Catholic Charities West Virginia (CCWVa) is proud to announce the recipient of the agency’s 2021 Charity in Action Award: the Pallottine Missionary Sisters. “It is with much appreciation and gratitude Catholic Charities celebrates the Pallottine Missionary Sisters as our Charity in Action Award recipient. God calls us to be bold and to share His love unconditionally with all who cross our paths,” said Beth Zarate, president and chief executive officer of CCWVa. “Our honorees embrace their Gospel call to serve.” The Pallottine Missionary Sisters came to America in 1912, inspired by the motto of their founder, St. Vincent Pallotti: “The love of Christ impels us.” After studying English in New York, the Sisters came to West Virginia to serve at the request of the bishop of Wheeling. Their first community was in Richwood where they opened a parish school and, a year later, established Sacred Heart Hospital. In 1921, they moved to Buckhannon, opening St. Joseph’s Hospital and teaching at the local parish. The sisters also established St. Vincent Pallotti Hospital in Morgantown before coming to Huntington in 1924 to open St. Mary’s Hospital (now St. Mary’s Medical Center). Their values of compassion, hospitality, reverence, interdependence, stewardship and trust are evident in all they do. The Pallottine Missionary Sisters have served, and continue to serve, as hospital, school, and parish administrators and teachers, with their values guiding their work. Their ministries include health clinics, hospitals, schools, retreat centers, and foundations. The Pallottine Missionary Sisters leadership and management of St. Mary’s Medical Center in Huntington and St. Joseph’s Hospital in Buckhannon led to an unrivaled reputation for excellence in healthcare in a compassionate and caring manner with a committed focus on the dignity of each individual patient and staff member. Additionally, the Pallottine Missionary Sisters’ creation of two health conversion foundations, the Pallottine Foundation of Huntington and the Pallottine Foundation of Buckhannon, demonstrate the Sisters’ continuing commitment to health and wellness in communities across the state of West Virginia. “At Catholic Charities, we are on a mission of love to end poverty, one family at a time,” Zarate said. “We are blessed and inspired by many partners who walk this journey with us, and we’re honored to recognize the Pallottine Missionary Sisters for their extraordinary work.” The Pallottine Missionary Sisters will be honor- ed at the CCWVa Charity in Action Awards Luncheon on Oct. 22. Out of concern for the safety of all during COVID-19, tickets are limited, and the event will be livestreamed.
Courtesy Photo Pallottine Missionary Sisters are pictured.