Service to needy honored

"It's nice, but that's not what the end of what I'm doing is," she remarked calmly upon receiving the Vision Award, the highest honor given by Catholic Charities USA.

Rather, she told The Evangelist, her aim is "first of all, to do God's will, and to try and use the position I'm in to better the lot of people."

Vocation

She joked that "I didn't get fat, but I got a vocation" -- to the Daughters of Charity, the religious order whose members taught at her school.

After getting a degree in social work from The Catholic University of America, she went on in the 1950s to found the Astor Home, a residential treatment center in Rhinebeck for emotionally-disturbed children, and a day program in New York City for children with mental retardation: the Kennedy Child Study Center. During a stint in Philadelphia in the 1960s, Sister Serena helped to establish a treatment facility for disturbed children.

Of all the people she has worked with over the years, she remarked, "My heart goes out most to children, because they're so defenseless."

To Albany

Co-workers learned that Sister Serena's peaceable name belied a willingness to battle on behalf of people in need.

"She's kind, compassionate and gentle -- but she also has a backbone of steel," commented Bishop Howard J. Hubbard. "Don't let her gentle demeanor lull you!"

That backbone served Sister Serena well when she was appointed executive director of diocesan Catholic Charities in 1974. At the time, she was the only woman in the country to head such an organization.

Filling needs

Sister Serena hired local residents to work at the new Catholic Charities agencies as they were established. One of them was Sister Charla Commins, CSJ, who heads Catholic Charities of Saratoga, Warren and Washington counties.

"Nothing was ever impossible for Sister Serena," Sister Charla said wryly. "She said, `You're going to Saratoga, and you're going to establish an agency,' and we said, `Okay.' She had such a way about her. She said, `I want to have a family service agency in every county of the Diocese' -- and she did that. And she made people want to join her. I've tried to have an ounce of her passion."

Serving the poor

Bishop Hubbard called Sister Serena "a pioneer in child care" and "a real leader, not just in the Diocese, but nationally. She has an incredible sense of vision about how to fulfill the social justice and social service dimension of the Church's life, and she made that vision come alive in the Diocese."

Realizing "ought's"

After 15 years as director of Catholic Charities, Sister Serena stepped down to become director of special projects. She established the Diocesan Commission on Aging, and oversaw DePaul Residence for the homeless, Farano House for children with AIDS, Serena House for persons with disabilities and eight apartment complexes for low-income senior citizens.

"I'm glad I was able to help," Sister Serena said simply. "I realize there's a lot more to do, and I would like to contribute to it."

When she thinks about her work, she said, "I just pray I do it right and make a difference in their lives." (08-15-02) [[In-content Ad]]