Social services pioneer dies at 90

One of the most significant people in the 156-year history of the Albany Diocese passed away last week: Sister Serena Branson, DC, a leader in Catholic Charities locally and nationwide, and an innovator in dealing with social issues -- from the needs of children and unwed teens to the concerns of the elderly.

Bishop Howard J. Hubbard called her "a pioneer in child care" and "a real leader, not just in the Diocese, but nationally. She had 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."

A Funeral Mass was offered July 12 at St. Pius X Church in Loudonville for Sister Serena, who died July 8 at the age of 90. Survivors include her sister, Ellen Byrd of Maryland, and two brothers, Albert of Maryland and James of Florida. Interment was in St. Agnes Cemetery, Menands.

Early years

A native of Washington, D.C., who entered the Daughters of Charity in 1931, Sister Serena was an educator at first, teaching in several places, including St. Vincent's Home in Troy.

After attaining a master's degree in social work from The Catholic University of America, she became a pioneer and innovator in the care and education of children and families.

In the 1950s, she founded the Astor Home, a residential treatment center in Rhinebeck for emotionally-disturbed children, and the Kennedy Child Study Center, a day program in New York City for children with mental retardation.

After she came to the Albany Diocese, Sister Serena was on the council of her order, based in Menands; was elected to the Daughters of Charity General Assembly, held in Rome in 1968; and reorganized St. Catherine's Center for Children, changing its focus from residential care for young children to treatment for emotionally disturbed, abused and neglected children from birth through age 12.

Catholic Charities

In 1974, Sister Serena was appointed executive director of diocesan Catholic Charities, becoming the first woman in the U.S. to hold such a title.

Under her leadership, Catholic Charities expanded its presence from three to all 14 counties of the Diocese, linked with the public sector to improve the lot of the needy, and joined with state and national lawmakers to formulate social service policies, including transitional housing for the homeless, the establishment of a living wage and home care for the rural elderly.

She also oversaw the establishment of affordable housing for the elderly, residences for those with disabilities, and outreach programs to serve the neglected and forgotten.

When she retired from her role at Catholic Charities, she remained active with the Ladies of Charity and the diocesan Commission on the Aging. She 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. She also edited "CC Works," a quarterly newsletter about Catholic Charities.

Sister Serena served on more than 20 boards of trustees, and received honorary degrees and a papal honor: the Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice Award. Most recently, she was the 2002 recipient of the Vision Award, the highest honor given by Catholic Charities USA. Previous winners have included Mother Teresa of Calcutta and Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

Serving the needy

In an interview with The Evangelist last fall, Sister Serena said that her aim was "first of all, to do God's will, and to try and use the position I'm in to better the lot of people. My heart goes out most to children, because they're so defenseless."

Sister Serena described her approach as knowing "how things ought to be, and the only way to get them how they ought to be was to have positive policies, so I worked toward that. The most important thing was to help people sustain their human dignity."

(Contributing to this article was Kate Blain, assistant editor.)

TRIBUTE TO PREDECESSOR

Remembering mentor and role model

Sister Maureen Joyce, RSM, is executive director of Catholic Charities of the Albany Diocese. In that role, she succeeded Sister Serena Branson, DC. But, in recent comments to Kate Blain, assistant editor of The Evangelist, Sister Maureen paid tribute to the late nun as more than just a predecessor:

"When I came in as director of Community Maternity Services [a Catholic Charities program], I was green. I was 28 and starting a program for pregnant teenagers. To say Sister Serena was a role model is an understatement. She was a giant in the field of social services, and yet she always remained faithful to the mission, serving people with dignity.

"She modeled the charism of Ss. Vincent de Paul and Louise de Marillac [founders of her order]: She always thought of the poor first but had the ability to bring the poor, the governor and politicians around the table, and come up with some solution [to a problem]. She would just go right in for the kill and say, `This is what we need, and you're going to make sure we get it, right?'

"When I became Catholic Charities director in 1990, she stayed on as director of special projects for almost 10 years. People would say, `How can you have the former director there?' It was never an issue. We had such tremendous respect for one another. She was always there to offer some wise counsel."

TRIBUTES

Remembering life of Sister Serena

The Evangelist invited several people to share their memories of and tributes to Sister Serena Branson:

"Sister Serena was a loving, caring person. She respected the people who worked for her. I worked for her 24-and-a-half years. I'd take her home, to work, to the meetings she needed to go to and shopping. She always asked about our family. The day she passed, I went over to see her. She remembered me when I walked in the door. She said, 'I'm glad to see you.' She was beautiful, and we'll miss her."

Clinton Simmons, Sister Serena's driver

***

"Sister Serena and I were classmates at The Catholic University of America. Four graduates from the Class of 1949 who received master's degrees together ended up working in the Albany Diocese. Another graduate was Cardinal Terence Cooke [of the New York Archdiocese]. Every time he came to Albany on business, he would visit with Sister Serena. He admired her.

"She was quite a woman, a great innovator. One of her most outstanding qualities was that she could foresee tasks that needed to be done -- and always got results. She had a strong sense of service to people, especially the poor. Her vision was remarkable."

Rev. Richard J. Downs, director of diocesan Catholic Charities prior to Sister Serena

***

"You could be driving somewhere with Sister Serena, and she would talk to you about very personal things that were happening in your life and be very non-judgmental. She would look at a very human situation and tell you in very simple words what she did or did not like about what you were doing, but she was very non-judgmental. She'll always be with us. She just was a mentor."

Mary Coppola, associate director, diocesan Catholic Charities

***

"Sister Serena was a loved member of the Northeast Province of the Daughters of Charity. Her wake and funeral were an eloquent testimony to the lives she touched -- from the powerful to the powerless. I will miss her very much. She was a mentor for many sisters and inspired us to stretch ourselves in the service of people who were in need. At the funeral, the Bishop said, 'The best way to honor Serena is to devote ourselves to the service of the poor.' We all heard that and want to rededicate ourselves."

Sister Mary Francis Martin, provincial of the Daughters of Charity

***

"Sister Serena was an affirming woman, one who was always willing to take a risk. She was always willing to take the time to listen to someone, too, no matter what she was doing. She was my mentor in Catholic Charities for 16 years.

"Sister Serena always provided excellent guidance for her employees because she 'walked the walk' herself. She loved Catholic Charities and serving the poor.

"She really trusted her staff. As long as you got your work done, she would trust you and take any risk you asked her to take. She also had a great sense of humor. She always enjoyed a good joke and being around people.

"Sister Serena could have run any big corporation in the country. She was that good. She was a very special lady."

John Steele, executive director, Catholic Charities of Schenectady County

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