main topics was the discussion of the revised Constitutions, which had become necessary after the new Code of Canon Law went into effect in 1918. As a result of the First World War, the matter was not considered until the Chapter in 1920.  A Commission of Sisters from all Provinces was appointed to undertake the task.  It decided to change only those things prescribed by the new law and, to the joy of the Sisters, 'to leave the first part as Mother Pauline had written it'" (p. 83).

[From 1932-1948, political circumstances made it impossible to convene a General Chapter.  The history of the Congregation during that time included lawsuits, court proceedings, arrest and incarceration of Sisters, exile of the Superior General, bombing of the Motherhouse in Paderborn and the tremendous devastation and deprivation brought about by war.]    

"In August [1948], a General Chapter could once more be convened, the first in 16 years.  Representatives from all the Provinces gathered for exchange and deliberations.  The Chapter was characterized by solidarity and a strong sense of unity within the Congregation" (p. 127).
. . .

"The General Chapter that convened [in 1954] decided: 'In order to remind ourselves more often of our secondary title, 'Daughters of the Blessed Virgin Mary of the Immaculate Conception,' the religious name of the Sisters will be preceded by 'Mary.' In practice, to distinguish from double names, it will be shortened to 'M.'

"The Chapter also considered the possibility of moving the Generalate from Paderborn to Rome.  This had been Mother Pauline's wish and had been decided upon in the Chapters of 1926 and 1948.  Each time the project was derailed by circumstances at the time and political obstacles."

. . . 

"A further important topic in the General Chapter, which had also been addressed in the foregoing Provincial Chapters, was besides the evaluation of the spirit of the Congregation and the observance of the Constitutions, 'the expeditious adaptation of religious life to the times.' What was meant by that statement was by no means clear.  In September 1952, the first international conference for religious superiors had been held in Rome.  The contemporary renewal of religious life was discussed.  This theme was quickly taken up by the media and commented upon.  While the main discussion there was 'relaxation of religious discipline' the communities focused on inner renewal.  The Circular Letter of the 1954 General Chapter to all the Sisters stated: 'Contrary to the many sensational press releases, the Holy Father sees as most important in the renewal of religious life, a return to the basics of religious life.'  A means to this renewal is the return to the original spirit of the founder."

. . . 

"In general, a definite move forward was felt, but there was also an anxious holding on and a certain need to regulate everything precisely. The Second Vatican Council would strongly influence the time to come" (pp. 132-133).
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Do you have questions you would like us to address in these posts?  Please reply to this post and let us know!

The Sisters of Christian Charity of the North American Eastern Province will hold our Provincial Chapter from February 14-18, 2019.  Please join us in praying the prayer for our Provincial Chapter.

The 1926 General Chapter

As we continue to journey through the General Chapters in the history of the Congregation of the Sisters of Christian Charity, we must pause slightly at the Chapter held in 1926, in which major structural changes were approved. We turn again to Als Antwort Auf Gottes Ruf, by Sister Anna Schwanz, SCC (Bonifatius, 2016, translated into English by Sister Mary Perpetua Rehle, SCC):

"Delegates at the General Chapter in 1926, who represented Germany, Czechoslovakia, North America and South America, came to a decision about a matter that had long been on the horizon -- the restructuring of the Provinces.  While maintaining the unity of the Congregation, this decision would facilitate government, as well as take into account the stipulations of the new Code of Canon Law."*

• North American Province:  "All foundations east of the States of Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee and Alabama will form the North American Eastern Province.  Those States west of the above-named, in whose cities we have foundations, belong to the North American Western Province."
• South American Province: ". . . The South American Province [is divided into] the Chilean Province . . . and the Uruguay/Argentina Province."
• German Province:  "The foundations in Germany, which had been directly under the Generalate and governed by the Superior General will now form their own Province."
• Generalate: "The Generalate, whose relocation to Rome has been approved by the Holy See, will move as soon as the preparatory construction there allows" (pp. 47-49).

[Note:  The detailed history of these structural changes can be found in Als Antwort Auf Gottes Ruf  and in other sources.  Each of these structural changes has its own intricate, interesting history that is worthy of reflection. However, as they are not the goal of our posts at this time, they have been granted only a cursory glance.] 

*Here, the Code of Canon Law refers to the centralization and coordination of Church laws by a group of Cardinals commissioned in 1904 by Pope Pius X. As a result of this Commission, the first Code of Canon Law was promulgated in May, 1917 and went into effect on Pentecost Sunday,  May 19, 1918.  

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Do you have questions you would like us to address in these posts?  Please reply to this post and let us know!

The Sisters of Christian Charity of the North American Eastern Province will hold our Provincial Chapter from February 14-18, 2019.  Please join us in praying the prayer for our Provincial Chapter.

SCC Chapters: A Brief History (continued)

As noted in our previous post, at the completion of the first General Chapter of the Congregation of the Sisters of Christian Charity in 1879, the Sisters expected that another Chapter would be convened in six years (as required by the Constitutions).  However, the death of Mother Pauline von Mallinckrodt in April 1881 made it necessary to convene another Chapter in November 1881 to elect the next Superior General.  Mother Mathilde, one of the four founding Sisters and, at the time of the 1881 General Chapter,  the Provincial Superior of North America, was elected as the second Superior General.

Since 1881, General Chapters have been held every six years, with a few exceptions.  As we journey toward the 24th General Chapter in July 2019 in Paderborn, Germany, we also reflect on the Chapters that have taken place in our Congregational history.  In the book, Als Antwort Auf Gottes Ruf ("In Response to God's Call," copyright 2016, Bonifatius), Sister Anna Schwanz, SCC, provided an overview of some of these:

"At first the 'spirit of Foundation' was kept alive by personal memories of Mother Pauline, which long continued to have effect through contemporaries who were still alive.  The first three Superior Generals had known Mother Pauline personally and had cherished her. The seven General Chapters, 1881-1920, which they initiated, continued to be influenced by this.  Besides the election or re-election of the General Superiors, each Chapter placed special emphases.

"The emphasis in the dialogue during the Chapters of 1881 and 1887 was the consideration of a theme which had been very dear to Mother Pauline's heart:  unity and love. . . ."
. . .
"From the beginning the unity and cohesion within the international community was consciously nurtured. . . . The 4th General Chapter in 1893 dealt explicitly with this topic.  Internationality was seen as a possibility for greater unity, a point of view which has been taken up with new interest in the present time.  A Circular Letter to all the Sisters states: 'For that reason we want to nurture and cultivate this love and harmony of heart . . . this sisterly, loving concern for each other in joy and sorrow, the devoted participation in all experiences within the Congregation, be it in Europe, in North or in South America or wherever the Divine Will leads us.' The members of the Chapter also found a concrete starting point to reach this goal. 'We felt that an especially good means to the consolidation of the unity and love, was to assign Sisters according to need and possibility, so that the three Provinces maintain an interchange among themselves, so that, e.g., not only Sisters from Europe are sent to provinces overseas, but also, the opposite, from the American to the European.'"
. . .
"The participants in the 7th General Chapter in August 1911 dealt especially with the spirit of the times and the spirit of Mother Pauline, with the legacy which is passed on from generation to generation. . . ."
. . .
"Because of the conditions during and after the war, the Chapter scheduled for 1917 could not be held until 1920. . . .  The main work of the Chapter was the inclusion in the Constitutions of the stipulations of the new Code of Canon Law, which had become effective in May 1918"  (pages 38-40, English translation by Sister Mary Perpetua Rehle, SCC).

(Note:  Excerpts of  Als Antwort Auf Gottes Ruf  were shared on this blog throughout 2017, in honor of Mother Pauline's 200th birthday, beginning with this post in February 2017.)
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Do you have questions you would like us to address in these posts?  Please reply to this post and let us know!

The Sisters of Christian Charity of the North American Eastern Province will hold our Provincial Chapter from February 14-18, 2019.  Please join us in praying the prayer for our Provincial Chapter.

SCC Chapters: A Brief History (continued)

In November 1878, Mother Pauline had joyfully extended invitations to the Sisters who were to attend the  first General Chapter of the Sisters of Christian Charity.  Three months later, however, Mother Pauline was "deeply sorry" and "exceedingly regretful" to grant the request of Sister Gonzaga (Provincial Superior of South America) that the South American SCC's be excused from the first General Chapter (letter to Sister Gonzaga, February 28, 1879).  Mother Pauline's biographer and brother-in-law, Alfred Hüffer, explained:

"To Pauline's great distress, insurmountable obstacles prevented the South American Province from participating.  The Most Reverend Bishop of  Concepción had objected to a lengthy absence of the Sisters chosen as delegates, since the institutions of the Congregation [in South America] were yet so new.  In his diocese, the large convent in Concepción was still under construction and would be considered in special peril from a month-long interruption of 'upper management.'"

. . . 

"Pauline was deeply pained at being forced to renounce the participation of her dear Chilean daughters in the first General Chapter.  After she had discussed the problem with Bishop Conrad [Martin], however, and had received the advice of her Assistants, she sacrificed her heart's desire this time, too, eventually granting the requested dispensation. . . . 

"But how she thanked Divine Providence for the decision in question when shortly afterwards the news arrived of the outbreak of war between Chile, Peru, and Bolivia.  This conflict would have hindered the return of the Sisters for quite some time and would have made the absence of the Provincial Superior doubly threatening.  An additional notice from Paderborn [Germany] also generated painful regret.  Sister Anna, superior of the Institute for the Blind, had suffered so severely from a physical ailment that the doctor, in no uncertain terms, forbade the trip.  Even though Sister Anna had also expressed a great desire to take part in the General Chapter, Pauline in this instance also decided with a heavy heart to grant the dispensation.

"Through this double loss, the number called to the General Chapter stabilized at eight Sisters, who on Pentecost Eve, 1879, assembled with the Superior General at Mont St. Guibert.  These were:  Sisters Mathilde, Walburga, Augustine, . . . Sister Philomena, . . . Sisters Agnes and Wunibalda, . . . Sister Hildegard . . .  and Sister Lioba.

"On June 1, Pentecost Sunday, Bishop Conrad opened the General Chapter with a solemn liturgy and an impressive sermon.  The proceedings continued until June 18, . . ."  (A Short Biography (1892), pp. 104-105, translated from the German by Sister Celestine Hoedl, SCC. See pages 104-108 for a more extensive discussion of the details of the first General Chapter).

During the first General Chapter, Mother Pauline -- Superior General of the Congregation since 1849 --  was re-elected.  Little did the Sisters know at that time that a second General Chapter would be necessary in less than three years' time (November 1881) to elect a new Superior General to fill the vacancy left by the death of Mother Pauline on April 30, 1881.

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Do you have questions you would like us to address in these posts?  Please reply to this post and let us know!

The Sisters of Christian Charity of the North American Eastern Province will hold our Provincial Chapter from February 14-18, 2019.  Please join us in praying the prayer for our Provincial Chapter.

SCC Chapters: A Brief History (continued)

Our last post mentioned the November 23, 1878 letter that Mother Pauline sent to her brother, George, and his wife, Diene.  This letter contained such an easily understable description of a General Chapter that we are including an excerpt of it here:

"The purpose of this letter, dear George and dear Diene, is to inform you about something that greatly interests me and affords me much joy.  The decision has been made that the first General Chapter of the Congregation is to be opened on Pentecost, 1879, and indeed, here in Mont St. Guibert.  Mother Gonzaga and her companion from South America, and Mother Mathilde and her companion from North America have already been invited.  I am exceedingly happy about the prospect of seeing both of them again.  The companions of the Provincial Superiors will be elected in each province at a regional meeting preceding the General Chapter.  There will also be a discussion in these regional meetings as to what is to be presented and considered in the General Chapter in regard to each province.  In recent times the Congregation has spread to such far distant countries, that mutual deliberation about many affairs seems desirable.  The set-up of the foundations, habits, customs, etc., etc., in the various regions of the world are, as is well-known, very diverse; and written communication is, of course, entirely different from a verbal exchange of thinking.  Then, too, the election of the Superior General of the Congregation and her Assistants must take place according to the provisions of the Constitutions.  Times are indeed still distressing, but they are such at present, that we can get together and the considerable amount of money required for the trips is far outweighed by the benefit that the Congregation derives from the General Chapter.  I have asked the Sisters to bring along the reports of the various bishops in each diocese concerning the status and activities of the Sisters, so that they can be submitted to Rome with the report about the General Chapter."

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Do you have questions you would like us to address in these posts?  Please reply to this post and let us know!

The Sisters of Christian Charity of the North American Eastern Province will hold our Provincial Chapter from February 14-18, 2019.  Please join us in praying the prayer for our Provincial Chapter.

More from the March for Life

Thanks to Sister Donna Brady, SCC, Catechetical Leader at the Church of St. James, Basking Ridge, NJ,  for sharing these photos of St. James parishioners participating in the 46th annual March for Life in Washington, D.C.

"Vikings for Life"

We are grateful to Sister of Christian Charity Sophia Marie Peralta, Assistant Director of Campus Ministry and ESL teacher at Allentown Central Catholic High School,  for sharing these photos from the March for Life in Washington, DC.  Our prayers accompanied the faculty members and students from ACCHS (home of  "the Vikings"), who filled five buses to travel from Pennsylvania to D.C. to join an estimated 200,000 marchers at this 46th annual peaceful demonstration.  Thank you, "Vikings for Life," for your pro-life witness!

SCC Chapters: A Brief History

As early as 1869, Mother Pauline's letters reflected that she wished to convene a General Chapter.  She wrote to Sister Johanna, "Probably in a few years, we shall, with God's kind assistance, hold a General Chapter" (December 24, 1869).   On February 21, 1877, Mother Pauline wrote to Sister Mathilde [Provincial Superior in North America], "I would have liked to propose having our first General Chapter here [Mont St. Guibert near Brussels, Belgium] and to have invited Sister Gonzaga and the dear North Americans to it, but His Excellency [Bishop Conrad Martin] thought that we should wait a little longer until everything is more firmly organized.  I realize that he is right.What a joy it will be to see you all again."  She wrote similar letters to Sister Gonzaga [Provincial Superior in South America] in February, August and October of 1877.

Finally, in November, 1878, Mother Pauline could begin to inform her Sisters of the decision to convene the first General Chapter of the Congregation  on Pentecost 1879.  By the end of November 1878, invitations were sent to Sisters Gonzaga and Mathilde, and to Mother Pauline's assistants, Sisters Anna, Walburga and Augustine. Letters were sent to the Sisters of the various provinces to inform them of the need for regional meetings (Provincial Chapters) to take place prior to the General Chapter. Mother Pauline was so joyful about the prospect of the General Chapter, that -- on November 23, 1878 -- she even wrote to her brother and sister-in-law, George and Diene, to share the great news!

Astute readers of this blog will note that our previous post indicated that, in 1859, the Sisters of Christian Charity served in one territorial region, Germany.  But, today's post refers to the year 1877, when Mother Pauline lived in Belgium and had Sisters in North America and South America.  What happened in the almost 20 years in between?  Why was Mother Pauline in Belgium?  Why were Sisters in North and South America?  When did they leave Germany?  What were the conditions that prevented Mother Pauline from convening a General Chapter in the early 1870's?

While we could spend a great deal of time going over the historical events that led to the spread of the Congregation beyond Germany, we direct you to the website of the North American Eastern Province (click here) and the North American Western Region (click here) to learn more about the history and heritage of the Sisters of Christian Charity.
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The Sisters of Christian Charity of the North American Eastern Province will hold our Provincial Chapter from February 14-18, 2019.  Please join us in praying the prayer for our Provincial Chapter.

Only Justice

The theme of this year's Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (January 18-25) is "Justice, Only Justice, You Shall Pursue" (Deuteronomy 16:20).  More information is available from the USCCB here and from the Graymoor Ecumenical & Interreligious Institute here.

Also, please remember in your prayers all those participating in the 46th annual March for Life on Friday, January 18 in Washington, DC.  Click here for more information about the March and here for pro-life prayers and resources for the Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children (January 22). 

What is a Chapter? - Part II

The Sisters of Christian Charity of the North American Eastern Province will hold our provincial chapter from February 14-18, 2019.  In a previous post, we asked you to join us in praying the prayer for our Provincial Chapter,  In yesterday's post, we shared with you the historical meaning of chapters as a function unique to the governance of  religious orders.  Today we would like to begin to share with you the history of chapters in the Congregation of the Sisters of Christian Charity.

The summary at the beginning of the first Constitutions of the Sisters of Christian Charity (in 1859) states, "A general chapter convenes for the election of the superior general and her assistants, and on certain other occasions."

Part 3 of the same Constitutions indicates that a general chapter should not be convoked frequently so as not to be a distraction to the Sisters.  Rather, communication of the superior general with the Sisters through letters, through her assistants and through other Sisters is seen as an effective method of governance.  (Mother Pauline von Mallinckrodt, the founder and first superior general of the Sisters of Christian Charity, wrote close to 3,500 letters that exist to this day.)

According to these Constitutions, then, the reasons for a general chapter would be to elect a new superior general and to "discuss lasting problems of great importance or matters that affect the whole Congregation and the way of dealing with them" (Part 3, Chapter 3, Article 2). 

Although the Congregation consisted of one "territorial unit" at the time (that is, Germany), the Constitutions pointed toward a future time when the Congregation might be divided into a number of provinces: "Therefore, whenever a general chapter is to be convoked, it shall be preceded by a provincial chapter in each province" (Part 3, Chapter 4, Article 3).

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Do you have questions you would like us to address in these posts?  Reply to/comment on this post and let us know.

What is a Chapter? -- Part I

The Sisters of Christian Charity of the North American Eastern Province will hold our Provincial Chapter from February 14-18, 2019.  Yesterday, we asked you to join us in the "Prayer for Our Provincial Chapter."  Today, we begin a series of posts to share the history of Chapters in religious life, in general.  Subsequent posts will journey toward the specific goal of sharing the meaning of a Chapter for the Sisters of Christian Charity in 2019.

We are grateful to the Wheaton Franciscans for this description of the "History of Chapter in Religious Communities":

"Preparing for Chapter is a function unique to religious orders.  A Chapter may be held at a general, provincial or local level depending on the structure of the religious community; whether general, provincial, or local, Chapters have a long and respected history within vowed religious life.

The term 'chapter' originated with the early monks who gathered daily as a community to listen to a reading from the Rule of St. Benedict.  Little by little this gathering of the monastic community became known as 'the chapter' of the monastery and the place where it met the 'chapter hall.'" 

. . . 

"The term "General Chapter" was established by the Cistercian Monks in 1195.  All the Cistercian Abbots, from their various locations, met once a year at their founding Abbey in France.  In 1215, the fourth Lateran Council established that all religious Orders should celebrate 'Chapters' at regular intervals after the example of the Cistercians as a means of promoting the reform of the religious life."

...

"In the early days of the Franciscan Order, St. Francis would call his brothers together at the Portiuncula in Assisi for the purpose of formation, support, reflection and renewal.  During its founding years the Franciscans held a 'General Chapter'' twice a year:  at the feast of Pentecost (May-June) and at the feast of St. Michael (September 29).

"In 1216, St. Dominic decided his Dominican friars would govern themselves through regular chapters.  In the early years, the Order was small enough that all the communities of brothers could gather together, but by 1221, the Order had grown to a size that the General Chapters were no longer able to address all the issues from the various parts of the world.  That year a decision was made to divide the Order into provinces, or geographic regions."

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Do you have questions you would like us to address in these posts?  Reply to/comment on this post and let us know!

Prayer for Our Provincial Chapter

The Sisters of Christian Charity of the North American Eastern Province will begin our Provincial Chapter on Thursday, February 14.  In this month leading up to our Chapter, we invite you to pray this prayer with us.  (Email subscribers, if you do not see the photo of the prayer card below, please click here to visit the blog.)

9 Days for Life: January 14-22

"9 Days for Life" -- January 14-22 --  is a multifaceted novena for the respect and protection of every human life.  Each day, a different intention is accompanied by a short reflection, suggested actions and related information.  You can sign up for email or text notifications, or find a pdf of the entire novena here.

Human Trafficking Awareness Day

Since 2007, National Human Trafficking Awareness Day has been observed annually on January 11, during National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month.  The 2019 Interfaith Toolkit on Human Trafficking is available here.  A prayer to end human trafficking is provided by the Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth here.

National Migration Week 2019

"Building Communities of Welcome" is the theme of this year's National Migration Week (January 6-12).  From Justice for Immigrants: "For nearly a half century, the Catholic Church in the United States has celebrated National Migration Week, which is an opportunity for the Church to reflect on the circumstances confronting migrants, including immigrants, refugees, children and victims and survivors of human trafficking. . . . Regardless of where we are and where we came from, we remain part of the human family and are called to live in solidarity with one another.  Unfortunately, in our contemporary culture we often fail to encounter migrants as persons, and instead look at them as unknown others, if we even notice them at all.  We do not take the time to engage migrants in a meaningful way, as fellow children of God, but remain aloof to their presence and suspicious or fearful of them.  During this National Migration Week, let us all take the opportunity to engage migrants as community members, neighbors, and friends."

A booklet of resources for National Migration Week  is available here.

Stop Trafficking Newsletter for January

January is National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month.  The January 2019 issue of the Stop Trafficking newsletter (available here) highlights websites that provide education and action options around the issue of human trafficking.