Our Lady of the Angels Parish, Trenton, turned into a mini-United Nations July 16 when a delegation of Religious Teachers Filippini from throughout the world gathered in St. Joachim Church for a Mass celebrated by Bishop John M. Smith.

Within the group of 16 sisters hailing from Italy, the United Kingdom, Brazil, Eritrea, Ethiopia, India and the United States, were the community’s Mother General, Sister Nicolina Bandiera, and other sisters who serve as general councilors and are stationed in Rome, as well as the provincial superiors from the various Filippini provinces worldwide. (CLICK FOR PHOTO GALLERY)

Father Jeffrey Lee, pastor of Our Lady of the Angels Parish, and Filippini Sister Betty Jean Takacs, provincial superior of the Filippini Sisters’ St. Lucy Province, which has its headquarters in Villa Walsh, Morristown, explained that the contingent was in the United States to attend an international meeting in Villa Walsh.

While the international meetings are held every three years in Rome, Sister Betty Jean requested that the 2010 meeting take place in Morristown as this year marks the 100th anniversary of the arrival of the Filippini sisters in the United States.

In 1910, five sisters were sent from Rome to staff the newly built St. Joachim School and minister to the arriving Italian immigrants who had made Trenton their home. Their initial work was to help organize the community in the Chambersburg area of Trenton where St. Joachim was located, assisting the parish with religious education and form Christian mothers, in the spirit of their community’s charism.

After the school was closed in 1999, the sisters continued serving St. Joachim Parish by helping to form persons for parish ministry. (To learn more about the Religious Teachers Filippini, visit www.filippiniusa.org)

“The sisters were and continue to be beloved by many,” said Father Lee, a native son of St. Joachim Parish and a 1978 graduate of St. Joachim School. Father Lee is now pastor of Our Lady of the Angels Parish of which St. Joachim Church is now a worship site.

Sister Betty Jean said that the sisters who attended the 2010 international gathering in Morristown, appreciated the opportunity to visit St. Joachim Church and attend Mass with Bishop Smith.

“We wanted our sisters who came from abroad who have heard about the birth of the sisters here in the United States to see St. Joachim and the area,” said Sister Betty Jean, who previously ministered in the diocese in Holy Innocents School, Neptune, and Villa Victoria Academy, Ewing.

“The sisters kept saying they never thought they would see what they have always heard about,” she said.

Bishop Smith, in his homily, spoke about Our Lady of Mount Carmel, whose feast was observed July 16, then reiterated the Filippini community’s long and noble history in the life of the Trenton Diocese, and in particular, St. Joachim Parish.

“This is a place of pilgrimage,” Bishop Smith said of St. Joachim Church. “This is an historic place, an important place.”

At the end of the Mass, Bishop Smith presented Sister Nicolina with a gift of a statue of the Blessed Mother. Father Lee explained that in each classroom in St. Joachim School, there were statues of the Blessed Mother and the Sacred Heart of Jesus and a crucifix, all of which are currently being restored.

In remarks that were given in Italian, Sister Nicolina extended her appreciation to Bishop Smith for his presence at the Mass and the statue of the Blessed Mother, then commented on how wonderful it was to know that the charism of St. Lucy Filippini “still lives on in St. Joachim Church.”

Both Father Lee and Sister Betty Jean talked about how the Filippini Sisters in the United States are gearing up for a yearlong celebration to mark the order’s arrival to the country 100 years ago. The year will officially open Sept. 11 with a Mass in Sacred Heart Basilica, Newark, and continue through Sept. 10, 2011, when a closing celebration will be held in St. Joachim Church.

Filippini Sister Frances Lauretti, who years ago was a guidance counselor in Villa Victoria Academy, and headed St. Joseph by the Sea Retreat House, South Mantoloking, and is now a general councilor for the community and living in Rome, said she is looking forward to the centennial observance.

“It is cause for gratitude to God for helping us to develop the way we did,” said Sister Frances, as she explained in more detail about the challenges the five sisters had to overcome upon their arrival in 1910.

Along with the stress of having to leave their homeland and become acclimated to new surroundings, the five American pioneers had to contend with less than desirable living conditions in their convent, not to mention fulfill their responsibilities of opening and staffing the new St. Joachim School.

The sisters persevered in their work and ultimately they received much needed moral support and resources from Bishop Thomas Walsh, third Bishop of Trenton, that allowed them to continue and expand their presence and ministry in Trenton and beyond.

“It is certainly an occasion of thanksgiving,” added Sister Betty Jean. “We are grateful to God for all that we have been blessed with.”