Charism of Charity Moving Forward to the Future at Caritas Christi
by Sister Donna Mulligan, SC
Nearly 60 sisters from the Sisters of Charity Federation from across Canada and the United States arrived in Greensburg last July for a gathering of the group “Charity Moving Forward” (formerly known as “70s and Beyond”). Formed approximately 30 years ago to respond to the specific needs of those sisters who entered religious life after 1970, the group returned to the site of its inaugural meeting, Seton Hill. The sisters meet every two to three years to experience a program of prayer, learning, discussion, and networking centered on a theme selected by a planning committee made up of members of Sister of Charity congregations. This year’s theme was “The Charity Charism within a Living Cosmology.”
To address this theme, Sister Maureen Wild, a Sister of Charity of Halifax, led the participants in an exploration of the evolution of the cosmos as taught by the best scientists and theologians of today. The group began by looking at past understandings of the development of the universe concurrent with the lives of our founders, Saints Vincent de Paul, Louise de Marillac, and Elizabeth Ann Seton. Using the teachings of recent leaders of the church and modern thinkers, Sister Maureen specifically concentrated on how the principles of integral interiority, respect for diversity, and communion are important in understanding how God invites us to participate in the continuing creation and expansion of the universe. Perhaps most simply put, the future of the cosmos including earth and humankind is affected and effected by the decisions we make in our lives each day.
To address this theme, Sister Maureen Wild, a Sister of Charity of Halifax, led the participants in an exploration of the evolution of the cosmos as taught by the best scientists and theologians of today. The group began by looking at past understandings of the development of the universe concurrent with the lives of our founders, Saints Vincent de Paul, Louise de Marillac, and Elizabeth Ann Seton. Using the teachings of recent leaders of the church and modern thinkers, Sister Maureen specifically concentrated on how the principles of integral interiority, respect for diversity, and communion are important in understanding how God invites us to participate in the continuing creation and expansion of the universe. Perhaps most simply put, the future of the cosmos including earth and humankind is affected and effected by the decisions we make in our lives each day.