An Advent Appeal - Supporting Elderly Religious
Yesterday afternoon I received an financial appeal from the Oblate Sisters of Providence . This is a community founded in 1829 by Mother Lange, a Cuban who eventually settled in Baltimore where she established a community to work with French-Speaking Haitians. This was the first community dedicated to the care of African Americans and was, itself, the first African American religious community. They were - and continue to be - champions of racial justice and mi nistry to the poor. For a number of years I have been aware that this community (which has continued their founder's mission to serve in African American communities throughout the U.S.) has struggled to provide medical care for their elderly members. The money just isn't there. And, sadly, this is a reality for many, many religious communities. (This fact was highlighted in the report on U.S. religious women's communities released this week by the Vatican.) Mother Mary Lange Foundress of the Oblate Sisters o...