Catholic Sisters Week Will Aid to End Hunger

To honor women religious in the Diocese of Baton Rouge and nationwide the local community is joining in a collaborative effort to end hunger during National Catholic Sisters Week March 8-14. 

The event is sponsored by the Catholic Sisters of Leadership Conference of Women Religious

The Congregation of Sisters of St. Joseph in Baton Rouge and its Lay Associates are particularly taking up the challenge to end hunger as part of CSW.

“Celebrating Catholic Sisters Week gives us an opportunity to honor and thank these special women who, through their faith, have dedicated their lives to Christ and to service,” said Mari Tumminello, a CSJ Lay Associate and chairperson of the Baton Rouge Catholic Sisters Week. “Most of us do not realize that there are currently 13 congregations of women religious serving throughout the Diocese of Baton Rouge.  

“These special women touch our lives and bring Christ to each of us. Please keep them in your prayers as they continue their vocations to faith and service.”  

At the national level the congregations will participate in an opening prayer service and panel on hunger in America, according to Susan Vincent, co-coordinator Baton Rouge CSJ Lay Associates.

Bishop Michael G. Duca will be dedicating his celebration of the 8 a.m. daily Mass on March 8 to Catholic Sisters Week and particularly to the groups of women religious in the Baton Rouge Diocese. 

Church parishes and priests are being encouraged to include Catholic Sisters Week in the prayers of their communities that week. Parishioners also encouraged to make monetary donations to the Society of St. Vincent de Paul or the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank in honor of sisters of the diocese, particular orders or individual sisters.  

This invitation is also extended to alumnae of St. Joseph’s Academy, who have benefited from the sisters presence and leadership.

SJA students will be conducting a donations drive for non-perishable items which they will assemble into bags that are given out regularly at St. Vincent de Paul.

Furthermore, CSJ Associates will collect food items outside of the sisters’ residence on Hundred Oaks Avenue in Baton Rouge on March 13.

Mary Karam, also co-coordinator of  the Baton Rouge CSJ Lay Associates, had four daughters, Susan, Anne, Elizabeth and Claire, who attended SJA. She and her husband George’s encounters with the Sisters of St. Joseph inspired them to join the Lay Associates.

“I think their state of humility is what I appreciate about who they are,” said Karam. “What they do is in a profound, but quiet way, in reaching out to young women, the poor, to their neighbors. They are committed to the environment and immigration and human trafficking.”

Sister Theresa Pitruzzello CSJ said CSW is also a good opportunity to promote religious vocations, which she called “a very vibrant call in life.”

“It’s a good way of honoring our sisters and continuing the good works that they do,” said Sister Theresa. “It’s our hope that people will see what we are doing, whatever they feel their call in life is to do.”