The Federation of the Sisters of Saint Joseph is a dynamic union of all the Sisters of Saint Joseph of the United States who claim a common origin in the foundation at Le Puy, France in 1650. This includes 3351 sisters, 3076 associates and 46 agrégées of 16 Congregations throughout the United States. The Federation moves us to greater consciousness of our kinship in grace and calls us to fidelity to that grace. Together we strive to embody a vision of all people united in one earth community of love and unity. We do this through collaborative programs, interaction, prayer and ministry. In our conflicted 21st century world, the Sisters of Saint Joseph seek to bring our traditions and vision to life in a way that will speak to our contemporary society and be a positive influence for change.
Our Ministries
The basic desire of the Sisters of Saint Joseph is to reflect a “profound love of God and neighbor without distinction.” Our mission is to live and work so that all may be one. By building relational communities wherever we live and serve, we keep this mission alive. Whether we are among people who live in pockets of poverty and neglect, in middle class neighborhoods, or in areas of greater affluence, we are “sisters of the neighborhood” trying to meet the varied needs of people and to create centers of relationship and unity. True to the dream of our foundresses, we continue to “divide the city, seek the ills and cure them.” In the context of their times, the original Sisters of Saint Joseph were mostly uneducated women. Today, every woman who joins the congregation receives the education necessary to fulfill her ministry. Sisters of Saint Joseph can be found in soup kitchens, shelters, universities, schools, hospitals, courtrooms, prisons, retreat centers, offices, nursing homes, laboratories, studios and hospices. We are educators, lawyers, doctors, nurses, family therapists, social workers, patient advocates, spiritual directors, parish ministers, theologians, psychologists, physical therapists, administrators, artists, authors, musicians, poets and a myriad of other things. We still seek to do, as our history tells us, “Whatever is possible for women to do” and in our present society, we know this is simply everything.
Why do we have a Federation?
The purpose of the Federation is to:
- Support the Sisters of Saint Joseph, Associates and Agrégées in a continual striving to incarnate the CSSJ charism within the mission of Jesus today and in the future.
- Integrate a continuing exploration of the CSSJ charism and the actualization of its mission by an approach that looks toward its living expression as well as its historical roots.
- Collaborate in programs which facilitate the understanding and interpretation of the CSSJ charism and mission as they affect the life and ministry of the members
- Provide sisters, associates and agrégées with a sense of belonging to a movement greater than a province, congregation or federation through our connections with the Global Family of St. Joseph
- Serve as a means of linking leaders and members of CSSJ provinces/congregations through the direction of the Leadership Assembly.
Who are the members of our Federation?
The Federation includes the sisters, associates, agrégées, St. Joseph Worker community, Family of Joseph, and partners in mission from all the congregations of Sisters of Saint Joseph in the United States who claim a common origin in the foundation at Le Puy, France. To find out more about becoming a member of the Federation, visit our page here.
