Celebrating the vocation of sisterhood during National Catholic Sisters Week
By Elizabeth Landry
Staff writer
Every year, National Catholic Sisters Week is celebrated from March 8 to 14. During this designated time each year, a spotlight is shone on the spirituality, mission and community building of the many women religious in our Catholic communities.
One congregation of Catholic sisters that has been active within the Diocese of Syracuse for many years is the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet. Founded in Le Puy, France in 1650, this community of sisters offers their lives in service to God and dear neighbors without distinction. The first sisters arrived in St. Louis, Missouri in 1836, forming their first province there, and additional provinces have since been established, with the closest to Central New York being in Albany. Their work is rooted in the gospel call to social justice, striving to love freely, live simply and listen attentively.
Sister Mary Ellen Shirtz, CSJ has been a sister for 58 years, and she’s currently a vocation director for the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet Albany province. A Syracuse native, she’s a parishioner at All Saints Church and has spent many years ministering in the field of education.
“My first mission was at Bishop Grimes as a math teacher, and since then I’ve been in the Syracuse area for all of my ministry,” Sister Mary Ellen said. She also shared that she became a school administrator, then worked in the Catholic School’s Office and served as a parish minister for two years at St. Joseph’s in Camillus.
Sister Mary Ellen explained that a lot has changed since she entered the sisterhood, in terms of how sisters can minister to various communities, including those within the Diocese of Syracuse. “We have social workers. We have psychologists. We have healing partners. We have sisters who are involved with Canon Law. I mean, we branched out. When I entered, you either had an option to be placed in education or in the nursing field, that was it … [After] Vatican II and all the changes there, we ended up moving into a lot of different ministries, all of which follow our charism to serve the dear neighbor.”
She also identified another change that has happened over the years. Although she entered the sisterhood when she was 18, Sister Mary Ellen said that many women who respond to the call to be a sister are now much older, and the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet accept women who are single, divorced or widowed. Referencing an online survey where people interested in religious life can submit applications, she said that she’s received around 100 applications since she started working in vocations three years ago.
“The important part about those surveys, I think, is that a majority of the women who have responded are in their 40s and 50s … A number of these women said, ‘I felt the calling when I was younger, and I ignored it, and now I feel as though I’m missing something.’”
Even though many of the women interested in entering the sisterhood are middle-aged or older, Sister Mary Ellen said the number of applicants is still encouraging. She also said she and other sisters are available to any woman who is discerning a call to the sisterhood.
“People who are in the midst of trying to discern, you know, what God is calling them to — I usually say to them, ‘Is God still whispering to you?’ If so, call and we’ll have a chat,” she said.
Sister Mary Ellen emphasized that “the Sisters of St. Joseph are very active in our world.” If a woman is interested in joining the sisterhood but is unsure which ministry to pursue, she can explore educational opportunities, receive spiritual direction and seek guidance from the sisters.
“The important part is to help [these women] realize what their relationship is with God,” Sister Mary Ellen explained, “and through that relationship, we help them to discern what they want to do with the rest of their life.”
Anyone interested in learning more about the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet or discerning a call to the sisterhood can email Sister Mary Ellen Shirtz at [email protected].
Note: The Catholic Diocese of Syracuse is also pleased to have two sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet as staff members: Sister Laura Bufano, CSJ, vicar for Pastoral Leadership and associate director, pastoral planning in the Office of pastoral Leadership, and Sister Katie Eiffe, CSJ, vicar for Religious and director of Synodal Planning.
