“I once read or heard that an interior
life means but the continuation of
our Savior's life within us; that the
great object of all His mysteries is to
merit for us the grace of His interior
life and communicate it to us...”

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton

"Teach little innocents to love God..."
When Elizabeth Seton voiced her desire to "teach little innocents to love God," she probably never imagined how expanding needs would impel us, her daughters, to pastoral and spiritual leadership in ways far beyond her imagining.

Saints Vincent de Paul and Louise de Marillac taught the first Daughters of Charity to "serve the poor in body and soul," providing spiritual comfort and challenge with as much care as food, clothing and medicine. Elizabeth Seton and her early Sisters in Emmitsburg prepared children for the sacraments and welcomed women retreatants.

Sharing our experience of a loving God...
Today, in a world where many hunger to find meaning in their lives and thirst to learn more about God's ways, we Sisters of Charity share our experience of a loving God in many forms of pastoral and spiritual ministry.

  • We serve as chaplains and pastoral ministers in health care institutions and social service agencies, where pastoral care is increasingly recognized as integral to human healing and growth.
  • We work with colleagues to ensure that the Catholic and Sister of Charity mission continues in our sponsored institutions.
  • We lead, guide and teach in programs of faith formation for adults and young people.
  • As campus ministers in colleges and secondary schools, and in our work with young adults, we encourage young people to make service of others, and reflection on its Gospel roots, a lifelong habit.
  • We prepare catechists and support prospective Catholics in RCIA programs.
  • As spiritual directors and retreat ministers, we accompany women and men who want to deepen their relationship with God. We guide others in learning to pray in various ways, including the contemplative stillness of centering prayer, lectio divina, Vincentian apostolic reflection, and the Ignatian exercises in daily life.
  • We nurture faith through Scripture study and spirituality groups, especially on themes related to our Vincentian-Setonian heritage of affective and effective charity.
  • We offer presentations on holistic spirituality, exploring the ways that body, mind and spirit are connected.
  • The St. Elizabeth Ann Seton House of Prayer offers numerous programs in the spirit of the Catholic charismatic renewal.

The Elizabeth Seton Women’s Center
...a sponsored ministry of the Sisters of Charity of New York, offers many programs on women’s spirituality and personal growth.
Click to visit The Elizabeth Seton Women's Center web site »

For more information about spiritual programs and retreats offered by Sisters of Charity, please click here to fill out our form »

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Sisters of Charity Center
6301 Riverdale Avenue ~ Bronx, NY 10471-1093
718.549.9200