Sisters of Charity of Nazareth at Nazareth, Kentucky, and in Pittsburgh observed the feast of St. Vincent de Paul with prayer, community gatherings and gratitude for lives spent serving others. The Pittsburgh celebration also honored Sisters Pat Bartolo and Mary Ann Genovich, each marking 60 years of religious life.
At Nazareth, the feast day observance centered on prayer for a wounded world and the call to recognize Christ in people who suffer. The Sept. 27 prayer service, “Weavers of Hope or Bearers of Light in a Wounded World,” connected St. Vincent’s example with the needs of people facing poverty, hunger, war, displacement and isolation.
The service included remembrance of those who died in the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, 25 years ago, and prayers for communities affected by floods and other disasters. A candle or lamp represented Christ’s presence amid suffering and the responsibility to bring his light to others.
In their feast day letter to Sisters and Associates, Sisters Jackulin Jesu and Amrita Manjaly emphasized that faith finds expression in loving service. St. Vincent, they wrote, “challenges us to see the face of Christ in every person,” especially those experiencing exclusion, oppression or hardship.
In Pittsburgh, Sisters, Associates and friends gathered Saturday, Sept. 26, for a festive luncheon at the Vincentian Villa Clubhouse on the Pittsburgh campus. Along with honoring St. Vincent, they celebrated the jubilees of Sisters Pat and Mary Ann, whose combined ministries represent more than 120 years of service.
Sister Pat spent much of her ministry teaching English in Catholic high schools throughout the Pittsburgh region and Ohio. She also worked in nature education. After retiring from teaching in 2018, she continued sharing her interest in the natural world through bird-watching and tending a community garden that provides fresh produce for Sisters on the Pittsburgh campus.
Sister Mary Ann served as a teacher, principal and community leader before moving into nursing home administration. Her ministry has included several roles within the Vincentian Collaborative System, where she now serves as vice president of mission integration.
Both entered the Vincentian Sisters of Charity in 1963. That community merged with the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth in 2008.
Following the luncheon and prayer service, those gathered attended a special Mass at St. Louise Convent honoring St. Vincent. They offered the jubilarians wishes for God’s continued blessings, peace and joy.
Through prayer and celebration, both communities honored their patron saint and renewed their commitment to his example: loving God through service to others.