Presentation by Barbara Hagedorn, SC
Sisters of Charity of St. Elizabeth
September 26, 2009
Hazard yet Forward: Sacred Stories of the Charity Charism
It is a great privilege to be here with you as you begin the celebration of your 150th anniversary. The fact that your anniversary as a community coincides with the 200th anniversary of Elizabeth Seton’s founding of the Sisters of Charity marks it in a special way.
Our charism of Charity which began in Emmitsburg in 1809 quickly led to missions in New York, Cincinnati, Halifax and New Jersey in a short 50 year period. By 1850 there were 300 Sisters of Charity ministering in 33 cities and we were the largest community in the country.
Because of the new missions started from Emmitsburg by Elizabeth’s close companions, other Charity communities eventually were established. Those beginnings are the seeds of what would become the Sisters of Charity Federation. What had been planted in the 1800s through the collaboration and bonds of friendship in community, their generosity toward one another, and the invitation of church leaders spread the charism of Charity as we know it today. The Federation has grown and flourished over the years and it continues to develop and connect us together in new ways. The Charity Federation is one of the hopeful signs for our future and we have our early Sisters to thank.
Today you celebrate a special place in that history as you mark your 150th anniversary. Anniversaries provide times to reflect on what has been and they give us an opportunity to look to the future. I love your anniversary theme Charity: Generation to Generation. It reminds me of the common heritage we share throughout the generations as the family of charity. It also invites you as Sisters of Charity of St. Elizabeth and Associates to reflect on the generations of your community that have gone before you.
What are the gifts you have received from generations past?
And looking to the future…What is your responsibility today for using your gifts in the same way for generations to come? What a wonderful way to mark an anniversary.
This morning I will offer several stories which I hope give some insights into the theme. There also will be time for your own reflection and sharing. I do not intend to retell a history you know far better than I, but to reflect on the qualities and virtues that seem to be foundational as I listened to the stories and reflected on them. What do the stories of the past tell us about the present and the future? What you will hear this morning is one reflection, one perspective. I invite you to listen and reflect on how you perceive these stories from your congregational lens as Sister or Associate as well as from your own lived experience.
When I received the invitation from Barbara Garland to participate in this weekend, she mentioned that you wanted to explore the theme from the perspective of the rich history of the Charity charism. She also talked about making a connection with your history and the Cincinnati history since we were so interconnected from the beginning. I have tried to be true to the invitation.
I have titled this reflection Hazard Yet Forward: Sacred Stories of the Charity Charism choosing the Seton family motto Hazard yet Forward as the inspiration that has moved us forward as communities of Charity. I asked several of your Sisters what you would name as your sacred stories. They identified the ones you will hear in the presentation. Please add your own sacred stories as you listen. I come as your “cousin,” your sister.
So let us begin with a recap of our common beginnings…
We all know the story of Elizabeth Seton’s journey from her Episcopalian roots, her struggles in faith and her conversion to Catholicism. As a young woman she was wife, mother and widow and parented her husband’s siblings too. With her young children and several nieces she moved from New York to Baltimore to Emmitsburg and eventually founded the Sisters of Charity in St. Joseph’s Valley.
As others joined the small band of women, the community grew and opened missions in various cities in the early days of our country. Sisters were sent to Richmond, New York and Cincinnati to name a few places where they spread the love of God, educated and worked with the poor, especially the immigrant population. I know you are as familiar with this history as I am. What I hadn’t reflected on before is that Elizabeth’s life, with all its points of decision and her openness in listening to the will of God, are Hazard yet Forward moments. She certainly had integrated the Seton family motto and I believe it is in that spirit that the motto is an underlying and an essential part of the charism of Charity Elizabeth wanted us to carry on.
It helps to have some background on the motto and its history, translations and iterations over the years. I am grateful to Sister Mary Dolores Schneider, a Sister of Charity of Cincinnati, who presented a reflection on the Seton family motto Hazard yet Forward as integral to Elizabeth’s spirituality. Dolores allowed me to use some of her content for this presentation. She gave a wonderful history and explanation of the motto which I would like to share with you.
She explained: “Dating from the 13th and 14th centuries the motto read: Hazard Zit Forward. This was added to the family crest to indicate the military ardor, courage and daring of the Seton family. A motto was usually in Latin. The Seton family motto was: In adversitate patiens, In prosperitate benevolus. Hazard yet forward; translated: In adversity, patience, In prosperity, kindness. Hazard yet forward. Its English translation has experienced many changes in pronunciation and spelling. The meaning of the Seton family motto eventually became: ‘At whatever risk; yet go forward.’ ”
This translation of the motto is the one that has encouraged us and should challenge us for the future. “At whatever risk, yet go forward.” I believe that this attitude is in the very marrow of the Charity spirit and charism. As Dolores explains: “It presupposes faith and trust … and requires a burning desire for good and for service. It challenges us to try the new, the untried, with openness and enthusiasm grounded in strong principles and values.” This was the driving force for Elizabeth and it is the driving force for us today.
In adversity, patience; In prosperity, kindness. Hazard yet forward.
At whatever risk, yet go forward.
Keeping the motto as the backdrop of this reflection, let us explore four sacred stories. As each story is told, I would ask you to reflect on the qualities that are the hallmarks of each story and how they embody the motto.
The first sacred story -- The Story of Wisdom and Perseverance
This is the story of our two congregations, the Sisters of Charity of St. Elizabeth and the Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati…the story of sisters and “cousins” to one another. Let us reflect on the spirit and the Charity charism that has connected us since 1858.
Wisdom and perseverance were the two qualities that highlight this founding story as I read material from your history by Sister Mary Agnes Sharkey and perused the original letters in our archives between Mother Margaret George (the first superior of the Cincinnati community), Bishop Bayley of Newark and Archbishop Purcell of Cincinnati. I was amazed at the times I saw again and again that it was because of each one’s wisdom and perseverance that your congregation was founded. They had as their vision the establishment of a community of Sisters for the Diocese of Newark. Even though Bishop Bayley’s original idea to form the community did not work as planned, he took a risk in another way in order to move forward. He called upon the Cincinnati Sisters to assist him in making his dream come true.
Margaret George was 65 years old when she established the Cincinnati community in 1852. This was the year they separated from Emmitsburg and became a diocesan community. When she received the request from Bishop Bayley to help in the founding of the New Jersey community, she was 71 years old. As Mother of the Cincinnati Charities she was willing to train the next generation of sisters for her own community as well as train women for the new foundation in New Jersey.
The correspondence that passed between them as Bishop Bayley presented the idea to Margaret and they made plans for how this would happen, gives great insight into each person. The letters tell a lot about how wise and determined each one was in his or her own right. Listen to excerpts from some of their letters. They are also entertaining in parts.
Their initial correspondence begins in June 1858 with Bishop Bayley writing to Bishop Purcell in Cincinnati. Bishop Bayley writes:
I have this day written to Mother Margaret, requesting her to give me three or four Sisters (or lend them if she cannot give them) to form a community for my Diocese—and, as in duty bound, I apply to you, to give the matter your approbation and encouragement.
Most of the people in the Diocese are plain and simple people, and we have no need as yet, of such religious communities as the Ursulines or Visitation nuns. The Sisters of Charity would suit our purpose best. I have some houses of Sisters of Charity from Mt. St. Vincent here and in other places, but they have refused me, communities which I have needed for a girls industrial school , and other purposes—and now they absolutely refuse, to give me a few sisters, to enable me, to start on my own account. …
What I want is the plain , old fashioned Mother Seton’s Seton’s (sic) Sisters—and now, I can get them, only from you.
In another letter dated July 14, 1858, this one to Mother Margaret, Bishop Bayley writes:
If you cannot spare two or three, to remain with us, or if they be unwilling to separate themselves permanently from their western home – you can lend them to us & when they have trained up a few good Sisters to take their places, then they return back to you again. My heart is set upon this matter –
However Cincinnati Archbishop Purcell did not like the idea of giving up any of the Cincinnati Sisters (a community that was only six years old at the time) so Bishop Bayley’s plan seemed doomed. However Margaret George, a wise woman desiring a solution in order to pass on the founding spirit of her dear friend Elizabeth Seton, suggested training sisters from New Jersey in Cincinnati. Then they would return to New Jersey to start the foundation.
In an August 23rd letter to Mother Margaret, Bishop Bayley writes:
It seems to me that the plan you suggest, if approved of by the Archbishop and Council, might be carried out – for me to send three or four good subjects who might be trained under your good auspices, and come back next spring – when you could probably send us one or two good Sisters, for a year at any rate, to enable us to get fairly under way.
…Remember it is not merely the founding of a new House, but a new Diocesan community. …It seems to me proper, that I should have the aid of Mother Seton’s children in establishing our holy Religion in this new Diocese.
So this was the plan agreed upon by all parties. Mother Margaret, although she mentions it “would be out of place and presumptuous” to speak about the selection of the candidates, goes on to tell the Bishop that they “are required to be sound in mind & body, no deficiency of sight or hearing, not less than 16 years of age, nor over 26” to name a few of the specific qualifications. (Letter from MMG to Bp. Bayley, Sept. 5, 1858)
Ever the practical person she also talked about financial arrangements so there would be no misunderstanding afterwards. I imagine her years and experience had taught her many things. Margaret had served as the treasurer of the community in Emmitsburg and was the founding superior at Frederick and Richmond.
The correspondence between the two continues as they work out the details. I did enjoy the next letter from the Bishop when he wrote about sending a candidate who “thinks she is 30 years of age, but she does not look so – is very strong and healthy, and will last 50 years – still I will not send her without your permission.” (Letter from Bp. Bayley to MMG, October 5, 1858) I’d love to know if she was one who was sent to Cincinnati! Even then there were age limits given and exceptions made. Oh to be too old at 30! How life has changed.
The plans were finalized and by November 1858 several young women were on their way to Cincinnati. And all of this happened rather quickly without the use of fax, phone, email or texting!
You know how the rest of the story unfolded when no sisters from Cincinnati were able to come to New Jersey with the sisters to begin the community. The New York Charities were able to assist at that point and played an important part in your beginnings with the promise of Sister Mary Xavier, your Mother Mary Xavier, and Sister Mary Catherine coming from the New York community for the purpose of forming the new community.
With the following words of Mother Margaret which she writes on September 14, 1859, she expresses her desire to the Bishop for this new community:
I rejoice with you that your difficulties & disappointments are nearly at an end. You have much to console you this beautiful feast of the Exaltation. Your cross will be lifted up and He Who sent it will Himself help to bear it. May the sweet inspiring spirit of our dear departed Mother Seton remain with her spiritual children of the West & of Newark & may they all imitate her virtues.
Fitting words from a holy, wise woman who was significant in the founding of both of our communities. In part due to her wisdom and perseverance both of our congregations exist today. She was truly a woman who lived in the spirit of the founding charism and the Seton motto “At whatever risk; yet go forward.” And the date of her letter, written on Sept. 14, takes on even greater significance more than a century later as that is the date in 1975 when Elizabeth Seton was canonized. A fitting addendum to the founding story – the story of wisdom and perseverance.
And so the foundation of Mother Seton’s Sisters in Newark had begun. The congregation grew and prospered, moved to Convent Station and beyond. It perseveres and thrives to this day. The charism of charity, God’s gift to the Church in New Jersey in 1859, has flourished throughout these 150 years. Another slant which comes with the founding of your congregation is that by 1859 five of the six charter members of the SC Federation, which was not formed until 1947, already had sown the seeds of collaboration.
Let us take a few minutes of silence for you to reflect on this story of wisdom and perseverance. Also reflect on the wisdom and perseverance that have been part of your own life in the community. “At whatever risk, yet go forward.”
Pause for reflection.
How are the qualities of wisdom and perseverance important to you and your congregation as you reflect on your anniversary theme Charity: Generation to Generation?
The second sacred story –The story of openness and innovation
As I mentioned earlier in Sister Mary Dolores’s explanation of the Seton family motto, she says that Hazard yet Forward “presupposes faith and trust … and requires a burning desire for good and for service. It challenges us to try the new, the untried, with openness and enthusiasm grounded in strong principles and values.” It presupposes faith in God’s presence and unconditional love; faith in the strength we receive from our companions on the journey; and trust that if we listen to God’s promptings and direction for our lives, we will be carrying out the work that is ours to do. Both are necessary qualities to move the community forward from the founding story to become a congregation open to the new, to be innovative in ministry and to respond in order to spread the charism of Charity.
The risks that the early Sisters took based on their faith in God and relationship with Jesus are the hallmarks which guided the new community in New Jersey to live out the next chapters of the story with openness, generosity and innovation.
Some of the works that were established were similar to those of other apostolic communities at this time in history – starting elementary and secondary schools, hospitals, nurseries and orphanages. I’m sure that with the establishment of each mission, an innovative spirit was required for making decisions about who would start the missions, how this would happen, and finding the necessary resources. In most cases faith and doing God’s will probably trumped having all the details in place.
One of the sacred stories of innovation was your congregation’s response to a new need by opening a college for women. When I asked some of you for your sacred stories, this was one mentioned by each person. I reflected on why this is so significant for you. I think it is because this is a defining decision in your history that was truly a Hazard yet Forward moment. I would imagine there was determination, controversy, trepidation and sacrifice on the part of the Sisters who risked this action.
The College of St. Elizabeth was one of the first colleges in New Jersey to award degrees to women. From an essay by Mary Oates “The Sisterhoods and Catholic Education, 1890-1960” she states: “At this time in history, college education for women was deemed unnecessary. It was only when Catholic women in numbers enrolled in secular colleges that the church took notice and so did the nuns who geared up their expertise.” The community offered the opportunity for young women gain a college education. The Sisters provided women with the skills and knowledge they needed to make their contributions to society.
Because of this ministry of higher education, new horizons opened up for many – Sisters and students alike. Sisters were providing these opportunities for women because the Sisters saw the need and responded to it. Remarkable as this new ministry was, it is important to remember that it was not done in isolation as the only thing happening. It was begun at the same time that some ministries were already in motion and others were beginning.
Another defining moment, one of openness and innovation that was identified, was the missionary activity of your community, especially going to China and other foreign missions. In a time when there were so many unknowns and limited communication vehicles, the Sisters responded to requests to serve in new lands. When we see how these decisions played out in our history, we know that they are stories that teach us about openness and innovation. Do we have that same spirit as the Sisters who gave their resounding “yes” even with the many unknowns; Sisters who were open to learn new cultures and customs from those they met? They responded with a generous heart. We are called to do the same in whatever situations face us today.
“At whatever risk; yet go forward.”
Pause for reflection.
How are the qualities of openness and innovation important to you and your congregation as you reflect on your anniversary theme Charity: Generation to Generation?
The third sacred story – The story of creativity and the willingness to change and be changed
Now to a story which many of you remember because you lived its chapters. This is the time of the 1960s and 70s, the Second Vatican Council and the years that followed – years of having the world we knew turned upside down, of losing our rock solid identities when so much of our community life as we had known it changed dramatically or disappeared altogether. New movements in society and the Church were happening at breakneck speed and we could barely keep up much less figure out which way to respond. Amidst dissension on multiple fronts, including dissension within the community, Sisters struggled to discover the spirit of our foundress, translate it into the context of the time and stay true to Elizabeth’s legacy. These times were times of confusion and hard work, struggling to know God’s plan for the community amidst the departures of our friends and sisters and the unsettledness of our lives.
But as we reflect on these years, I see them as a blessed time of holy unsettledness. They made us question the very essence of our lives and examine our call and commitment. Not a bad thing after all! The study of the Scriptures opened up new insights and forms of prayer. New ministries put us in touch with people who could teach us in ways we had not experienced. We entered into the struggle where justice and right relationships began to define our actions. We became a changed people when we approached life with a willingness to be changed.
Creativity was important in reshaping community life and ministry. Learning new ways to pray enriched our prayer life and offered us rich blessings which we cherish today. Governance models were changed and we had options in our choices in ministry. As you know these times were not easy and some of the creativity might have been defined by some as insanity. Yes these were truly times when Hazard yet forward called upon our faith and trust to navigate the waters of the unknown, always relying on the providence of God which was so important to Elizabeth Seton. “God will provide, that is all my comfort. Never did that Providence fail me.”
Pause for reflection.
How are the qualities of creativity and the willingness to change and be changed important to you and your congregation as you reflect on your anniversary theme Charity: Generation to Generation?
The fourth sacred story – The story faithfulness to “meet our grace”
Another recurring theme in Elizabeth Seton’s writings is that of “meeting our grace.” It was an important part of her spirituality which guided her life as she discerned the will of God for her and her family and Sisters. She took her joys and sorrows to prayer; she listened to the advice of her Sisters; she kept the focus on what was important for the entire community. As her followers we too are called to do the same – to “meet our grace” in our time.
For the fourth story we will reflect on who we are today, how the steadfast determination and faithfulness of our past sisters give us courage for the future and how “meeting our grace” at this time in our history can inspire us for what lies ahead.
How is God calling the Sisters of Charity of St. Elizabeth to “meet your grace?” It can be very hard not to be weighed down with all that is going on around us. It is not as easy a task to put the present and the future into perspective when we look at the chaos of our world. Sometimes I ask… can there be any graces in the midst of this chaos?
There are wars raging around the world and so much loss of life. We also face issues of global warming and the rapid destruction of the earth; we are aware of the misunderstanding and mistreatment of many cultures and peoples; we sometimes encounter confusion and disappointment in our Church; and the list goes on.
In all of this, I wonder… where is grace in the midst of the hurt and pain…the pain we cause one another… or the pain that is caused by other people or situations? Too many problems and very few answers. It is a time when hopelessness and the “live for the moment” philosophy of the world can easily overtake us.
And then by the grace of God we are called once again to look inside, to listen to what is being asked of us as a congregation and of each Sister and Associate individually at this time in history. Elizabeth talked about “meeting her grace” as she gave this advice to a sister going on mission: “When you find yourself at a stand in a situation so new, keep well to what you believe to be the grace of the moment. Do your best and leave the rest to our dear God.” I always find her words so encouraging especially at this time when many situations facing our congregations “are so new.”
How do we describe this place where we find ourselves as we struggle to create our future? I find it to be a place of longing where we are seeking to name the dreams and longings of our hearts.
The place where we find ourselves is a place of vulnerability, of ambiguity. It is the middle time between the now and the not yet. It is the place that can be filled with anxiety and uneasiness and discomfort. We want to grasp at directions and solutions we think might give us control of a situation. And it is precisely at this time…when… more than ever… we are called to be women and men of hope. We need to be with God… just to be…to stay attentive to recognize the direction that comes to us through prayer and communal discernment.
It is not the time to bring personal agendas or past baggage on the journey but the time to welcome openness and vulnerability, to be faithful to the mission you have proclaimed as a community. Certainly not an easy task…but one I would hope you are ready to face with that same resilient spirit of your Sisters who have gone before you. It is a time when faithfulness must mark the journey so that you are open to meet your grace.
What is being revealed to us in this place of ambiguity in our desire to know God’s will? We are at the threshold of a new time as we struggle with how this will happen.
At the core of this desire to know God’s will is a deep longing for God, for the transcendent. There is a restlessness in this place of “in between,” wondering what it is all about and most of the time not very comfortable with it. Ronald Rolheiser, OMI offers an important reflection about the meanings of longing and restlessness in his book Forgotten Among the Lilies. He says: “I think we as a community, like many others, may have given in to the way the definition of longing has changed. Today…our aches are no longer seen as longing for the transcendent. …
Our aches and longings are seen as directed toward what we can attain, practically, in the here and now, achievement, success…, enjoyment. We no longer see our longing as a…holy restlessness put in us by God to push us toward the infinite. Instead it becomes a tamed and tame thing, domesticated, anesthetized and distracted. We are restless only in a tired way (which drains us of energy) and not in a divine way (which gives us energy).” pp. 4-5
We as women religious and Associates must always be restless in our deep longing for God – to look at how we have been anesthetized, domesticated or distracted and return to being restless in a divine way – as followers of Jesus. And we need to do this together as a community of Charity without fear or judgment.
Are we afraid to go to the place of our deepest longing, the place where we will “meet our grace” to discover the direction we are seeking? Elizabeth Seton encourages us to do this, even in difficult times. In a letter to Cecilia O’Conway, Elizabeth says: “…we must be so careful to meet our grace – if mine depended on going to a place to which I had the most dreadful aversion, in that place there is a store of grace waiting for me…” We must not be afraid to face our places of “dreadful aversion.” They may be different places for each of you but you need to encourage one another to go there both individually and as a Community. Hopefully then you we will find “the store of grace” waiting for you.
Now is a significant time as you celebrate your 150th anniversary to renew your commitment to be faithful to the charism of Charity. You are challenged to explore the deep longing within. What is it that you as a congregation long for, what is deep inside of you as you move to the next generation of the Sisters of Charity of St. Elizabeth and Associates? How will you “meet your grace”?
One answer to those questions is described in a message on your website. It is a reflection written by June Favata, SC. I think her words are reflective of all Sisters of Charity of St. Elizabeth and Associates. She writes: “Today, as always, we hold in our hearts the primacy and privilege of sharing in Christ’s mission. For us the future, with all its uncertainties, offers boundless opportunities to engage ourselves and our resources in those collaborative efforts that bring passion and energy to the task of transformation.
We welcome the inevitable mysteries and challenges with the surety that the God who called us into being will continue to lead us ever more deeply into our charism of charity and our shared commitment to the Gospel imperatives of justice and peace.”
Each of you individually and all of you as a congregation will respond to your longings for the future. What a great mosaic of dreams and hopes it will be!
“At whatever risk, yet go forward.”
Pause for reflection.
How are the qualities of faithfulness and “meeting your grace” important to you and your congregation as you reflect on your anniversary theme Charity: Generation to Generation?
As we draw our reflection to a close, we will listen to the song “Find Us Faithful” on a CD by Steve Green. The song is for me a fanfare to the future and the words give us encouragement as we move into that future. The message is simple: “May those who come behind us find us faithful.” The lyrics use the word “obey” and I would ask you to hear it with the meaning of obedience as listening, discerning and following God’s will.
FIND US FAITHFUL
We’re pilgrims on the journey
Of the narrow road
And those who’ve gone before us line the way
Cheering on the faithful, encouraging the weary
Their lives a stirring testament to God’s sustaining grace.
Surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses
Let us run the race not only for the prize
But as those who’ve gone before us
Let us leave to those behind us
The heritage of faithfulness
Passed on through godly lives.
Oh may all who come behind us find us faithful
May the fire of our devotion light their way
May the footprints that we leave
Lead them to believe
And the lives we live inspire them to obey
Oh may all who come behind us find us faithful.
After all our hopes and dreams have come and gone
And our children sift through all we’ve left behind
May the clues that they discover
And the memories they uncover
Become the light that leads them
To the road we each must find.
Repeat chorus twice
Oh may all who come behind us find us faithful.
Oh may all who come behind us find us faithful.
Words and music by Jon Mohr
From the CD “Find Us Faithful” by Steve Green
So to you I say “Happy Anniversary.” As you move to the next generation of the Sisters of Charity of St. Elizabeth, I pray that your faithfulness will lead you to “meet your grace” and that you will always be a congregation on fire with the charism of Charity. Always remember, as St. Vincent de Paul says, that “Love is inventive unto Infinity.”
“At whatever risk, yet go forward. Hazard yet Forward.”
Amen.