Partner With Us
Advancing the MissionThe Office of Mission Advancement is dedicated to promoting the Providence mission and ministries of the Sisters of Divine Providence. The office, in three regions – Pittsburgh, Kingston and St. Louis – in collaboration with the Sisters, lay associates and volunteers implements the development priorities for the Sisters of Divine Providence. High Priority is given to inviting other people to join the Sisters in helping to make Providence more visible in our world. Our Sisters work in our sponsored ministries and in social justice advocacy through their individual ministries in parishes, hospitals, schools and elsewhere.
Providence touches us in many ways. It may be through love or encouragement, compassionate listening, or by tending to the needs of the poor and disenfranchised. We experience Providence when we are open to God’s plan for us, and when we help make God’s love visible to others.
We invite you to partner with the Sisters of Divine Providence as they reach out and minister to others. Click on the donate now link to send your donation. Gifts in Action  “My work is done with love” is how Sister Patricia Ann Moffett describes her ministry.
Since December 2008, Sister Patricia Ann has been volunteering part of her time in the Pittsburgh area Development Office. Though “retired” and living at Providence Heights in Allison Park, Pennsylvania, Sister Patty Ann started out by offering her assistance with special, seasonal projects, like mailings, stuffing envelopes, affixing labels, and then asked if we could use help on a regular basis. At first, Sister came in once a week, but she was willing (and the staff was able) to find her more and more work to do. She now works every day in the office doing filing, photocopying, and mailing acknowledgement letters to our donors, among other things. Her responsibilities have increased over the past several months, and now Sister Patty Ann has honed her skills using Excel and helps us keep track of items we receive for the Oktoberfest in a spreadsheet. Of course, this isn’t Sister’s only work; she also assists the house directors by welcoming any Sisters who come to stay here at Providence Heights. Her hospitality ministry includes not only getting a room ready for the visiting Sister(s), but also welcoming her and making sure her room is in order with sheets, towels, pillows, and any other amenities. When talking with Sister Patty Ann, one of the first things to make an impression is her joy, her attitude. No matter what she is doing, she enjoys it, and it shows. Sister has been a member of the community for 59 years, and her ministries have included teaching and food service.
If you receive a letter from the Pittsburgh area development office, know that it was touched by loving hands. Sister Patty Ann provides us in the development office with an invaluable service as a volunteer. She says, “I want to reflect the presence of God to others through what I do. I feel that I am helping to further the mission of the Sisters. This is my ministry, and through my work, I make every effort to reflect the presence of Jesus. By helping to send those ‘thank you’ letters or any mailings from the office, I am making God’s Providence known to others.” Know that mailings you receive from us are sent with loving hands and a loving heart, conveying God’s Providence.
 Sister Bertshabé Palomino Montalvo, “Betsa,” is in her second year of novitiate, a year spent in apostolic ministry: hands-on, experiential learning and growing. Sister Betsa is currently spending a few months at La Posada Providencia, a sponsored ministry of the community. A native of Peru, Sister Betsa is able to use her first language, Spanish, to teach and mentor immigrants and asylum seekers, while reinforcing her own lessons in English.
Sister Betsa says, “I understand the need immigrants have to communicate their feelings in their native language, and I understand how it feels to be in a foreign culture and environment. I am happy that I can help them by offering a compassionate ear.” Sister Betsa’s ministry at La Posada is a blessing to the clients there, who benefit practically from her language and teaching skills and emotionally from her nurturing, gentle, and fun presence. For Sister Betsa, this novitiate experience allows her to follow the teachings of Christ while continuing to discern God’s call. Sister Betsa entered the community in Peru in 2007 and became a member of the Marie de la Roche Province the following year.  Sister Donna Gribschaw is in her comfort zone, and part of her ministry is making young people uncomfortable. Sister Donna is the campus minister for Sacred Heart High School in Kingston. She describes her position as being responsible for the spiritual and service life of the school. “I think of myself as a ‘catalyst’ for community service activities in the school,” Sister Donna says. She works with students in grades 7 through 12, a pivotal time in life when an individual really begins to define him- or herself. Sister Donna wants to make sure that a concern for social justice is a part of the “definition” of each one of her students.
In addition to planning retreats and liturgies, Sister Donna is the sponsor of the community service club. The group, she says, is designed “to get out into the community to offer service in the name of Sacred Heart High School.” It also serves as an eye-opener for many of the young people, helping them to realize how fortunate they are to have surplus to share with others. Students collect food, clothing, toys, and blankets, and distribute them to people in need. They volunteer at Sunrise Community Assisted Living, with the Appalachian Service Project, and Habitat for Humanity. Sister Donna even accompanies students on a service trip to Peru, where they witness poverty on a whole different level.
Seeing others in need can be an uncomfortable experience, but that discomfort is the first step to making a commitment to social change. Sister Donna is there for the students of Sacred Heart, guiding them as they find their way from recognition of social problems to taking manageable steps to bring about change. She helps them to recognize that one person can make a difference and instills the desire to serve. “I collaborate with many of the Sacred Heart faculty,” Sister Donna notes. “They are very inspirational and serve as mentors to their students. We work together so as not to overlap larger service projects in the school. For instance, the student council has shown awesome leadership in sponsoring events to collect money for Haiti.”
Every year, Sacred Heart students choose to go out into the world blessed with this knowledge and service orientation. And every year, they all make a difference in their own way, thanks in part to the guidance they receive from Sister Donna.
For additional information, please contact any of the
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