HAPPY 100TH BIRTHDAY! March 9th was a special day for Villa as we congratulated Mother Veronica on her landmark birthday. Mother Veronica spent 21 years at Villa as Mistress of Postulants and Principal of BOTH the Elem. and High Schools. She formed our 1st Glee Club and raised the necessary funds to expand the campus. Happy Birthday to a visionary woman who Villa will always cherish!
Sisters of St. John the Baptist
Sisters of St. John the Baptist
The Congregation of the Sisters of St. John the Baptist was inspired by the life of founder, Alfonso Maria Fusco. As stated in their Mission Statement, they strive to maintain a true family spirit. "The bonds of faith and love which unite us are real and dynamic, urging us to create in our communities an atmosphere of joy, peace, mutual respect and trust. Faithful to the Gospel values, we affirm our present works of Christian education of youth, parish ministry and the care of the elderly sick, which have their roots in our tradition."
After war had ravaged the towns of southern Italy in the late 1800’s, a young parish priest – Father Alfonso Maria Fusco, along with some pious parish women, committed themselves to care for and educate the young children left behind. Thus began the religious community and mission of the Sisters of St. John the Baptist, commonly known as the Baptistines. During his lifetime, Father Fusco saw the work of the sisters begin to spread throughout Italy and in 1906 to the United States. Beatified in 2001, Blessed Alfonso Maria Fusco‘s feast day is celebrated on February 7th.
For more than 100 years, the Sisters of St. John the Baptist have dedicated their lives to educating young people. Today their congregation practices their ministry in 16 countries on 5 continents. For over 80 years alone at St. John Villa Academy, the Sisters have worked to meld the best of the past and strong religious values with new programs to build a solid educational foundation.
The general government of the Congregation is located in Rome, Italy. The provincial residence for the American province is located in the Bronx, NY. Current governance and administration for the American province includes:
Provincial Superior
Sr. Mary Cecile Swanton, C.S.JB
Vicar CouncilorSr. Seline Mary Flores, C.S.JB
2nd CouncilorSr. Lois Marie Darold, C.S.JB
3rd CouncilorSr. Claudette Marie Jaszczynski, C.S.JB
4th CouncilorSr. Joseph Paul Manderine, C.S.JB
For more information, visit the Sisters' website at http://www.baptistines.org.
