A business journal in Albany, New York has just profiled a “woman who means business,” and it turns out to be a nun in charge of Catholic Charities:

Sister Maureen Joyce never moved far from her roots, but her benevolence gets around.

Since becoming a Catholic nun 47 years ago, the Albany native has advocated for area children and seniors, the poor, mentally ill, abused, displaced and minority populations. And that’s the short list.

The CEO of Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Albany has indelible ties to her home city. She grew up on Academy Road off New Scotland Avenue in Albany, where she attended the former Vincentian Institute on Madison Avenue. After graduation, she joined the Sisters of Mercy, moving into the religious order’s Convent of Mercy across from St. Peter’s Hospital.

While there, she earned a bachelor’s degree at the state University at Albany and a master’s degree from The College of Saint Rose.

Joyce has spent the last 18 years in a small studio apartment on nearby North Main Avenue, across from Catholic Charities’ main offices. It’s less than two miles from where she grew up.

“I didn’t move far in square mileage, but I certainly have had the opportunity to do a lot of traveling regarding my work,” she says.

Sister Maureen, 64, manages Catholic Charities’ 1,100 employees at 40 locations in 14 counties, and an annual budget of $85 million. The services, which reach 100,000 people a year, include food pantries, emergency assistance, residential programs for the disabled, pregnancy programs, senior and foster-care housing, and domestic violence shelters.

On average, the organization’s 101 residential settings accommodate 1,138 people a night.

Its services “put a face on the working poor,” Sister Maureen says.

Before coming to Catholic Charities in 1990, she spent 19 years supervising Catholic Charities’ Community Maternity Services, the region’s first pre-natal and parenting program.

Catholic Charities increased services 60 to 70 percent since Sister Joyce took over as CEO 18 years ago. At the time, the organization was just starting to expand beyond the Albany area, an opportunity Sister Joyce used to serve even more people. Today, 40 sites serve the unique needs in each of the 14 counties.

“In many instances, we are the first nonprofit to serve a community, especially in the more rural areas,” she said.

But while Catholic Charities works to meet the growing needs of the underserved, it works just as hard to eliminate duplicate programs.

For example, the nonprofit recently stopped operating mentoring programs in some communities that had Big Brother/Big Sisters organizations serving the same function.

“We don’t always have to be the provider,” she said. “We can be the partner, or a catalyst.”

In addition to her busy schedule, which often includes evening and special events sponsored by Catholic Charities’ individual programs, Sister Maureen serves on the boards of directors of several other groups.

Her most up-to-date list includes: LaSalle School for Boys, New York Catholic Conference Legal Immigration Network Inc. (which, by the way, has ties to another local program she is jump-starting), DePaul Housing Management, The Roundtable, Albany’s Public Policy Committee, St. Catherine’s Center for Children, First Niagara Bank, Teresian Center for the Albany Diocese and Capital District Community Loan Fund.

She previously served on the boards of St. Anne’s Institute, St. Peter’s Health Care Services and Episcopal Charities Inc.

“Her passion for social and economic justice is inspirational and second to none,” said Bob Radliff, executive director of the Community Loan Fund.

There’s more at the link. Bless her and her amazing work!