Three Salesian Sisters profess perpetual vows before the Bishop

HAWTHORNE  The Daughters of Mary Help of Christians of North Haledon, also known at the Salesian Sisters of St. John Bosco, received the perpetual vows of three religious sisters, during a Mass on Aug. 5 at St. Anthony Church here, presided at by Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney. The Salesian Sisters are: Sister April Cabaccang, Sister Katie Flanagan, and Sister April Hoffman.

“What a joy it is to be with you together as God’s family to celebrate this Mass and receive the solemn professions of Sister April, Sister April and Katie, together with the whole Salesian family, the families of the sisters, and the parish family of St. Anthony’s,” Bishop Sweeney said at the beginning of the 11:30 a.m. Mass.

On that day Aug. 5, this year, the worldwide Institute of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians celebrated the 150th anniversary of its founding in 1872 in Mornese, Italy by St. Mary Domenica Mazzarello. Currently, more than 11,000 Salesian Sisters around the world are dedicated to educating the young and being a “sign and expression of God’s foreseeing love among young people.” Places that they serve in the Diocese include Mary Help of Chris­tians Aca­demy, North Haledon, where they run a novitiate; St. Anthony School, Haw­thorne; St. Gerard Majella School, Paterson; and Sacred Heart Retreat Center and Camp Auxili­um, both in Newton.