Sr. Donna Dodge, SC

President, Sisters of Charity of New York

America’s oldest and largest order of women religious was founded in 1809 by St. Elizabeth Ann Seton. Institutions founded by the Sisters of Charity include the New York Foundling Hospital, St. Vincent’s Hospital and Elizabeth Seton Children’s.

Sr. Donna Dodge entered the order in 1966 after graduating from Cardinal Spellman High School in the Bronx. She began her career in elementary education, then earned a master’s and eventually an EdD in higher education, going on to work 10 years at the College of Mount St. Vincent and 14 years at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, where she was vice president of mission and planning. Subsequently, she became the assistant director and later the executive director and CEO of the Sisters of Charity Housing Development Corporation. In March, she was elected president of the Sisters of Charity of New York.

Our mission is basically to respond to those in need – anybody in need – by revealing God’s love to all people. Our three main areas have been in education, child care and social services. Most of our sisters who are not retired are now in some form of social service – working with immigrants or with housing, or to empower the laity to take over some of our ministries. Wherever there is a need, we’ve tried to respond.

As an example, when human trafficking came to the fore as a problem, we had a number of sisters who volunteered to work in a safe house and study human trafficking and work as advocates. Those who aren’t able physically to work full-time write letters to legislators and work for change in that way. They’re really inspiring, people in their 90s, still trying to change the world.

Unfortunately, we have not been successful getting new vocations in the U.S. – we have had some success in Guatemala – so we are concerned about the next generation. We are working very hard with our lay colleagues to make sure that our ministries and our mission continue, doing our best to enable others to carry on, whether they are sisters or not. 

The institutions that the Sisters of Charity founded, especially the bigger ones, are all run by lay people. Those people are very dedicated, and they grasp the mission of the Sisters of Charity and pass it on to their staff. What’s important is that the mission continues.

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