2008 Eastern Province Jubilarians

This is an image of pure beauty! Joined by the General and Provincial Superiors, pictured here at the congregational founding day and jubilee celebration are all of the 2008 Jubilarians from the SCC U.S. Eastern Province except for the four diamond (75 year) jubilarians and one silver (25) jubilarian. Take note of the Sister in the first row, third from the left: She celebrated 80 years of religious life as a Sister of Christian Charity!

Each of these women's journeys is a unique story of God's love alive in her life and through her life. Together they represent over one millennium of consecrated service, 1,305 years of religious life as Sisters of Christian Charity, to be exact.

While the number of years is impressive and inspiring enough, I thought a bit more about what that means on a day-to-day basis: 476,325 days; 11,431,800 hours; 685,908,000 minutes; 41,154,480,000 seconds. Over 41 billion seconds of ongoing surrender to God! (Can anyone figure out how many beats of the human heart?)

They are prayer ministers, spiritual directors, development associates, transportation ministers (a.k.a. drivers), pastoral care ministers, college librarians, high school teachers, kindergarten teachers, volunteers, former Superiors General and Provincial, missionaries, homemakers, and elementary school teachers. They come from Jersey City, NJ; Williamsport, PA; Philadelphia, PA; Baltimore, MD; and Bronx, NY, to name a few. They have ministered in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Florida, and Maryland, in the U.S.; in Uruguay in South America; and in Rome, Italy.

Imagine the lives touched, the people served, the inspiration shared! And still today, no matter how many years they have already lived in consecration to God, they each continue to live out the fullness of the evangelical counsels, their baptismal promises, and their religious professions.

To them, I say, "Thank you," and for them, I say, "Thank you, God!"

In the words of one of our community hymns, "For all we praise, and thank, and love!"

Photo courtesy of the SCC Generalate Photo Album .