On a nearly 100-degree day, with not a single raincloud in sight, droplets of water fell on the new Blessed Maria Raffaella statue outside the Villa Raffaella Assisted Living in Pleasantville.
“We are here to celebrate the anniversary and the Hospitaler Sisters of Mercy, who care with warmth, comfort and dignity,” Bishop Joseph Williams said as he sprinkled the statue with holy water and offered a blessing to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Catholic assisted living facility.
About 230 clergy, staff, residents, family members and guests joined the Hospitaler Sisters of Mercy on June 25 for the anniversary celebration, which included Mass celebrated by Bishop Williams and a luncheon.
Before the final blessing at Mass, Bishop Williams praised the sisters and their dedicated ministry, reading aloud from an apostolic blessing from Pope Leo XIV that “commends them to the maternal protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary that by the witness of generous and faithful hearts the flame of hope may always shine brightly in our world.”
Said Bishop Williams, “It was 59 years ago today that Archbishop Damiano invited your order to the Diocese of Camden. What a blessing it has been!”
Indeed, it was Archbishop Celestine Damiano – the third bishop of the Diocese of Camden – who invited the sisters from Rome to South Jersey in 1966. Their initial ministry was staffing a prenatal clinic for expectant mothers in North Camden. It was the first time the Hospitaler Sisters had taken their ministry of caring for the sick and marginalized beyond Italy.
Having strong ties to the Pleasantville community as well as the surrounding parishes for many years, members of the order would later come to establish Villa Raffaella Assisted Living.
“We are dedicated to providing our residents with a home-like environment,” said Anna Tosti, who serves as quality assurance and admissions coordinator for Villa Raffaella. “Dignity, independence, individuality and choice are the cornerstones of our philosophy of allowing our residents to age in place.”
“Our residents not only receive quality health care, but they receive it in an environment of spiritual support following the principles of the Gospel,” she continued. “We offer daily Mass and rosary [prayers] for those who choose to participate.”
Tosti, who is also on the board of trustees and has worked alongside the Hospitaler Sisters of Mercy for 45 years, said the community has been thrilled to mark the quarter-century anniversary of its founding.
“Everyone is very excited,” she said. “We have sisters, staff and even one resident who has been at Villa Raffaella from the very beginning.”
While Villa Raffaella is a Catholic community, it is open to persons of all denominations – and Tosti notes that the facility receives interest from up and down the eastern seaboard.
“While Villa Raffaella is a relatively small assisted living community serving 55 residents, the impact of the care that Villa Raffaella provides to our senior residents is far-reaching,” she said.
She noted that the community is one of just five in New Jersey to have earned national Joint Commission accreditation, and that it is the only non-profit, Catholic-operated healthcare community in South Jersey.
“All of this has helped to create strong interest in both the Villa Raffaella community as well as the Hospitaler Sisters of Mercy,” she said.
Mary Johnson, 78, has lived at Villa Raffaella for 13 years. She said she finds the community to be peaceful and filled with attentive staff. She noted that the presence of the Hospitaler Sisters of Mercy, and the feeling of closeness that they provide, helps to make life there special.
Fellow resident Lilly O’Keefe, 87, has lived at Villa Raffaella for the past two years, and similarly finds the staff to be helpful and supportive.
“What makes Villa special is [that] it is home,” she said. “Everyone takes care of me.”
For more information on Villa Raffaella, visit villaraffaella.com or call 609-645-9300.
John Kalitz, digital media manager for the Diocese of Camden, contributed to this report.
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