The Mount St. Vincent campus is home to the Marillac Residence, a retirement community for sisters of three different religious congregations and lay folks and the Elizabeth Seton Residence, a long-term care and rehabilitation center. Both are fully licensed and open to all. At both Marillac and Elizabeth Seton Residences, the Sisters of Charity share life with the Marist Sisters and the Religious of Jesus and Mary. While the sisters who live here are no longer engaged in active apostolic ministries, they are no less active! They very much give joyful witness to God's love through education, the healing touch of charity, collaborative projects, ministry in changing times, and see themselves moving forward into the future with courage, hope, and grace.

Education is part of the DNA of Sisters of Charity. The sisters at Mount St. Vincent were not only skilled educators but are life-long learners. There is a constant stream of opportunities to learn -- visiting lecturers, video presentations of Ilia Delio, Diarmuid O'Murchu, new books read and shared. Several sisters have offered enrichment programs, such as creative writing, quilting, as well as opportunities to explore new theologies and cultures and different forms of prayer in small-group settings. Several sisters are still involved in teaching through One Small Step, a program that provides language learning and citizenship preparation. All contribute to a vibrant life and continual personal and communal growth.

In the second half of life, healing and wholeness take on a deeper meaning and perhaps a more communal dimension. Several sisters at Marillac and Elizabeth Seton Residences come with nursing and social work skills. These skills manifest as the gift of gentle and kind presence to one another, the offering of a listening ear or companionship on a walk around the buildings. Louise de Marillac encouraged her sisters to "slow down a bit and look after your health. For this I think you need exercise." The Stretch and Flex program does just that, and supports greater balance and mobility. Music is a vital restorative and energizing thread that runs through the entire fabric of life -- the Bell Choir, ballroom, dancing and frequent sing-a-longs not only entertain but lift and nourish the spirit.

For the sisters in Wellesley, both their ministries and the times have changed. But this has not curtailed their desires to "make the love of God visible in our world today." A strong collaborative effort is seen in the sisters' involvement in the synodal process. Led by the Marillac Residence chaplain, Elizabeth Ekborg, sisters have been meeting monthly to listen, learn, discuss, and share among themselves and in the wider community as the synod process unfolds in the Church, locally and beyond.

"Corporately and individually, we strive to develop a sensitivity toward those whom the world oppresses, to right in great ways or small the injustices we see around us . . ." (Constitutions 43). One of the most active groups on the campus is the Social Justice Committee. These sisters are untiring in their outreach to the poor, the marginalized, to refugees, and the victims of war. With projects such as letter writing, food collections at Thanksgiving, the Giving Tree at Christmas, and several others throughout the year, the sisters service the needs of those who are experiencing food insecurity and help to provide other necessities of life that many families are not financially able to access. The list of organizations to which the sisters contribute is too long to print. Suffice it to say their donations not only help local organizations, but reach far and wide -- Peru, Maui, Ukraine.

Prayer is at the heartbeat of life at Marillac and Elizabeth Seton Residences. "The Eucharist is the center of our life and the fullest expression of our worship. Through this mystery, we unite with Jesus to celebrate the saving act of God . . . For all people" (Constitutions 50). We are blessed to participate in the celebration of the Eucharist each day and are grateful to so many of our brother priests who make this possible. Through retreats, holy hours, adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, the rosary, and private prayer, the sisters bring the needs of the world to the foot of the cross daily. It is an anchor in these times of social, economic, and political turmoil in the world. It is on the strength of this nourishment and grace that the sisters look to the future. It is the catalyst that moves life forward even as years wane.

St. Vincent de Paul challenged the daughters to "go to meet your grace." To her fledgling community, St. Louise de Marillac said: "I [we] must have great trust in God and believe that His grace will be sufficient to enable me [us] to fulfill His holy will." St. Elizabeth Ann Seton encourages us today to "live in fidelity to our heritage by seeking to do the will of God, abandoning ourselves to divine providence in all our needs." (Constitutions 5)