Tag Archives: Cardinal Timothy Dolan

News, Women's Communities

Sisters Escape Burning Building

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card dolan fdcSomehow I missed this terrible story.

On October 12, 2013, three 19-year-old men set two fires in a Daughters of Divine Charity convent in Staten Island, New York, critically injuring one of the sisters. The three college students had spent the evening smoking marijuana and drinking before breaking into the convent, looking for something to steal. Upon leaving, one of the men set two fires: one in a first floor closet and anther in a 3rd floor bedroom.

The convent is located at St. Joseph Hill Academy on Staten Island. The fire destroyed their chapel, sacristy, archives and provincial offices.This follows on the heels of two other incidences of vandalism on the property. Fortunately, arrests have been made in this latest incident.

Thankfully, Sister Regina Gegic, F.D.C., 45, celebrating 25 years as a religious, was able to return home on Monday after a two-week stay in the hospital. Click here to see the video. Sister was injured when she jumped from a second floor window to escape the blaze, breaking three vertebrae in her back. Another sister escaped the fire unharmed.

Just one day after the fire, Cardinal Timothy Dolan was with the sisters, celebrating the mass in honor of 100 years of service in America. In addition to their education apostolate, the sisters run St. Mary’s Residence for young women in Manhattan. “Sisters, you were prolific from the very beginning,” he said. “The best is yet to come. I think our gratitude is even deeper in the shadows of what happened and it shows how fragile life is and how vulnerable we are.”

On November 7, a fundraiser will be held at Jimmy Max restaurants in the area to help raise funds to restore the convent. If you would like to make a donation, please visit their website.

May God protect them and those they serve.

 

News, Women's Communities

The Heartbeat of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

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On June 1, Cardinal Timothy Dolan presided at the Mass in which six Little Sisters of the Poor made their first profession. The close proximity of the Cardinal to the Little Sisters Novitiate would not necessarily make this an unusual event but what made his presence extra-special was the fact that one of the newly-professed Little Sisters was from his hometown of Baldwin, Missouri and even attended the same grade school that he also had attended. The Cardinal promised to be at her first profession and three years later he kept his promise. He brought along with him Sr. Sister Mary Rosario, RSM, principal of Holy Infant Grade School in Baldwin. Hr truly is a man of the people.

The Cardinal told Sr. Elizabeth and the 5 other sisters making their first profession that they were called to be the heartbeat of Jesus, tenderness incarnate, in receiving God’s love and extending it to others. Also in attendance, were 5 novices who, God willing, will soon take their place at the side of the aged poor.

The sisters new assignments will take them to Ireland, Australia, New Jersey, California and Pennsylvania. I think what is beautiful about the Little Sister’s formation is that they all spend time at the Motherhouse in Brittany, France. There is a great sense of sisterhood among the Little Sisters across the world which comes from this shared time together at the resting place of their foundress, St. Jeanne Jugan.

News, Saints, Women's Communities

Cause for Parish Visitors’ Foundress Moves Forward

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The cause for the canonization of Mother Mary Teresa Tallon, foundress of the Parish Visitors of Mary Immaculate, has moved another important step forward. On February 20, 2013, the Archdiocese of New York received the Nihil Obstat from the Congregation for the Causes of Saints indicating that the Archdiocese is free to pursue her beatification and canonization.

On April 16, 2013, the cause for beatification and canonization officially opened in the archdiocese for Mother Mary Teresa. She is now recognized as a Servant of God.

“The diocesan tribunal officials who would be working on the cause officially took their oath before the cardinal,” said Sister Maria Catherine Iannotti, P.V.M.I., vice-postulator, who also took the oath April 16.

Those on the tribunal will now interview witnesses who knew Mother Mary Teresa. There are two sisters still alive who knew Mother Mary Teresa who died in 1954. They have already given written testimony.

In signing the edict related to the cause, Cardinal Timothy Dolan invites all the faithful to submit any writings or helpful information, favorable or unfavorable, about the Servant of God to the Tribunal of the Archdiocese. All the information collected will give a true picture of the life of Mother Foundress and hopefully pave the way to her elevation amongst the saints.

The Parish Visitors are neighborhood missionaries, imitating Christ’s own way of life through the vows of chastity, poverty and obedience, bringing the message and love of the Good Shepherd to all and seeking those Catholics most spiritually deprived and distant from the Church.

Mother Carole Marie Troskowski, P.V.M.I., superior general of the Parish Visitors, credited “Divine Providence” with introducing the cause of Mother Mary Teresa “in a time of the new evangelization, which is put before the whole Church as of greatest importance.”

For more information, visit the Parish Visitors website or see the article in the Catholic New York.