I am a member of the Society of the Holy Child Jesus (SHCJ), more commonly known as the Sisters of the Holy Child. Nearly 60 years ago, I entered this community and have labored ever since to make our mission statement a reality in our world – “to help others to believe that God lives and acts in them and in our world.”
I grew up in Philadelphia and attended the parochial schools there for 12 years. During that time, I met many different communities of women but never considered being one until I met the Sisters of the Holy Child. I mention this so that you will understand that a calling to religious life is not generic, but is to the charism of a particular religious community.
In the diocesan high school I attended, there were seven different communities of Sisters teaching there. I was attracted to the SHCJ by their spirit of joy and prayerfulness and the human concern and care which they exhibited toward their students. Because the Holy Child Sisters are an international community with Sisters working in many parts of the world, there is a great diversity of perspective and experience among us which I found very attractive.
Eventually, I came to realize that the things I most admired in the Society are our heritage from our Foundress, the Venerable Cornelia Connelly. Her own suffering and loss of both her husband and her children, deepened in her a great compassion for all and a special love and care for children which she passed on to her Sisters telling them to love the children they taught as mothers love their children.
Cornelia encouraged each one, both Sisters and students, to develop their unique gifts and use them for God’s work. “Be yourself, but make that self what God wants it to be” was advice often given to those under her care. In my own case, gifts I didn’t know that I had have been given a chance to grow in the variety of ministries I have been called to. I taught for many years in both elementary and high schools – most often in the inner cities. Later, I helped to develop a Justice and Peace curriculum for the Catholic Schools across the nation under the auspices of the National Catholic Educational Association. This work brought me into contact with Catholic educators in many parts of the USA and beyond.
Through the many works of our Society, I have been able to spend time in Africa, Chile, and other parts of South America as well as some of our European ministries. For the past 25 years, I have worked here in the Diocese of Charlotte. I have continued to work in developing programs in education for justice and peace here and throughout the southeast. I have also taught in the Lay Ministry Formation Program and served on the Advisory Board of the Office for Justice and Peace. Currently, I serve as the Pastoral Associate at St. Luke’s parish in Mint Hill, N.C.
Many things have changed since I first entered the Sisters of the Holy Child so many years ago. Today, there are Holy Child Sisters involved in many different ministries on four continents and in 16 states in the U.S. Wherever we are, we embrace all that is human through our life together and through our ministries. Whatever our specific ministry, we are called to help others to grow strong in faith and lead more fully human lives.
What has not changed is our deep commitment to the life of simplicity, prayerfulness, charity, and joy, which are the hallmarks of our Society. We live this life in relationship to God in everyday life among God’s people. Our ministries seek to engage people to believe and reverence the unique dignity of each individual and to have concern for all creation.
Wherever the dignity and rights of persons are negated or belittled, we strive to make a difference, to be a voice for the voiceless, and to empower others to do the same. We strive to meet the needs of the time and place as best we can, knowing that it is God who works through us and we are only the instruments. As we carry out our mission wherever we are we try “to help others to believe that God lives and acts in them and in our world and to rejoice in God’s presence.”
I am a member of the Society of the Holy Child Jesus (SHCJ), more commonly known as the Sisters of the Holy Child. Nearly 60 years ago, I entered this community and have labored ever since to make our mission statement a reality in our world – “to help others to believe that God lives and acts in them and in our world.”
