Indigenous Peoples' Day

Today, on Indigenous Peoples' Day, we celebrate and honor Indigenous American peoples and commemorate their histories and cultures.  History and the preservation of land are two things that Sr. Rosemarie Greco, DW, is passionate about. In the following compilation of current facts, she provides information on the lands we serve on and their native origins. Today, the Daughters of Wisdom in the United States of America live and minister in Connecticut, Florida, Long Island, NY, Maryland, South Carolina, and Northern Maine. Listed are Sisters who continue to serve in those States and the State's native inhabitants.

CONNECTICUT: Wisdom House Retreat and Conference Center is located in Litchfield, on the Pootatuck tribal homelands and the homelands of the Weantinock peoples, whose descendants are the modern-day Schaghticoke people. A small portion of Tunxis homelands is also in Litchfield.

FLORIDA: Sr. Sara Proctor, DW, serves in the ministry of healthcare in Ruskin County, which is native to the Uzita people (one of the first native peoples encountered by early European explorers). In Jacksonville, native to the Timucua people, Sr. Lucy Clynes serves in pastoral ministry at Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Church in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.

LONG ISLAND, NEW YORK: We have retired Sisters in several communities throughout Long Island serving in volunteer ministries that span healthcare, social and environmental justice, pastoral care, and religious education. Sr. Marie Josee Seide has an active ministry in Amityville as the Social Ministry Director for St. Martin of Tours Church. Our Delegation Office is in Islip, where the Secatogue people (from Islip to Patchogue) and the Massapequa people (from Seaford to Islip) lived. Sound Beach, home of Our Lady Perpetual Help Convent, is native to the Setauket people (from Stony Brook to Wading River).

MAINE: Sisters Jackie and Joan Ayotte have ministered and taken steps to preserve history through the establishment of the town's first library in an area of Northern Maine that is native to the Micmac and Wabanaki people.

MARYLAND: Sr. Marie Chiodo currently ministers to immigrant populations through outreach and education in the DC area, which is native to the Piscataway Indian Nation, an Algonquin-speaking tribe.

SOUTH CAROLINA: Sr. Joan Kobe provides pastoral outreach and education for Walhalla's Hispanic and immigrant population. South Carolina is the native land of the Cherokee people.