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Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill celebrate 75 years in the southwest
By Christine K. Bailey, news@catholicsun.org
November 6, 2008
SCOTTSDALE — Some 500 people gathered to celebrate 75 years of Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill ministry to the southwest Oct. 19 at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish.
“People from parishes all over the Valley came to see the sisters,” said Sr. Alice Ruane, SC, who serves as pastoral assistant for the parish.
Thirty-two sisters attended the celebratory Mass and reception that followed. Former students of Our Lady of Perpetual Help School, Seton Catholic High School in Chandler and a number of others came to honor their past teachers and friends.
Beverly Dodd, who graduated from Seton in 1963, developed a lifelong friendship with her former homeroom teacher Sr. Miriam Ellen Chalmers, who taught business classes for the high school.
“My mom and I weren’t very close at the time and she was like my mom,” Dodd said. “We’ve remained friends throughout the years, and when she comes to Arizona she stays with us.”
The sisters hailed from all over the state and from Pennsylvania, where the motherhouse of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill is located.
Michaela Fallon will always remember the help and kindness of Sr. Mary Joseph McElhinny, who served as principal of Our Lady of Perpetual Help from 1965 until 1971.
“Without her, I wouldn’t have been able to send my children to OLPH,” said Fallon, a parishioner. Sr. Mary Joseph and the late Msgr. Eugene Maguire worked out a deal with Fallon. She taught art at the school in exchange for tuition for their one daughter and four of their five sons.
Adam Rodriguez, parishioner at Our Lady of Perpetual Help and father of three, felt the school helped his children grow closer to their faith and stronger in their studies, especially his two daughters who are now at Seton Catholic High School.
For 75 years the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill have demonstrated a rich tradition of serving the religious and educational needs of people and parishes throughout the Southwest. Their work has influenced many individuals and has been felt in more than 40 parishes and service organizations throughout Arizona and California.
The Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill were established in 1885 by a contingent of the Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati, led by Sr. Aloysia Lowe. Almost 50 years later, the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill expanded their ministry west, and in 1933 eight sisters arrived in Tucson to staff Ss. Peter and Paul School.
From there the Sisters of Charity traveled north to Chandler, Phoenix and Scottsdale, teaching at schools throughout the area and providing catechism classes to the surrounding communities.
Between 1933 and 1955 alone the Sisters of Charity opened nine schools in Arizona, including St. Mary-Basha Catholic School in Chandler. They continue to work with parishes and schools throughout the area teaching children, providing religious education courses and ministering to the needs of the community.
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