Share Our Mission

As we prepare for Giving Tuesday (and the "early giving" days of November 10-26 on our #iGiveCatholic page), we invite you to view the following video.  Hopefully, this brief video (only three minutes long) will help you to remember why you support the Passaic Neighborhood Center for Women.  (Email subscribers:  If a video is not embedded below, please click here to view it.)
Thank you and God bless you!

Giving Tuesday, November 28

Dear Friends,
Believe it or not, Thanksgiving is just around the corner -- followed by Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Giving Tuesday.  This year on Giving Tuesday, we are offering you the opportunity to support the Passaic Neighborhood Center for Women.  In collaboration with the Diocese of Paterson and #iGiveCatholic, we are participating in #Giving Tuesday from midnight until 11:59 pm on Tuesday, November 28.  It's 24 hours of giving for the Catholic community, but you have the opportunity to make your gifts in advance beginning November 10 and running through November 26.  Transactions made on iGiveCatholic.org are secure and your donations of $25 or more are tax deductible.  You can find more information about #iGiveCatholic by visiting  iGiveCatholic.org (clicking on this link takes you directly to the Passaic Neighborhood Center for Women page).  We know that there are so many competing financial priorities at this time of year, and we thank you for considering Passaic Neighborhood Center for Women among them.  We will send out more information as we get closer to the "early giving" time on November 10.  In the meantime, would you share this information with at least one friend?  Thank you!

A Prayerful Friday

We are grateful to our volunteer, Sister Maria Pia Arca, a novice with the Sisters of Christian Charity for leading our first-ever prayer group on Friday, September 29.  Given the current stressors in the lives of our women, they were so very grateful to be able to spend an hour in prayer together.  This fits in beautifully with our goal of helping our women to grow wholly -- body, mind and spirit.  Another hour of prayer will be offered this Friday.  We will be sure to remember your intentions.

A Beautiful Friday!

On Friday, September 22, the Passaic Neighborhood Center for Women held two workshops for our women and their children.  (Passaic Public Schools were closed to allow their Jewish students to observe Rosh Hashanah.)  Our dear friend, Rosa, led a workshop on making paper flowers known as "Cempazuchitl."  These flowers are particularly important to Mexicans as they honor the souls of their deceased ancestors.  After the paper flower project was completed, the women and their children visited the Center's garden, where our friend, Jose German, Founder of Northeast Earth Coalition, held an educational workshop.  We are so very grateful to Northeast Earth Coalition for sponsoring this workshop and for its constant support of the Passaic Neighborhood Center for Women.

All in all, it was a beautiful day with filled with smiles, mothers, children, friends, flowers, sunshine and gardens. Please watch the slideshow below to share in our joy! (Email subscribers who do not see the video embedded below, please click here to view this post on the blog.)

Profile of a Friend

Each month on their website, the Sisters of Charity of St. Elizabeth, Convent Station, NJ, offer a profile of one of their members.  This month, the profile is of our former volunteer and dear friend, Sister Mary Culhane, SC.  Click here to get to know Sister Mary better.

Prayers

The recent hurricanes and earthquakes have had devastating effects on countries where our women still have family and friends.  We especially ask for prayers for those affected by yesterday's earthquake in Puebla, Mexico.  You may have heard that more than 200 people were killed.  What you may not know is that about 80% of the Mexican population in Passaic comes from Puebla.  We are adding our prayers for everyone affected, especially the families of our women.

Sharing the Summer with You, Part III

On Thursday, August 10, Sisters of Christian Charity Maria de la Cruz, Maria Ester and Maria Ingrid visited the Passaic Neighborhood Center for Women and the North Hudson Community Action Corporation (NHCAC) clinic.  These Sisters came to the United States from Uruguay, Chile and Bolivia to participate in a project in honor of the 200th birthday of the founder of the Sisters of Christian Charity, Pauline von Mallinckrodt (1817-1881).  Because August 10 was also the birthday of Sister Maria de la Cruz, our women and children joined in singing and refreshments in her honor.  The Sisters were also able to sample some of the local cuisine on Market St.  We are grateful to Sister Marlene, one of the SCC Provincial Councilors from Mendham, NJ, for escorting the Sisters to Passaic.  Enjoy the photos!

The Sisters were greeted by Andrea, one of this summer's faithful volunteers.

"Happy Birthday" was sung in English . . . 

. . . and Spanish

Our women and children greet our visitors.

The Sisters visit an English class.

The Sisters visit Sister Mary Amata at the NHCAC clinic.

Preparing for lunch: Sister Gerardine and Sister Maria de la Cruz, . . . 

. . .  and Sister Marlene, Sister Maria Ester and Sister Maria Ingrid 

The Sisters sample the local cuisine.