Sisters of Charity present first-class relic of Saint Seton to Sacred Heart Church
The Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth have gifted a relic of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton to Sacred Heart Church in Bloomfield. The General Superior of the order, Sister Maureen Shaughnessy, presented the gift Jan. 28 to the parish on the Feast Day of Mother Seton.
The first-class relic contains a bone fragment of Mother Seton, founder of the Sisters of Charity and the country’s parochial school system. The gift symbolizes the enduring legacy of faith formation and spiritual guidance the Sisters of Charity imprinted on parishioners at Sacred Heart Church during the order’s 125-year tenure at the parish and the 80 years they taught at the now-closed Sacred Heart School, Father Nelson Oyola, pastor at Sacred Heart Church, said. The relic has been with the Sisters of Charity since September 1975 when it was given to the sisters at the canonization of Mother Seton in Rome.
Father Oyola said the relic gives “a new presence” to the Sisters of Charity in the parish community, ensuring their legacy continues to inspire and guide future generations of parishioners.
A special Mass and a celebration were held on the Feast Day, and religious education students engaged in a Q&A session with the sisters, offering an opportunity to learn about the order of sisters who ran the parish school for 80 years until it closed and still hold a connection to the community.
The sisters also presented a statue of Mother Seton, a doll dressed in the distinctive habit worn by the Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth from circa 1900 to1960, and an oil painting of Mother Seton, painted by Sister Mary Cajetan Meade, who died in 1956.
Founded by Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton in Emmitsburg, Maryland in 1809, the Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth is the fourth independent congregation of vowed women religious to emerge from this initial foundation. The sisters began their ministry at the parish in 1879, just one year after the church’s construction. From 1924 until its closure in 2004, the sisters dedicated themselves to ministering at Sacred Heart School.
According to Sister Noreen Neary, Director of Congregational Archives at the Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth, 150 sisters have been missioned at Sacred Heart Church in Bloomfield over the past century and a half. When the convent at Sacred Heart Parish closed in 2004, the Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth moved to Convent Station. Four of those sisters — Sister Patricia Butler, Sister Patricia Codey, Sister Merris Larkin, and Sister Beverly Policastro — are currently living at Convent Station. Sister Butler is a former principal and Sister Policastro is a former teacher at Sacred Heart.
Parish catechetical leader Nancy Plate said the commemoration and meet and greet with the sisters increased awareness among the youth about the history of the religious at Sacred Heart Parish.
Father Oyola noted the deep connection many parishioners still have with the sisters.
“This community of sisters is very close and present in the parish community,” Father Oyola said. “We wanted to make a nice gesture to remind them that we remember them and all that they have contributed to the parish.”
In addition to Sisters Butler and Policastro, the following sisters attended the celebration: Sister Maureen Shaughnessy, General Superior; Sister Cecilia McManus, Assistant General Superior; and Councilor; Sister Ellen Farrell, Councilor; Sister Maryanne Campeotto. Councilor; Sister Noreen Neary; Sister Joan Repka; Sister Mary Morley; Sister Ellen Clifford; and Sister Maryanne Tracey.
For many of the students, it was their initial encounter with religious women, and they found the experience intriguing and beneficial, Plate said.
Sister Neary said the sisters found the children’s questions “delightful.”
“As always, questions posed by elementary students were often amusing,” said Sister Neary. “The children asked about how Sister Tracey discovered her vocation, why none of us wore uniforms (habits), how one becomes a sister, and what each of us does.”
Sister Tracey explained God’s call to holiness through their vocation and, in particular, the vocation to religious life as a sister, brother, or priest, Sister Neary said.
Sister Neary said it was heartwarming to hear many parishioners reminisce about the Sisters’ profound impact on their lives.
“It was clear that the parishioners remembered us collectively and individually,” Sister Neary said. “Over and over again, they expressed their gratitude for the education we provided and the vibrant presence we were in the parish community. Many asked about former teachers and related anecdotes about their school years.”
Following the Mass, many sought blessings from Sister Tracey using the relic of Mother Seton, underscoring the enduring connection between the parish and the Sisters of Charity.
As Sacred Heart Parish begins renovations to turn the former convent into a center for faith formation, the legacy of Mother Seton and the Sisters of Charity will remain central, Plate said. The relic of Mother Seton, alongside the statue and other memorabilia, will find a permanent place of honor in the renovated convent, serving as a testament to the enduring legacy of faith and service, Plate added.
Father Oyola also commissioned a plaque as a tribute to the Sisters of Charity and their lasting contribution to the parish community.
The Mass and ceremony were part of the church’s 145th anniversary of Sacred Heart Parish.
