Dominican Sisters of Hawthorne bring warmth of human connection to the dying

Nestled in the serene hills of Westchester County, New York, lies a sanctuary of compassion: Rosary Hill Home. Operated by the Dominican Sisters of Hawthorne, this haven offers free palliative care to patients afflicted with incurable cancer.

The story of Rosary Hill Home begins with Rose Hawthorne Lathrop, the daughter of renowned author Nathaniel Hawthorne. After personal tragedies, including the loss of her young son and the dissolution of her marriage, Rose sought a deeper purpose. Moved by the plight of impoverished cancer patients who lacked care and comfort, she took a three-month nursing course and, in 1896, established a modest refuge in New York City’s Lower East Side.

Her work caring for the sick in a rented room laid the foundation for what would become the Dominican Sisters of Hawthorne, with Rose taking the religious name Mother Mary Alphonsa.

In 1901, seeking a more tranquil environment for her patients, she purchased property from a group of French Dominican friars who had fled the persecutions of the French Revolution and settled in the country north of New York City. By 1900, they were able to safely return to France and, having heard of her work, offered Mother Mary Alphonsa a good price for the land. The property became Rosary Hill Home in Hawthorne, New York, which remains the motherhouse of the congregation she founded.

At Rosary Hill, the sisters embrace one shared apostolate: providing compassionate care to those in the final stages of cancer. This commitment is not merely a profession but a way of life. The sisters live alongside their patients, creating a familial atmosphere where charity and service are paramount.

“Everything that is possible is done to cheer them, and an aspect of home-likeness is always aimed at,” wrote Mother Mary Alphonsa.

Central to the sisters’ vocation is their Eucharistic life. The chapel is the living heart of Rosary Hill, from which the sisters draw strength to fulfill their mission.

Blessed Hyacinthe Cormier, superior general of the Dominican order in the early 20th century, once observed to the sisters, “You have Jesus in your midst in two ways: Jesus in the Sacrament in the Chapel; Jesus covered with wounds in the halls of the sick. Adore Him. Bless Him. Serve Him by a twofold measure of reverence and love.”