Praying for . . . Young People
Loving God, we pray in gratitude for young people.
Thank you for their energy and enthusiasm.
We ask you to bless them with courage and strength
to live lives of loving service.
Comfort them when they feel misunderstood.
Give them confidence when they feel afraid.
Fill their hearts with peace and joy to speak your love
in a world so much in need of their gifts.
We ask this in Jesus’ name.
Amen.
– Sister Colleen Crossen
Connecting with Young People
In 1869, within five days of our founding in Ebensburg, our Sisters opened a boarding school, Mt. Gallitzin Seminary, and enrolled its first class of 14 boys. Girls from nearby farming areas came for day classes in music and public speaking.
From this foundation in education ministry through the next 15 decades, hundreds of our Sisters responded to their original calling to teach in schools and universities in states that included Pennsylvania, Ohio, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, New Mexico, Wyoming, South Dakota, New York, Iowa, and California.
Through our long and lasting legacy in education, we are humbled to have shaped the academic and faith formation of thousands of students.
Today, our Sisters are energized by young people who want to create a world of wholeness and holiness with us. In 2018, the Congregation made a commitment to foster a “culture of vocations” to help young adults find their meaning and purpose in life – whether as a religious or a lay person. Through our Congregational ministries of Ecology, Spirituality, Peace and Justice, and Vocations, we are establishing new opportunities and programs to connect with young people spiritually, ecologically, and socially.