Mission Statement

As Sisters of Charity of Our Lady, Mother of the Church we embrace our two-fold mission of sanctity and service. In a spirit of simplicity, we aspire to live a life rooted in the Gospel, in imitation of Mary and expressed by prayer, charity, self sacrifice and loving obedience. We devote ourselves to the works of charity, and as true daughters in the heart of the Church, we serve others through the apostolates of education, caring for the sick, the aging and the poor, wherever there is a need.

"Religious community is surely an unexpected sign of a higher reality, higher aspirations, and greater-than-human strength that can pay the price needed to build unity in diversity."

Christian Totality ~ Basil Cole, O.P., Paul Conner, O.P.

Communal Life

As a family gathered together in the Lord’s name, we consider our first and most important mission the mission to love. We live, work, and pray together as a family. Through religious profession, we become permanent members of our religious family. This bond of love among us resembles the eternal love of the Blessed Trinity. As a community, we strive to attain an atmosphere of mutual support, respect and kindness among ourselves, assisting one another in our quest for the common goal of sanctity through selfless service.

Because of our relationship with God, we have a relationship with others. A religious community is made up of Sisters of different ages, backgrounds, experiences, and cultures. God called each of us to Himself as His bride in the same community. We hope to be, especially among ourselves, a beautiful reflection of God’s love here on earth. It is as if we are all different pieces in a beautiful mosaic; different colors, different shapes and sizes but altogether we create a masterpiece of God’s love.

"Community life – what a blessing! Each bride reflects some attribute of God. It is also our Via Dolorosa where we bear one another’s cross out of love. A place where Jesus is the heart of our communal life. A haven of peace, love and mercy."

Sister Mary Cabrini, SCMC

Silence

One of the most important aspects of consecrated life lived in community is silence. In a world such as ours, noise is a fact of life. In order to cultivate that personal union with God, which is so necessary for the religious in the pursuit of the virtues, we observe times of silence in our convents.

There are also days in which silence is kept at meals or between meals. Most founders and foundresses of religious congregations build into their Rule of Life a healthy balance of recreation and silence in order to promote a spirit of charity and prayer throughout the day. Our Congregation is no exception. Once a month, the Sisters of Charity have a day of recollection during which there is complete silence the entire day, giving the Sisters the opportunity to step away from their apostolates and rekindle the fire within to be better prepared to do the will of God wherever and to whomever they are sent. In addition, each year the Sisters are provided with time for an extended retreat to celebrate greater prayer and intimacy with God in order to be effective witnesses to the beauty of religion.

The more one’s union with God deepens, the more the religious welcomes and embraces these times of silence when she can speak and listen exclusively to her divine Spouse.

“With Mary, our lives continually proclaim the greatness of the Lord and the joy experienced in rendering service to Him.”

Holy Rule

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