Vol. 11, No. 2

Emmitsburg, Maryland

Spring 2002

Working with the Daughters - Bringing the Charism

My name is Sister Patricia Dotzauer, SC, I am a Sister of Charity of St. Elizabeth, of Convent Station, New Jersey. Since August I have been teaching at Mother Seton Academy in Baltimore, a tuition- free Catholic School for children of low-income and socially at risk families.

It is not surprising that my previous ministry prior to coming to MSA is what led me here. Part of my formation work in the Collaborative Novitiate was the "Roots" program that brought postulants and novices from the Federation Congregations together in Emmitsburg. Collaborating and connecting with formation directors and others from the Federation Congregations and in particular, the Daughters of Charity was a new and enriching experience for me.

It was on one such trip to Emmitsburg and Paca Street in Baltimore that we stopped to visit Mother Seton Academy. As formation directors we were always looking for opportunities for the postulants and novices to witness first hand the charism of charity at work among the poor.

Sister Mary Bader, DC, the Eighth Grade teacher then (who is now the present principal) took us on a tour and shared with us about the mission of the school. I never forgot that visit and last spring the opportunity to work at Mother Seton Academy presented itself.

Although there are a number of religious congregations that sponsor the school and each congregation's charism is present there, for the purpose of this article I will focus on the charism of charity. As I reflect on my experiences since August, my first thoughts are personal. Sister Mary Bader and the sisters at Guillemin House welcomed me into their home until such time that my permanent living arrangements would be available.

During this time there were many opportunities to meet and get to know Daughters of Charity and the familiar faces from my formation ministry were a welcome sight. Living and working a distance from my own community heightened my need for companionship with kindred spirits. Prayer, birthday parties, picnics, St. Vincent's and St. Elizabeth's feast days, and enjoying Christmas lights with the Daughters has nourished and supported me. I realize now that our mutual bond of charity in the footsteps of Vincent, Louise and Elizabeth goes deeper than our shared works and ministry. 

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