October 27, 2016 catholic new york • honoring our Jubilarians 17 Sisters of St. John the Baptist Celebrate St. Alfonso’s Sainthood by Dan PIETRAFESA he Sisters of St. John the Baptist celebrated the canonization of their founder, St. Alfonso Maria Fusco, by Pope Francis at the Vatican on Oct. 16 and are now preparing for a celebration in New York in March 2017. T“We’ve begun the planning, but some of the sisters on the committee were in Rome” for the canonization, said Sister Mary Crucifix Pandullo, C.S.JB., director for the Staten Island Regional Catechetical Office. Watching the canonization on television “was wonder- ful,” she said. “It was like being there and sharing the mo- ment. I saw some of our sisters there in the crowd. It was really an unbelievable grace. We’ve been praying for this. This is a great gift to the Church as well.’’ St. Alfonso was one of seven people—six men and one woman—canonized in front of 80,000 people from around the world by the Holy Father. Sister Claudette Jaszczynski, C.S.JB., provincial superior for the Sisters of St. John the Baptist’s American Province which covers New York and New Jersey, was one of the sisters from the United States in St. Peter’s Square for the canonization. “To be present at this canonization was a great grace and gift for me as I witnessed the Church’s recognition and its proclamation that these seven holy men and woman have lived lives in accord with the Gospel,” said Sister Clau- dette in an email from the “shadows of the Vatican wall!” “What I will remember the most is I was part of the Baptistine global family that gathered here in St. Peter’s Square to celebrate our founder’s life of love and charity and his legacy of implanting his charisma in many lands and cultures.” St. Alfonso, who was beatified by St. John Paul II in 2001, was born in the Italian province of Salerno in 1839. Eleven years later, he told his parents he wanted to be a priest. He was ordained in 1863 and formed the Sisters of St. John the Baptist after meeting with Maddalena Caputo, who with three other women organized the religious order in 1878 with a mission to feed, clothe, shelter and educate the poor and abandoned children. The congregation, which arrived in the United States four years before St. Alfonso’s death in 1910, now has about 900 members in 17 countries. “He was a great parish priest at a time when there were difficulties in Italy,” Sister Mary Crucifix said. “There were orphan children and he realized the necessity of educa- tion for the children to be good citizens of the world. He was very much into the liturgy and prayer. He was a great gift and model for priests at this time.” Locally, the sisters have a provincial home in the Bronx. The sisters in the archdiocese work at Providence Rest nursing home in the Bronx and St. John Villa Academy on Staten Island. They do pastoral work on Staten Island at Blessed Sacrament and St. Christopher and St. Margaret thornton studios Mary parishes, and serve at Msgr. Farrell High School on SAINT in their MiDST—sister Antonia Zuffante, C.s.JB., princi- Staten Island and St. Raymond Elementary School in the pal of st. John Villa Academy high school on staten island, gath- Religious Bronx. They also do catechetical work on Staten Island. ers with students under a painting of st. Alfonso Maria Fusco, “This occasion is a boon for us in that it validates for us to who was canonized by Pope Francis in front of 80,000 people be faithful to the movement of the Holy Spirit that moved at st. Peter’s square on oct. 16. st. Alfonso Maria Fusco was the Jubilarian him to be a servant of the poor and the little ones,” Sister founder of the sisters of st. John the Baptist, the religious con- profiles Claudette said. “The Holy Father wanted his canonization— gregation that administers st. John Villa. the sisters of st. John to be part of this Year of Mercy as his priestly life was a mod- the Baptist, formed in 1878, were first missioned to feed, clothe, BEGIN ON PAGE 18. el in fulfilling the corporal and spiritual works of mercy.” shelter and educate the poor and abandoned children. 18 catholic new york • honoring our Jubilarians October 27, 2016 WOMen religious taught at the Academy of Mount St. Vincent sister rose ann bianco, s.c., formerly education at the College of Mount St. Vincent, and Nativity of Our Blessed Lady and was as- known as Sister Angela Miriam, began where she began her tenure in 1971. She has Sisters of Charity of New York sistant principal at St. Barnabas Elementary. service as a nurse at St. Vincent Hospital served as chair of the education department, 80 years In Manhattan, she taught at Holy Cross Acad- and Medical Center in Manhattan and St. dean of students and vice president for stu- sister M. irene Fugazy, s.c., taught at emy, Our Lady of Mount Carmel and St. Fran- Vincent’s in Harrison. She served as nursing dent development. She also taught at Immacu- Visitation Elementary and Cardinal Spellman cis Xavier. In Yonkers, she taught at Seton supervisor at the New York Foundling, and a late Heart of Mary, Scarsdale; St. Raymond High School, both in the Bronx; Blessed Sacra- Academy and provided support services at child care worker and case aide at St. Agatha School, Bronx; and Elizabeth Seton Academy, ment Academy, St. Lawrence Academy and St. Peter School. She also taught at Immacu- Home, Nanuet. Sister Rose Ann was a social Yonkers. She serves on the board at Cathedral Cathedral High School, all in Manhattan; and late Heart of Mary, Scarsdale; St. Mary of the worker for 20 years at the Rockland Psychi- High School, Manhattan. Elizabeth Seton Academy and Elizabeth Seton Snow, Saugerties; and St. Joseph’s, Florida. atric Center before volunteering at organiza- sister anne Marie Falloon, s.c., formerly College, both in Yonkers. She was director sister Margaret Franks, s.c., formerly tions such as the Make-A-Wish Foundation. known as Sister William Dolores, held leader- of the archdiocese’s Instructional Television Sister Marian Christopher, taught at St. John sister constance brennan, s.c., formerly ship health care roles at St. Joseph’s Hospital, (ITV), Yonkers, 1972-1991, while teaching the Evangelist, Manhattan, and St. Francis known as Sister Mary Josita, retired as archi- Yonkers; St. Vincent’s Hospital, Harrison French at St. Joseph’s Seminary, Dunwoodie, of Assisi, Mount Kisco, before obtaining an vist of the Sisters of Charity of New York in and Staten Island; St. Clare Medical Center, and Immaculate Conception College Seminary master’s degree in nutrition. She then served 2014. She served as a teacher and librarian Morehead, Ky.; and Mount St. Vincent Con- in Douglaston, Queens. She then served the as a dietitian at College of Mount St. Vincent, for nearly 50 years at Our Lady of Angels, vent, Bronx. At Convent of Mary the Queen, congregation promoting knowledge of and de- the Bronx; St. Vincent’s Hospital, Manhattan; Visitation and the College of Mount St. Vin- Yonkers, she was the director of nursing. She votion to St. Elizabeth Ann Seton for 16 years St. Vincent’s Hospital, Harrison; and Lincoln cent, all in the Bronx; St. Joseph’s Academy, also served for a decade as a pastoral associ- before serving as director of the traveling Hospital, Bronx. She worked in nutrition Manhattan; Academy of Mount St. Vincent, ate for special services at St. Joseph’s parish, museum in the saint’s honor. instruction at the New York Foundling in Tuxedo Park; St. Gabriel High School, New Bronxville. sister Mary Margaret Mcgovern, s.c., Manhattan, and at other facilities in New Rochelle; and St. Joseph’s School, Yonkers. sister Mary kay Finneran, s.c., formerly began her 60 years in education at SS. Peter York for the next 39 years. For many years, she also taught and directed known as Sister Michael Maureen, taught and Paul School, the Bronx. She taught at St. religious education programs at St. Joseph at Incarnation School, Manhattan, before John High School, White Plains, and Blessed 60 years and Visitation. switching to nursing in 1962. As a nurse, she Sacrament High School, Manhattan, before sister carol a. barnes, s.c., formerly sister Patricia brennan, s.c., formerly served at St. Vincent Hospital, Manhattan, serving as postulant mistress for the congre- known as Sister William Regina, began her known as Sister Maureen Margaret, taught and Mary the Queen Convent, Yonkers. Sister gation. She was a teacher at Cardinal Spell- ministry in education at Resurrection School at St. Agnes and St. Stephen, Manhattan; Mary Kay, who also served in Peru and Atlan- man High School, the Bronx, before going to in Rye; York Catholic High School in York, Pa., St. Agatha, Nanuet; and St. Barnabas and ta and later worked as administrator at Mary Grace Institute, where she served as teacher, and the College of Mount St. Vincent. She St. Athanasius, the Bronx, before switching the Queen Convent, regional coordinator of interim director and volunteer, 1972-2003. served as regional coordinator of the Sisters to social work. She worked at the New York the congregation and coordinator of ESL Proj- of Charity, 1983-1987, and then as president Foundling, St. Augustine’s School, Fox House ect L.I.G.H.T. She has served as in-resident 75 years until 1995.