Honoring the Sisters of Christian Charity
At our Jan 9th meeting, we honored the Sisters of Christian Charity (SCC), Mallinkrodt Convent, Mendham, for their service to the community in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. The Sisters opened up their home as a shelter in the aftermath of the storm, where they housed and fed many people form the Mendhams and the surrounding communities.
We hosted Sr. Mary Irene and Sr. Joseph Spring at our meeting. Sr. Joseph is president of Assumption College for Sisters (run by the SCC), and spoke briefly about the college and it's mission. Then Sr. Mary Irene told us about their experience running the shelter. It was a new experience for the sisters. A month or so prior to the storm (and because of the two storms in 2011), they were approached by Mendham Borough Mayor who inquired if they could shelter people after a storm. Well, no one was expecting there to be a need so soon, but the Sisters really came through. Instead of just using the cots provided by OEM, the Sisters housed people in private rooms of the retreat center (which is equipped to host multi-day retreats). They also had tables and activities set up in their multipurpose room where many of the area's residents came during the day to socialize, warm up, eat, and charge cell phones. The Sisters also provided a shelter in the convent itself for the Sisters of Charity from St. Elizabeth's who were without power at their Convent. The Sisters spent time each day with their guests, and the younger Sisters played with the children sheltering there. The SCC shelter was pet-friendly, providing a place where people could find shelter with their four-legged family members. In fact, Sr. Mary Irene told us that the people were having such a good time, they were a little disappointed to be informed that their power was on and they could go home! It truly was a community environment where those who needed shelter and/or a respite could find a temporary home.
Sr. Mary Irene speaks to the club while Sr. Joseph Spring looks on
We presented the SCC with a plaque and a donation. The plaque reads: The Rotary Club of the Mendhams presents our Humanitarian Award to the Sisters of Christian Charity in appreciation and gratitude for their invaluable charitable services to the residents of the Mendhams during and after Hurricane Sandy, November 2012
Left to Right: Sr. Joseph Spring, President Ray Altenburger, Sr. Mary Irene
After the presentations, Ray surprised Sr. Joseph with an old photograph. Sr. Joseph was a past principal at St. Joseph's School in Mendham. While there, she asked Ray to organize the annual Shillelagh Run, a charitable event that the school ran in the past. Ray did organize it. He presented Sr. Joseph with a photograph of her participating in the event.
Left to Right: Sr. Joseph Spring, President Ray Altenburger, Sr. Mary Irene
More pictures from the meeting are in the photo album "Sisters of Christian Charity" on our website.