The Three Kings and the Lunar Eclipse

According to the Gospel of Matthew (2:2), after the birth of Jesus, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, "Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage."  This is the event we celebrate on the Feast of the Epiphany, which is better known in our neighborhood as "Three Kings Day."  Many of our families celebrate "Three Kings" with joyful celebrations and gifts.  So, it is only appropriate that on Monday, January 7, the Passaic Neighborhood Center for Women held a festive "Three Kings" celebration, complete with food, fellowship and gifts.  We are so very grateful to our women for providing the food and to our benefactors for providing the gifts. Enjoy some of the photos from that celebration:

Sister Eleanor's English class provided an abundance of food.

Winter hats and gloves for the children were generously
donated by the students of St. Francis Cathedral School, Metuchen, NJ.

Toys and other gifts were provided by the St. Vincent dePaul Society
of Nativity of Our Lord Parish in Monroe Township, NJ.

Although in the Bible, the celestial event came before the magi, here at the Center, the celestial event (in this case, a lunar eclipse) came after the three kings.  Specifically, in yesterday's English class, Marie Mead taught her students about the Super Blood Moon Lunar Eclipse of January 2019.  Did you know that overnight from Sunday, January 20 into Monday, January 21, millions of people in North and South America will be able to view a total lunar eclipse?  Did you know that during an hour of the eclipse, the moon will appear to be the color of a sunset?  Did you know that this total lunar eclipse will be the last one until May 2021 and the last one visible from the United States until 2022?  The women at the Center know all of this, and they learned it in a language that is not their native tongue!  We are grateful to Marie for bringing this creative demonstration (see the photos below) into her English class.  We think the magi would definitely approve!

Happy Feast Day!

Today on the Feast of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton we send greetings to the Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth, Convent Station, NJ,  who have been so supportive and active in the founding and growth of the Passaic Neighborhood Center for Women.  A brief history of the Sisters of Charity of St. Elizabeth can be found here.  During the pre-beginning and beginning stages of the Center, Sister Marion Scranton, SC, (then Vice-President of Mission at St. Mary's General Hospital, Passaic) provided valuable guidance. For the first few years of the Center's existence, Sister Mary Culhane, SC, taught English and Art. The Center continues to be graced with the presence of Sister Patricia Reynolds, SC, who teaches our quilting class.  Additionally, we collaborate frequently with Sister Anne Moroney, SC, Director of Community Health Outreach at St. Mary's General Hospital and with several departments at St. Joseph's Health, Paterson, NJ (a sponsored work of the Sisters of Charity).

Sister Patricia Reynolds, SC

Sister Marion Scranton, SC

Sister Anne Moroney, SC, accepts donations of baby blankets from our crocheters.

Sister Mary Culhane, SC