Beacon Staff
CONVENT STATION - A retired teacher and principal, Sister of Charity
of St. Elizabeth Katherine Carroll, now 84, has suffered with Multiple
Sclerosis for the past 25 years, yet still stays active at St. Anne Villa here -
serving as lector at the daily 11 a.m. Mass, an Extraordinary Minister of
the Eucharist, assisting with clerical work in the business office and caring
for her three-year-old black-and-white cat, Emmanuel - all from her wheelchair.
On a Wednesday afternoon, the cat - called "Mannie" for short - races
into her room here at the spacious and modern 100-bed St. Anne Villa retirement
facility for retired Sisters of Charity of St. Elizabeth. Sister Carroll
feeds the rather large but healthy cat.
"Mannie's more like a dog; she follows me wherever I go," said the sharp
and funny Sister Carroll, who during her long educational ministry, once taught
at the former St. John School, Paterson, and was principal of St. Vincent Martyr
School, Madison. "But Mannie doesn't cuddle much."
In her "off time," she loves "light reading," including mystery novels
that sit at the side of her chair by authors such as Mary Higgins Clark, a
friend and benefactor of the Convent Station-based Sisters of Charity of St.
Elizabeth.
Today, Sister Carroll is one of countless religious nuns, priests and
brothers, who even in their golden years, continue to serve the local Church,
their religious communities and in other ministries.
Many of these religious have retired. To help meet their growing needs,
U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' National Religious Retirement Office has
announced that the Retirement Fund for Religious appeal will be held for
the 18th consecutive year.
Parishes in the Diocese of Paterson will join dioceses around the U. S.
to take up the collection at Dec. 10-11 weekend Masses.
After the appeal collection, the diocese will send the fund a check
for the total amount raised at all the parishes. In 2004, diocesan parishes
contributed $332,527, up more than $45,000 from the year before. In Paterson
Diocese last year, seven religious orders received $662,793 in Retirement Fund
grants.
Once again, the Retirement Fund strives to lessen the projected $8.1
billion retirement liability of the nation's religious orders. The cost for
skilled nursing care and assisted living for almost 12,000 religious currently
exceeds $1 million each day.
Last year, the fund collected more than $28 million in basic grants to be
given to 528 religious institutes around the country. Since 1988, donations have
totaled more than $460 million. Last year, the Sisters of Charity received
$371,536.
A "city girl," who was born and raised in Jersey City, Sister Carroll -
the last surviving sibling in her family that included three sisters and two
brothers - was inspired to religious life by the Sisters of Charity who taught
her at the former All Saints School in her native city.
"They were always kind to us," she said. "They just loved being sisters."
Sister Carroll entered the Sisters of Charity in Convent Station in 1940
and first taught eighth-grade at Holy Trinity School, Westfield, and also at
Sacred Heart Academy, Hoboken. Then, she moved to St. John School, Paterson,
where she taught from 1958 to 1963. At the time, she also was in charge of care
of the altar at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, Paterson.
"The students were so full of life. I wanted to get them to learn for
purpose of learning, making it easy and a game," said Sister Carroll, who said
it was easy for her to connect with the "city kids" of St. John's. "That school
made a difference in the children's lives. They were grateful for what did for
them - and so were their parents." Parishioners of St. John's now send their
children to Pope John Paul II in Clifton.
After her time at St. John's, Sister Carroll became principal of St.
Augustine School, Union City, before heading St. Vincent Martyr School, which
she headed from 1980 to 1985. She has fond memories of the energetic pastorate
at St. Vincent's of Msgr. Vincent Puma, also founder of Eva's Village, Paterson,
and now a retired priest. She called him "very supportive" of her educational
efforts.
Sister Carroll moved to Corpus Christi School, Hasbrouck Heights, before
returning to St. Augustine's as a financial secretary until her 2001 retirement,
the year she came to St. Anne Villa.
Across the hall from Sister Carroll on the main floor of the
state-of-the-art three-story retirement facility, a quieter Sister of Charity
Louise Catherine Holly sits in her chair in her room, reading a card she
received from her niece.
"I wouldn't want a better place to live than St. Anne Villa," said Sister
Holly, who taught high school in the diocese at the Academy of St. Elizabeth,
Convent Station. "The administration, nurses and aides do everything for your
happiness."
A retiree since 1977, Sister Holly joins in activities such as rosary,
Mass and meals with her fellow sisters. She also enjoys going on trips outside
the Villa, like one to Pennsylvania recently. Sister Holly also keeps in
touch with some of her former students, including one young man who, with his
wife, was going to take her out to dinner.
"I'm happy that many of my students are successful and are happily
married," said Sister Holly, who taught elementary school in Long Branch, before
moving to high school religion instruction also at St. Michael, Union City, and
Academy of the Sacred Heart, Hoboken.
"I loved teaching students who were older. I knew what they were feeling
- what they are going through at that age. They also were very inquisitive,"
said Sister Holly, who after retirement from teaching, worked in the College of
St. Elizabeth's registrar's office and at the Sisters of Charity motherhouse,
before moving to St. Anne Villa more than a year ago.
Sister Holly also once taught her fellow religious sisters Scripture in
summer school classes at the College of St. Elizabeth.
Having heard the call to religious life while attending St. Cecilia
School, Kearny, Sister Holly decided instead after graduating Immaculate
Conception High School, Montclair, to work for an insurance company for seven
years.
"I was happy," she said. "I was still going to morning Mass. I also was
dating. I was an ordinary person, experiencing life."
But Sister Holly entered the Sisters of Charity in 1943 - in answer to a
stronger call, no doubt encouraged by the faithful example of the Sisters of
Charity, who taught her both at Immaculate Conception and at St. Cecilia.
"The Sisters of Charity were just models of what sisters should be,"
Sister Holly said. "They had a good sense of humor. They were wonderful teachers
who inspired me."
