Daughters of Charity

Yesterday, 14 September 1975, was the 40th anniversary of the canonization of Elizabeth Ann (Bayley) Seton, the first American to be canonized. After she was widowed she converted to the Catholic faith and moved to Emmitsburg, Maryland, where she founded Sisters of Charity. In 1850 the order formally affiliated with Mother House of the Daughters of Charity in Paris and adopted the blue habit and white collar and cornette.

Today 18,000 Sisters of Charity serve in 94 countries addressing the needs of food, water, sanitation, and shelter; their sustaining work includes health care, migrant and refugee assistance and education.

In 1940, Mary Margaret Luckett, my Aunt Katherine's first cousin once removed, became Sister Adele in the Sisters of Charity order. She was the administrator of the provincial house of the Daughters of Charity in Emmitsburg when she died. She had a long career as a teacher in several Catholic schools in Virginia; served as principal in schools in Baltimore, Maryland; Charleston, South Carolina; Richmond, Virginia; and Utica, New York. She was honored as Principal of the Year for the Diocese of Richmond in 1989.

She was born on 11 August 1921 in Indian Head, Maryland, to Francis Savage and Hazel Irene (Walter) Luckett. She was the fourth of eight children. She grew up in Mount Rainier, Maryland, where her father worked as an engineer for a railroad. He later worked for the Bureau of Engraving and Printing in Washington, DC.  She graduated from Immaculate Conception Academy in Washington and St. Joseph's Academy in Emmitsburg. She received a master's degree from Boston University. Sister Adele died 31 January 1993 at a hospital in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. She was buried at the National Shrine of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Emmitsburg.

National Shrine (and minor basilica) of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton; photograph
courtesy of Wikipedia

In 1945, Sister Adele's younger sister, Regina M. Luckett, became Sister Mary Elizabeth of the Daughters of Charity order. She was 18 years old at the time. She worked as a teacher and principal in Catholic schools Bridgeport, Connecticut; Greensboro, North Carolina; Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; and several cities in Maryland. Sometime during her career Sister Mary Elizabeth changed her name back to Regina.

She was born in Indian Head, Maryland, on 19 May 1926 to Francis Savage and Hazel Irene (Walter) Luckett. She was their seventh child out of eight. Like her sister, Mary Margaret, she grew up in Mount Rainier. Regina graduated from Immaculate Conception Academy and St. Joseph's College in Emmitsburg. She later received a master's degree in business administration from Catholic University. Sister Regina died on 16 April 1972 in Emmitsburg. She was interred at the National Shrine of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton.

Their older brother Edwin A. Luckett was a Catholic priest.

The National Shrine of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton is a religious site and educational center. The site includes a cemetery, which my husband and I visited this past summer. As we parked, I noticed they had an archive building. So I will be learning about accessing those archives for further research about Sisters Adele and Regina.

Statue of St. Vincent de Paul in the cemetery at the National
Shrine of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton; personal collection