Sisters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul renew vows, observe patronal feast day
Sisters Josna and Vinaya of the Sisters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul teach preschoolers at De Paul Academy in High Point.HIGH POINT — Fueled by prayer and the sacraments, the Sisters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul pour themselves out for those in need in the Triad, cementing the bonds of God and community through their indefatigable charity.
From Mananthavady – a city in the Wayanad District in Kerala State, India – Sisters Christie Kunnel, Josna, Vinaya, Praveena, Agnes Maria and Elsa Tom now live at St. Vincent’s Convent in a rural area near the High Point city limits. They call Christ the King Church their home parish while serving other nearby Catholic churches and the wider community in multitudinous ways.
“We are so happy to be here,” says Sister Christie. “Serving Our Lord in this way brings us great joy.”
FILLING SPIRITUAL AND MATERIAL NEEDS
The sisters prepare for and participate in liturgical services for the church by arranging flowers in the sanctuary, washing and ironing church linens, and singing in the choir. They also take Communion to those in the hospital and the homebound and teach religious education at three parishes.
One of their community outreach ministries is De Paul Academy, which prepares immigrant children for beginning school at the right age. Sisters Josna, Elsa Tom, Vinaya and Praveena are all licensed teachers at the five-star preschool.
Habtamu Workneh and his family came from Ethiopia. Each of his three children has thrived at De Paul Academy.
“When my daughter went there last January, she did not speak English. I was so afraid she would get confused. Later, when I took her for her entrance test for kindergarten, she did perfectly. She got a 100. I was so happy and surprised.”
Workneh’s twin sons now attend the school and love learning and playing games there. He says Sister Josna does a wonderful job of keeping him informed.
Workneh adds, “I asked my daughter what the difference was between her school in Ethiopia and the one here, and she said the sisters talk to her and treat her as a mother would. This has been a big relief for me.”
A BEAUTIFUL VOCATION
The current convent, which opened in 2011, is the mother house for the Sisters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul in the U.S. and has the capacity to house 14 religious sisters. The sisters grow a variety of fruits on the 16-acre property, including apples, persimmons, muscadine grapes, plums and blueberries.
With only six sisters – in 2015 there were 13 – there is a shortage of hands to get all the work done. Since then, six sisters transferred to convents in Charlotte and Lake Wylie, S.C. Even so, they go about their days cheerfully.
“My charity began at home,” says Sister Christie, who grew up in a large Catholic family in India. It was there where her mother and siblings noted how nicely and neatly she completed her chores, and where her parents first encouraged her to help anytime she saw someone in need.
Sister Christie is the seventh of 10 children, including three siblings who likewise have religious vocations – two of her brothers are priests, and one of her sisters is also a religious sister. The children attended a Catholic school and were educated by nuns.
In India, Sister Christie, RN, BSN, studied for six years to become a nurse while also starting formation for her religious vocation. Today, she and Sister Agnes Maria, RN, BSN, use their education to care for the sick at High Point’s Atrium Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center. Sister Christie splits her time between the medical center and Pennybyrn retirement community, where she often stays after her hours to spend more time with her patients.
“I have 21 residents during my shift,” she says. “I stay longer because they need more. They need someone to listen to them.”
TIME TO CELEBRATE
Last month, the sisters were able to fully observe their patronal feast – the Sept. 27 feast of St. Vincent de Paul, known for his compassion for the poor – for the first time since 2019.
The sisters renewed their vows of chastity, poverty and obedience on Sept. 25 at Christ the King and celebrated two days later with friends and family at the convent, waking early for prayer and Mass offered by Father Philip Kollithanath, the pastor of St. Joseph Church in Asheboro.
As pastor of Christ the King from 1994 to 2011, Father Kollithanath petitioned then-Bishop William Curlin to invite the sisters from his native state of Kerala, India, to the U.S. In 1999, the bishop extended the invitation to the Sisters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul at Mananthavady, and the first group arrived in 2000.
“Children love to be with the sisters,” says Father Kollithanath. “We know how important it is for children to have nuns in their lives. When these nuns came in their habits, it was a hit in the community. The children want to touch them and talk with them. People are very welcoming, including the non-Catholics. Their presence in habits has made a big, big impact on the diocese. Now our children are more aware of the need for vocations to the religious life.”
Twenty-three years after Bishop Curlin’s invitation, the sisters continue their work with a deep sense of joy that only serving the Lord could bring. “I want to help people. If anyone is need and I can help, I will do it,” Sister Christie says. “That’s what St. Vincent de Paul was all about, helping the poor.”
— Annie Ferguson. Photos by Paul Campbell, Annie Ferguson and provided by Sister Christie Kunnel
The Sisters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul in High Point recently renewed their vows, celebrated their patronal feast, and shared details about their ministries and community outreach.
