International Women's Day

Photo courtesy of Assumption College for Sisters

Today is International Women's Day . There will be many different observances of this day throughout the world, some through celebrations, some just by living the day-to-day material realities of being women in today's world. Click here to hear this year's global message on International Women's Day.

Through my blog, I want to mark this international observance and draw attention to the women of the world in our rich diversity and extraordinary accomplishment and still-to-be fully realized possibility. As I plugged in my laptop, I thought about what would be the most meaningful way to achieve this connection through my blog. Then, the obvious became crystal clear to me: share the story of Assumption College for Sisters.

Assumption College for Sisters, or ACS, is a sponsored work of the Sisters of Christian Charity-Eastern U.S. Province, part of an international congregation founded in 1849 in Germany by Blessed Pauline von Mallinckrodt. Originally ACS was a junior college founded by the Sisters to provide education and training for young women in formation to be Sisters of Christian Charity. While originally affiliated as a satellite site for Seton Hall College (now Seton Hall University), the College became separately incorporated and accreditated by the State of New Jersey and the Middle States Commission on Higher Education over 50 years ago to award associate degrees and certificates in theology and philosophy.

As a Sister Formation College, ACS provided an opportunity for education and religious formation not only for the SCCs postulants, novices, and junior professed Sisters but also for postulants, novices, and junior professed Sisters from other women's religious communities in the local area. For many years, among the most frequent students of ACS were the Sisters of Christian Charity, the Filippini Sisters, the Vocationist Sisters, and the Franciscan Sisters of Saint Elizabeth.

While students who were born outside the U.S. have often been part of the ACS student body, during the course of the past almost ten years, ACS has expanded its reach through a special focus on providing educational opportunities to women religious from developing nations in Africa and Asia. Together with postulants and novices of the Sisters of Christian Charity, over two dozen women religious from various African countries and the Asian country of VietNam receive a top quality academic and religious education at ACS. These international students are the beneficiaries of full academic and room-and-board scholarships, most at this time provided by the Sisters of Christian Charity, in order that they can benefit fully from the opportunities available to them. While many of the ACS graduates go on to complete baccalaureate (and some, even Masters) degrees upon their graduation from ACS, the ultimate goal is that they will return to their home countries to put their education at the service of the people and their communities.

The work done at ACS is amazing. The more benefactors who help support this work, the more that can be accomplished for the betterment of the world. Whether you are a person in discernment, a professed religious or ordained priest, a faith-filled Catholic, a charitable donor, a dedicated volunteer, or just someone who'd like to know about the treasure that is Assumption College for Sisters , be sure to treat yourself to a cybervisit and feel free to contact ACS if you'd like more information. (And if you happen to be a woman in discernment or a lay person interested in studying philosophy or theology, be sure to check out the opportunities that ACS has for you, too.)

For a welcome from ACS President Sister of Christian Charity Mary Joseph Schultz, click here. To learn about the student body and the communities and countries from which the Sister students come, click here. For information on degree programs offered, click here and for information on opportunities for lay people, click here. There is a calendar of coming events and enrichment programs here and a glimpse at their electronic library here. And before you leave, make sure you check out the details on the upcoming "Caring Basket Gala".