Sisters Of Christian Charity - New Sisters!

[Lilllabettt]

The Sisters of Christian Charity in Mendham, NJ have a new batch of Sisters. They have 4 postulants, 2 sisters making first profession, half a dozen renewing vows, 1 making final profession ... and 3 new novices:

Sister Sophia Marie, Sister Mary Grace, Sister Mary Peter
[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v320/Lilllabettt/NewPicture.png[/img]

Most all of the new Sisters are in their teens and early twenties, but this is a community that does accept "later" vocations based on individual situations ... although they have not accepted anyone over 45 in a very long time.

This is an amazing community of educated, practical, hard-working religious Sisters. They have an hour of adoration every day. Their charism is to bring the love of Jesus wherever it is not. (They were founded from Germany and 'christian charity' is an approximate translation of Christ's Love) ... Pure amesome.

[Lisa]

Yay!!

For anyone interested, here's their website:
http://www.scceast.org/index.html

[FutureSister2009]

Ooh a friend of mine went to visit them a while ago. I don't think I have a call to them but I'm sure she'd be happy to see this

[LaPetiteSoeur]

They are amesome! It was a SCC who ran the "women's" side of my first discernment retreat. Sr. MaryRose was so helpful!

[IgnatiusofLoyola]

Thanks so much for posting this. I think the SCC's are one of those Orders that few people have heard of, but are wonderful. I have now met several SCC Sisters and it's clear that their charism of "love" is truly part of who they are.

From the pictures, it looks like the Order is gradually changing the top part of its habit to a black sweater with just the white collar of the blouse below showing. I am seeing this new habit more often on Sisters here in the Midwest. However, knowing some about the SCC's, I expect that because of their vow of poverty, the Sisters are not changing their habits all at once. The newest Sisters have the new habit, and the older Sisters are gradually changing over as their current habits wear out.

I think some women who are discerning dismiss the SCC's too quickly because they have a "modified" habit. Their habit is clearly not secular "street clothes," they all wear the same (or very similar habits), and I have never seen a Sister (except a postulant) without a veil. Since I see these Sisters every day in the neighborhood, it is very clear to me that they are religious Sisters, and the fact that their skirt does not touch the ground makes no difference at all in terms of the work they do and their love for God. Can you tell that I think the SCC's are wonderful? LOL

BTW Lillibettt, I hoping your teaching is going well. (Or, at least as well as can be expected at the beginning of the school year!)

[Lilllabettt]

Actually there are a couple "habits" --- All of the Sisters wear a veil. With this they wear a black skirt, white shirt, black vest ... (sometimes with a sweater on top depending on the weather) ... but there is also a black "one piece" habit with white collar. This "one piece" habit is a "dress" habit that the Sisters make an effort to wear on special occassions. They can also wear it on regular non-special days if they choose. Some of the younger Sisters make this choice because it is a "more traditional" habit, and that fits their sensibilities.

[IgnatiusofLoyola]

[quote name='Lilllabettt' timestamp='1315868925' post='2303955']
Actually there are a couple "habits" --- All of the Sisters wear a veil. With this they wear a black skirt, white shirt, black vest ... (sometimes with a sweater on top depending on the weather) ... but there is also a black "one piece" habit with white collar. This "one piece" habit is a "dress" habit that the Sisters make an effort to wear on special occassions. They can also wear it on regular non-special days if they choose. Some of the younger Sisters make this choice because it is a "more traditional" habit, and that fits their sensibilities.
[/quote]

Thanks for the extra information. I've only seen the new habit from a distance so I didn't realize it was a one-piece dress.

BTW--No one told me that some of the older Sisters may not be wearing the new alternate habit for poverty reasons--I just guessed that was probably the reason because that fits with the SCC charism and with other things the Order does. For example, as I've posted before, at least here in the Midwest, there is no one single type of winter coat worn by all the Sisters. For their winter coats, the Sisters here depend entirely on donations. When they need a new coat or a warmer coat, they go through the donated coats and pick the one that fits best. As a result, many Sisters wear winter coats that are not black (although they tend to be muted colors). However, most of the older Sisters do seem to wear black winter coats--I expect that over the years they have found a black coat that fits them from the donated coats. But, the even the black coats are not alike in style.

BTW--I like the new one-piece dress habit a lot. I can see why the younger Sisters like it, too.

[she_who_is_not]

I'm so glad you posted this. I love these Sisters so much. I would encourage any woman discerning to attend a vocation retreat at their gorgeous motherhouse.

[IgnatiusofLoyola]

To Lillibettt and any others who have visited the SCC's: I have heard the spirituality of the SCC's described as primarily Ignatian. Would you agree with this, or do you see other spiritual influences as well? I've started to read a little about Ignatian spirituality, and do see it echoed in some of the Order's postings on their Web site. (I have TWO biographies of the Blessed Pauline, the founder of the SCC's, that have temporarily lost, but need to find, because they might address this.)

It's strange that I know so little about the Sisters that live so close to me.

This thought came up in a post on another thread in VS where it appeared the poster might be confusing the SCC's with the Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity, so I was clarifying that they are separate and VERY different Orders.

[sophia13]

So in my stalking...er, [i]perusing[/i]... of the CMSWR website, I saw that the Sisters of Christian Charity were added as a "New Member" page on November 8! Their [url="http://www.cmswr.org/member_communities/SCC.html"]CMSWR page[/url] has a picture of their 3 new novices, along with some of their professed sisters. Even though my discernment has moved in another direction, I still have great affection for this community, so I just wanted to share

[Sarah147]

Hmmm. Sister never told me what the Superior said. I think my (maybe) blatent reply about not entering for some years struck a chord.

Edited November 19, 2011 by JoyfulLife

[Lilllabettt]

Keep in mind JL that it is a large, international community. Did she say which level of Superior she would need to ask? The Sister at the top is German and travels around the world a great deal. Even at the provincial level, Superiors are difficult to get a hold of, espeically if its to ask a question that is not time-sensitive. It may also be a question that would require them meeting you in person before they could give you an answer that would be at all accurate or helpful.

Of course ... they are just plain busy too. I have visited twice and am in regular contact ... and there's often a few weeks between my sending and replying.

[Sarah147]

Sister began talking about my visiting but I told her I wasn't at that serious of a stage. She hasn't replied since and that was a month or more ago.

[she_who_is_not]

Also keep in mind that the Sister who handles vocation contacts is also the Postulant Director. This is probably her busiest time of year, with Postulants entering the community in September and Novices trasitioning fully into the Novitiate.

[Cherie]

I love the SCCs. They taught at some schools in Harrisburg, and while I was not personally taught by them, they "shared" a convent with the IHMs that I was taught by and volunteered quite often with, so I got to know them a bit. (The building was an old convent and women's boarding house, and was connected by a hallway. The SCC's had the convent part, and the IHM's had the boarding house part that they converted into their own convent. Oh how I wish I could volunteer there again! Such good memories! And it was truly BEAUTIFUL to see the way these two communities interacted with one another. True charity!)

Anyway, I knew a girl who was seriously discerning with them about the same time I was discerning religious life. I never found out if she entered or not; she probably just would have made final vows, or would be about to, if she had entered.

Definitely a GREAT community!