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Sisters of Charity Celebrate Bicentennial with Lecture Series at College of Mount Saint Vincent

2/18/2009

The Sisters of Charity of New York will hold a series of lectures at the University of Mount Saint Vincent throughout the year to mark the 200th anniversary of the founding of the Sisters of Charity in America. The first lecture, which will take place on Ash Wednesday, February 25, is entitled Vincentian Lay Spirituality. Zeni Fox, Ph.D, author of Called & Chosen, will be the guest speaker. The lecture will explore the spirituality of St. Vincent de Paul, inspiration for Elizabeth Seton, who was the founder of the Sisters of Charity.

Zeni Fox is a professor of Pastoral Theology at Immaculate Conception Seminary at Seton Hall University in South Orange, NJ.  Her other book on lay ministry is entitled New Ecclesial Ministry.  The lectures in the series will focus on the role of the Sisters of Charity have played in healthcare, education, and child welfare.  Future lecture topics include:

March 25 – Panel Discussion on Education, led by Monsignor Thomas Shelley, history professor at Fordham University and author of The Archdiocese of New York the Bicentennial History 1808 – 2008. This year’s panel will discuss the Sisters’ involvement in education. It will be led by Monsignor Thomas Shelley and will include three panelists working in the education field; Margaret A. Dames, Ed.D. ’65, Superintendent of Schools and Director of the Office for Education in Bridgeport, CT; Dominica Rocchio, SC, Ed.D., Regional Coordinator for the Sisters of Charity; and Mary Ellen Sullivan, Ph.D., ’85, Assistant Professor of Teacher Education at the University of Mount Saint Vincent.

October 7 –  Healthcare led by Bernadette McCauley, Ph.D  and author of Who Shall Take Care of Our Sick?: Roman Catholic Hospitals in New York City.
November 9 – Social Welfare led by Maureen Fitzgerald, Ph.D, author of Habits of Compassion: Irish Nuns and the Origins of New York’s Welfare System.

These events will take place at the College in Smith Hall at 7:00 p.m. except for the March 25th event which will begin at 7:30 p.m.   These events are open to the public.  Refreshments will be served, parking is free.

The Sisters of Charity was founded by Elizabeth Ann Seton, the first American-born Saint, in 1809 in Emmitsburg, Maryland. The congregation is dedicated to the care for children, education, and healthcare. They are known for their work in hospitals, schools, and orphanages. The University of Mount Saint Vincent’s history is rooted in the values and teachings of the Sisters of Charity.