WILMINGTON – Some old friends returned to Wilmington on May 13 for a bittersweet occasion.
The Daughters of Charity, the religious congregation that has served in the city for nearly two centuries, will be leaving Wilmington in a matter of weeks, and the Diocese of Wilmington and the St. Peter Cathedral School community wanted the opportunity to say, “Thank you.”
A few dozen Daughters of Charity were the guests of honor for a Mass of Thanksgiving at St. Peter Cathedral. Bishop Koenig was the main celebrant, joined by Bishop Emeritus Francis Malooly, Father Joseph McQuaide, the current rector, and other priests. The sisters are like the light from the Hanukkah candles, which burned for eight days despite only having enough oil for one day.
“We gather in a spirit of gratitude and reverence as we mark the conclusion of a profound and grace-filled 195-year chapter in the life of our parish, our school, and, indeed, our diocese,” the bishop said.
The story “is an apt image of the light that is shown in the lives of students, families, staff and people – whether Catholic or not – over these 195 years. It’s a light that reflects the light of Christ.”
Bishop Koenig recounted how the rector at St. Peter contacted the congregation’s leadership near the end of 1829 asking for some religious women to help with the orphanage that had been established at the cathedral. A few months later, three sisters arrived in Wilmington, and since 1830, they have left their imprint in the Diocese of Wilmington.
The sisters operated the orphanage and soon established a school for girls. In 1903, the school was merged with a Franciscan-run school for boys. They have had a Daughter of Charity working at the school the entire time. Sister JoAnn Goecke teaches religion and is the librarian at St. Peter Cathedral School, and Sister Mary Ellen Thomas works at the Saint Patrick Center on Wilmington’s East Side, providing services to the elderly.
Although the congregation will not be present in the Diocese of Wilmington any longer, its mission is not ending, Bishop Koenig said.
“It’s a light that has enabled other lights to shine and will continue that mission,” he said.
A lunch followed Mass in the gymnasium of the school. An overflow crowd filed in and heard more tributes to the women who had done so much for the community. Father McQuaide noted that 14 sisters had served more than 20 years at St. Peter’s, and the congregation also ministered at nearby St. Paul’s Parish and Saint Mark’s High School. All told, over the 195 years in Wilmington, 340 Daughters of Charity had served a total of 1,719 years, he said.
Father McQuaide noted that a religious sister’s final ministry is one of prayer, and he asked that the Daughters of Charity continue to pray for the Diocese of Wilmington. He also announced that the congregation will contribute $200,000 to the Cathedral School “to continue the mission.”
Karen Banta, the principal of St. Peter Cathedral School, assured the gathering that the school will continue to be a beacon in the city of Wilmington.
“I promise you our school is not going anywhere,” said Banta, who was hired by Sister Barbara Ann Curran and worked for the last Daughter of Charity who was principal, Sister Donna Smith, who left in 2020. Both were at the Mass and lunch.
Sister Barbara Ann, who ministered at St. Peter Cathedral School for 26 years, has been back to the school since leaving in 2015, but this visit was different.
“Today was very special,” she said. “I visited the classrooms, but also the house, where everyday we celebrated the Eucharist. To live with the Daughters of Charity with their mission to serve the poor. We were everywhere.”
The chapel was especially moving, Sister Barbara Ann said. It was a source of strength when her mother died, and she also remembered the postulants and young sisters who nurtured their vocation there.
Working with the students was “a privilege,” and it is good to see them succeeding in their various walks of life.
“We attribute it to that early education,” she said.
Sister Teresa George, the provincial visitatrix for the Daughters of Charity, said the congregation’s ministry in Wilmington began not long after St. Elizabeth Ann Seton founded the Sisters of Charity in Emmitsburg, Md.
“It’s a long and rich history we share with the people of Wilmington. Thank you for your presence, your love and your support,” she said.
The congregation has been “a solid and, I hope, uplifting presence here,” she continued.
Despite the sadness of leaving the diocese, it’s also an occasion for celebration. Sister Teresa asked the crowd to think of all the lives the sisters have touched.
“We are changed by those we serve, and we are formed by those with whom we serve,” she said. “We Daughters of Charity have been changed for the better.”
