Little Sisters mark feast day of foundress St. Jeanne Jugan

The Little Sisters of the Poor celebrated the feast day of the foundress of their religious order, St. Jeanne Jugan, on Aug. 30. They marked the occasion with Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney who celebrated a Mass in her honor in St. Jeanne Jugan Chapel in St. Joseph’s Home for the Elderly in Totowa.

Concelebrating the Mass with Bishop Sweeney were Father Sean McDonnell, pastor of Our Lady Star of the Sea Parish in Lake Hopatcong; Father Mark Mancini, pastor of St. James of the Marches Parish in Totowa and judicial vicar of the diocesan Tribunal; and Holy Cross Father Mark Cregan, Esq.

Worshippers at the Mass included Little Sisters, staff, and residents.

St. Jeanne Jugan founded the Little Sisters of the Poor in 1839 in France to care for the poor and elderly in the streets of cities and towns.

The Little Sisters of the Poor have served in northern New Jersey continuously since 1878 when the first Little Sisters arrived to serve the elderly poor in the Diocese of Newark and established St. Rose of Lima Home for the Aged in Newark. St. Theresa’s Home for the Aged was established in 1901 in Paterson.

After the changes to the life safety (building) codes for skilled nursing facilities in the 1960s, it was decided that a new home would have to be built. Invited by Bishop Lawrence Casey of Paterson to build on diocesan land, the Little Sisters broke ground for their current home in Totowa in 1974. The home was dedicated in 1976 and received 250 residents from the homes in Newark and Paterson.

On July 13, the Little Sisters of the Poor announced they would be withdrawing from St. Joseph’s Home for the Elderly.

Mother Alice Marie Monica, provincial superior, explained: “As part of a strategic plan aimed at bolstering our ministry and the quality of our religious life despite the aging of our communities, we Little Sisters have recognized the need to withdraw from a certain number of homes in the United States, a process that has been advancing over the last several years.” She added, “In addition, since the COVID-19 pandemic, critical shortages in the long-term care workforce have posed serious ongoing challenges in our home in Totowa. Many factors have obliged us to move forward with the decision to withdraw. It has only come after a lengthy period of prayer, much consultation, and much study.”

The Little Sisters will be assisting the residents and their families in finding other accommodations based on the residents’ needs. Later, the Little Sisters will seek a partner to transfer the land and buildings.

Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney thanked the Little Sisters for their 145 years of ministry in the Newark Archdiocese and the Paterson Diocese.

“The care of the Little Sisters for the residents for almost a century and a half in our area, following in the line of St. Jeanne Jugan, has placed love at the heart of their home,” Bishop Sweeney said. “The witness of selfless service by the Little Sisters will remain. As this transition process proceeds, we promise our prayers and assistance in any way possible.”

— MICHAEL WOJCIK