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Focus on FAitH . . .ocus on FAitH . . .
F

Inner-City Voucher Schools, Director of
Human Resources for Diocese of Roch-
ester schools, and Practice Manager at St.
Joseph’s Neighborhood Center. Aft er Naza-
reth Academy closed in 2010, Sr. Elaine was
asked by the Sisters of Saint Joseph Leader-
ship to come to Aquinas to accompany the
Reason o Celebrate! them. She created the SSJ Women’s Leader-
young women and start a new program for
ship Certifi cation Program, which has had
much success and continues to grow year
aft er year.
etween the two of them, Sr. Elaine school and still didn’t talk about it. It was
Englert, SSJ – leader of the Sisters my fi rst year in college, when I was going As they refl ected on the 50 years that have
Bof Saint Joseph Women’s Leadership to Oswego State that I began to take some passed since taking their fi rst vows, they
Certifi cation Program at Aquinas, and Sr. action steps,” said Sr. Dora. And just like agree that there is so much to be grate-
Dora Christian, SSJ – Community Service that, the rest is history. ful for. “When I look back on it now, I’m
Coordinator at Aquinas, have devoted an amazed at the person I was to take that risk
entire century to God, the community and Sr. Elaine’s path to religious life was much – that I knew it was something I had to try.
their religious vocation. Both women are in the same. She thought about being a sister I’m grateful for that ability to risk, to answer
the midst of their 50th Jubilee – a year-long in the fourth grade when she started writing this call,” said Sr. Elaine. “I’ve been blessed
celebration of when they were received into to a group of Sisters of Charity. Aft er that, with a lot of wonderful people, events, and
the Sisters of Saint Joseph congregation. she didn’t think about it again until she was relationships. Th ey’ve all been good gift s.”
a senior at Nazareth Academy. “I started to
Th ey, and 30 other young women, were part think about it a little more because a lot of Sr. Dora added, “It’s a two-way street. Th e
of the band of 1967 – the fi rst group to be my friends were entering. But then I wasn’t number of lives that we’ve touched in all
received aft er Vatican II. “Th e church was sure if I was entering for my friends, or for diff erent kinds of ways – there’s thousands
open to new ways of thinking, plus, it was God, so I took a job as a private secretary of people – and I don’t think they realize it,
the Vietnam War so there was a lot going on for a year,” recalled Sr. Elaine. “By that Jan- but they do so much for us, too.”
politically. It was very exciting; we entered uary I was clearer. My father thought it was
at a time when there was a lot of energy, God’s answer to the world that I would be a While the bands of young women entering
and much change,” recalled Sr. Elaine of the sister. My father was very excited about it.” the sisterhood are much smaller today,
time. Sr. Elaine and Sr. Dora are confi dent that
Both women used their calling to make a religious life is alive and well, evolving and
Th e band of 1967 was the fi rst group to keep diff erence through education. Sr. Dora spent transforming into a new form of vocational
their baptismal names, wear lay clothes to the majority of her career at Nazareth Acad- life.
school, and wear a modifi ed veil and habit. emy where she taught biology, was Science
Sr. Elaine and Sr. Dora admit that the con- Department Chair, and the registrar. At one “Religious life may look diff erent now, as
gregation was pretty avant-garde – a sign time she was in charge of textbooks and our generation looked diff erent from the
of the times, they believed. Neither could exam scheduling. She later took a position religious life of our founder and foundresses
have predicted though that that’s how things at Cornell Cooperative Extension as the in France in 1650,” noted Sr. Elaine. “We
would be when they fi rst started thinking Nutrition Program Manager for all of Mon- look forward with hope to the women who
about religious life as young girls. roe County, organizing nutrition classes for will come aft er us, recognizing and serving
Monroe County residents, as well as adults the needs of our community in the sign of
Sr. Dora, a native of Oswego, NY, grew up and children on food stamps. While in that the times.”
in a religious home where novenas were role, she also wrote a nutrition blog for
commonplace and Catholic schooling the Democrat and Chronicle. Sr. Dora now
was a must. She did laugh, however, at the serves as the Community Service Coordi- Aquinas would like
memory of going to her uncle’s house and nator at Aquinas, a position she’s held since to congratulate Sr.
having to say the rosary with everyone, but 2015.
thinking to herself, ‘this was a bad time to Margaret Mancuso, SSJ
come here.’ So how did that translate into a Sr. Elaine, who began her career in teaching, –Principal of Nazareth
life devoted to God, prayer and service? spent most of her years in administration. Elementary School – who
Her resume includes Principal at Nazareth
“I thought about it during elementary Academy, Bishop Kearney and St. Th eo- is also celebrating her
school, but I didn’t talk about it at all – it dore’s Elementary, Assistant Superintendent 50th Jubilee year as a
was just there. Th en I went through high and Director of Personnel for the Wegman Sister of Saint Joseph.
6 AQUINAS LANDMARK | SPRING 2018