News & Events

As part of our 150th anniversary in Boston, The Pilot, our Boston Archdiocesan newspaper, has featured the Sisters of St. Joseph of Boston in a special 44-page Supplement.

This date of September 11 is one, as you well know, that is seared in our souls and the soul of our nation. On that heartbreaking day 22 years ago, your lives were forever changed…

Saturday, September 9, 2023, marked our second opportunity to celebrate with the people Boston and thank them for their support during these 150 years.

Lingering summer temperatures greeted associates, agrégées and sisters as we gathered on September 9th for our first meeting of the year.

Ten children received a backpack full of supplies from Spirit of Life Community that was prepared especially for them.

As a pre-med student at Boston College, I had Sr. Jeanne as my theology professor. After a walk and talk with her, Sr Jeanne said, “I’m going to put you in contact with a friend of mine…”

On June 25, 2023, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Boston participated in the Transition of Leadership Prayer Service for their congregation. Sisters, associates, agrégées partners in mission, friends, and family gathered at Regis College for a Celebration of Leadership.

Simply put, Christians believe that God is LOVE and that the purpose of creation is sharing that love. Coincidently, the theme for the Sisters’ anniversary year is A Unifying Love flares. This is a perfect description of the Trinity…

Together, we connect women from all walks of life & respond to the underserved needs of women in a compassionate, responsive way. Join us on May 24 for our annual fundraiser!

Amidst the falling leaves of late November, Sisters, Associates, and Agrégées gathered at Saint Joseph Hall for our annual visit. As always, we were warmly welcomed by the residents.

The U.S. Federation of the Sisters of St. Joseph decries the homophobic and transphobic mass shooting at Club Q, an LGBTQ+ nightclub in Colorado Springs on November 19. We grieve for the five individuals who were killed and the 18 people injured in a space known for sanctuary and celebration, and on the cusp of the Transgender Day of Remembrance on November 20.

As vowed women religious, associates, agrégées, St. Joseph Workers, and partners in mission who share this charism of unifying love, we name that violent hate crimes do not happen in isolation. Language, beliefs, and practices that condemn, reject, target, or blame LGBTQ+ people must be explicitly rejected, particularly by religious leaders and churches.

Did you know that this year marks the 150th anniversary of presence and service of the Sisters of St. Joseph among the people of Boston? Our 150 years in Boston is a celebration of and for all who have been a part of this journey. We celebrate founders whose original impulse of unifying love brings us to this day as well as those who continue this impulse as it flares among and beyond us.

Reading how religion, gender and education intersect in American history informs our understanding of current events. Now is your chance — order Pursuing Truth, the book, and read the book for yourself!

This winter, Casserly House, a ministry of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Boston, engaged in strategic visioning to meet the emerging needs of the neighborhood. To begin the process, we took an appreciative look back at the evolving history. Recently, I had a pleasant conversation with Ann Marie Grady, CSJ, to discuss her creation of the Casserly House logo and motto.

As part of the U.S. Federation of the Sisters of St. Joseph, we join in this collaborative statement.
The undersigned communities represent over 23,000 Catholic women religious, associates, agregees, and partners in mission in over 30 states. Today, we are all residents of Uvalde, Texas, a relatively small community more than 80 miles from San Antonio. On Tuesday, May 24, the world witnessed another horrific, senseless tragedy as a lone gunman shot and killed 21 people, including 19 students, at Robb Elementary School just two days before the end of the school year. We challenge ourselves, our Church, and all people of goodwill to rededicate themselves to end the scourge of gun violence in this country. READ FULL STATEMENT BY CLICKING TITLE

Thresholds, thresholds, and more thresholds! Life is full of thresholds, and in the Community of St. Joseph this year, we’ve focused on crossing thresholds a lot. Where do our threshold crossings take us? Because they often take us “to ventures of which we cannot see the ending,” it can be difficult to cross thresholds.

“Woods is interesting because it’s a non-traditional population unlike BC,” Gribaudo said. “These students go to school at night, and they work during the day, and some of them are coming in after having a hiatus with school. So it’s a fabulous program, and it’s really, in many ways, the original mission of BC to work with students that need a different way of being.”

…a medieval manuscript dating back between 1400 and 1460 A.D. If true, it is by far the oldest artifact in the Boston CSJ Archives.

“Woods is interesting because it’s a non-traditional population unlike BC,” Gribaudo said. “These students go to school at night, and they work during the day, and some of them are coming in after having a hiatus with school. So it’s a fabulous program, and it’s really, in many ways, the original mission of BC to work with students that need a different way of being.”

Imagine a place where six women of varied ages and backgrounds travel quietly around their neighborhood noticing the needs of the underserved. And imagine the desire burning in their hearts that compelled them to commit their lives to respond to those needs in a manner that united neighbor with neighbor and neighbor with God. This is how the Sisters of St. Joseph began in 1650 in the city of Le Puy-en-Velay, France. This tradition and the commitment of the Sisters of St. Joseph and their partners in mission and many other congregations of Catholic sisters who continue to respond to changing needs is what Catholic Sisters Week celebrates.

At the turn of the 20th century, a significant number of young women seeking entrance into the Congregation of the Sisters of Saint Joseph of Boston were born in other countries – mainly Ireland, Italy, and Canada. For those born abroad, obtaining official documents was not as simple. A request for their baptismal record needed to travel overseas and sometimes relied on family back home to prompt the search.

Click above to view a calendar for Black History Month prepared by the CSJ Brentwood Racial Justice Working Group. The artwork at the beginning of the calendar was commissioned by the working group and created by Lubay Lancelot of Brooklyn, N.Y.As you will see, the calendar is rich in information, quotes, and suggested actions. Hope you find the calendar inspiring as we move through the month. The Sisters of St. Joseph of Boston are grateful for this shared resource

In 1968, Sisters of Saint Joseph of Boston participated in a historical movement: The Poor People’s Campaign. This movement was “the next chapter” in Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King’s vision for a more equal and just America, as it expanded the focus of the Civil Rights Movement from desegregation and voting rights to economic justice.

Nearly 30 Sisters of St. Joseph, associates, and partners in mission from around the country joined NETWORK and other faith-based and secular immigrant rights groups Friday morning to call on the Biden Administration to end the misuse of Title 42. The day’s event featured stories from the U.S.–Mexico border and a prayerful demand to Catholic President Joseph Biden to end the immoral use of Title 42. Those gathered outside the White House included a sister representing the Congregation of St. Joseph; 5 sisters from St. Louis; 16 sisters and associates from Philadelphia; and 7 sisters and high school students from New York.

The Congregation of the Sisters of Saint Joseph of Boston publicly commit to join the worldwide Catholic community in responding to Pope Francis’ appeal to participate in a seven-year journey toward sustainability and integral ecology by developing a plan consistent with the Laudato Si’ Action Platform.

Thanksgiving, approaching soon, centers us on the importance of family. Family means something different for everyone—and a year of holidays restricted by the pandemic has taught us that “family” can be a flexible term. When we are away from our families, especially during the holidays, we may find ourselves gathered around a table with strangers or friends — and they become family to us. Community is a powerful bond.

The sisters have quite a history! A small community of six women in Le Puy grew to become a Congregation, and, unified in their mission, after much suffering and trials in France, took the risk of sailing to the Americas and eventually expanded across the globe. “Responsive to the stirrings of the Spirit in our midst, we move into the future through rhythms of prayerful reflection, discernment and action.”

It’s summer time, which means that the Brighton Farmers Market is back up and running, and live music has returned to the park. Seeing people gathered on the green enjoying the sounds of the band got me thinking about a particular item in our collection: a pocket metronome belonging to Sister Blanche Dolan, CSJ. Click title to read more…

This bright gold patent coin from the Boston CSJ Archives was awarded to John Thomas Quealy by the Academie Parisienne des inventeurs industriels et exposants. Quealy was awarded the coin for his  invention of the Globe Monocycle in May of 1892. How did it get to the CSJ Archives?

The Sisters of St. Joseph of Boston join with other faith leaders and people of goodwill to congratulate the women and men who have worked for decades toward designating Juneteenth as a national holiday. We look forward to using this annual celebration as an opportunity to build awareness and we recommit ourselves to the work of equity, equality, and justice.

The Boston CSJ Archives recently processed the papers of Sr. Gretchen Bogan, CSJ (1915-1999), a talented playwright, poet, artist and teacher. As a longtime professor at Regis College in Weston, Massachusetts, she directed numerous plays – many of which were her own! The collection contains manuscripts, drafts and compilations of her many works (a number of which were published and performed), as well as notes and edits, personal writings and photographs which serve as a fascinating insight into the creative mind of an artist.

The Sisters of St. Joseph and their partners believe in and work for unity and reconciliation. With God’s guidance, we seek to recognize one another with dignity and love as we move forward in building a better future together. In this collaborative work, we ask God for deep healing of all communities and improved relationships with the people who serve them. — CLICK TITLE TO READ MORE

Earth Day is almost here! On Saturday, here at our Motherhouse, we had an early celebration! May we learn to love and care for our common home by caring for this garden. May we grow closer to God and to one another as we work in the garden together. Here are some excerpts and pictures from the blessing prayer of the garden.

Make a Directed Retreat In the safety and quiet of your home or special place for prayer, your director will accompany you for one-on-one sessions each day in listening to the movement of God’s activity in your life. Directed retreats can easily be adapted to meet your needs and schedule.
If you would like to make a retreat of any length and do not see dates that work with your schedule, please feel free to suggest alternate dates and we will do our best to find a director to meet with you. CLICK TITLE OR ICON FOR DETAILS

Sisters of St. Joseph join with others in condemning racism and sexism in all their harmful forms — whether the violent acts of white supremacists and misogynists or the daily acts of hate and discrimination that diminish us all. We vow to use our Gospel Charism and mission of unifying love for the healing and transformation of the world to commit ourselves to cleanse our hearts and rid our land of these twin evils. — CLICK TITLE or GRAPHIC TO READ MORE

Jesus, like Abba, is the initiator helping us to become aware of what has been done for us. Little by little, big by big, God continues to draw us into our belovedness.

In Pursuing Truth, How Gender Shaped Catholic Higher Education at the College of Notre Dame of Maryland, Mary J. Oates offers fascinating critical analyses of “how women became agents in their own right as citizens of society and the nation’s largest church.” This book is a significant contribution to the history of higher education for women in America. It is highly recommended.

From Fontbonne, The Early College of Boston: We affirm our commitment to the incredible diversity that defines the excellence in our school as we work together to build a safer and more inclusive environment. We will never experience equality and peace, for any of us, as long as violence born of hatred and xenophobia is present in our lives. Fontbonne comes together as the Sisters of St. Joseph have called us to do; to love one another without distinction. We are women of courage made strong.

Joseph remained a man of character, a man of faith, a man who would wake up from his dream ready to nurture the light that would change the world. In Joseph’s imperfection, in his fear and his trepidation, he had the fortitude to carry on, to wake up and act in love. CLICK TITLE TO READ MORE

The Lenten season is a time of renewal. This forty-day journey being observed by Christians throughout the world invites us to claim and deepen our identity as the beloved people of God. This year of the pandemic has been a crossing in the desert. And like the Israelites who had seen all the wondrous deeds of the Lord, we have seen divine intervention in the many generous acts of love and care, freely providing food, water and emotional support to the dear neighbor. This experience has heightened and enlivened our own hearts moving us out of complacency to compassion and hope. CLICK TITLE TO READ MORE

During Catholic Sisters Week, we celebrate our roots. We also celebrate the many ways the mission of Catholic sisters continues to emerge in the presence of associates, oblates, agrégées and partners in mission who not only celebrate traditions that shaped who they are but continue to respond in ways that the mission of their founding congregation meets the call of our 21st century moment – a moment that calls for creativity and innovation in areas such as education, health care, spiritual programs, and more.

“Catholic sisters are deeply concerned about the state of our nation and the future of our democracy. We are committed to healing our democracy, standing with the disenfranchised, and supporting the common good. This legislation will help to repair our democracy and contribute to the work of building a more perfect union where the dignity of each and the welfare of all are protected. We pledge to continue to work with members of Congress on both sides of the aisle and all people of good will to build God’s beloved community.”
— CLICK TITLE TO READ MORE

Compassion can be demanding but it is found in many hidden spaces in our heart…. Maybe during this season as we await the arrival of spring may we return to our compassionate God to ease our sorrowing hearts and bring us healing and peace. CLICK TITLE TO READ MORE

Needless to say, we each have lived from Lent 2020 to this Lent with a variety of personal experiences, a multitude of emotions and many prayerful reflections. In so many ways life has been overwhelming and filled with daily unknowns for so many. Yet amazingly there have also been numerous moments of grace and times of abundant blessings. Pandemic life has been a real mix! — CLICK TITLE TO READ MORE

In fact, the Scripture on Ash Wednesday calls on each of us to “Rend your heart” i.e. to tear it open, to rip it. Isn’t that what has happened to us throughout this year? Our hearts have been torn open by so many tragedies: aspects of Covid-19 –illness, death, loss of income, food insecurity, divisions, racism exposed. The news each day tears at our hearts and hopefully evokes from us deep compassion.

As members of the U.S. Federation of the Sisters of St. Joseph, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Boston join with the Leadership Conference of Women Religious in praying for peace after witnessing the violence and terrorism yesterday in our nation’s Capital. — CLICK TITLE TO READ MORE

May we be open to the mystery of this season that surrounds us. May we recognize the light of Christ within us and one another. May we reach out to share that light with others.

Our Gospel mandate as Sisters of St. Joseph is to unite neighbor to neighbor and neighbor to God. Now is the time to make space in our hearts and our communities for the needs and concerns of all God’s people, the undocumented mother, the Midwest farmer, the unemployed steelworker, the suburban businesswoman, and the children and elders consigned to live in poverty. It is time to tear down the walls — real or imagined — which divide us by gender, race, class, geography, lifestyle, ideology, political party, and religious belief and to make room in our body politic for all who have been disaffected, disenfranchised, and discarded — CLICK TITLE TO READ MORE

Gathering around a table to share a meal is a very human act found throughout time. One tool of the tradition, created in the 1800s, is the napkin ring. Its circular shape reminds us of the community – no matter how large or small – gathered together. How can we be spiritually present to our circles of family and friends in renewed ways this Thanksgiving? Click title to read more.

As people of faith and heads of Washington-based offices of religious denominations and national organizations, we call for integrity in the processes that shape our systems of governance and form the basis of our shared wellbeing. The choice in this moment is clear and stark: shared commitment to sustaining and strengthening the ideals of our democracy, or a descent into an antidemocratic future to secure partisan gains.

The Sisters of St. Joseph U.S. Federation has signed onto this letter and has asked Federation justice promoters to do so in the name of their Congregations. This is one way we can continue to support the Immokalee Workers, as we explore other avenues to stay connected.

The context of a global pandemic now presents teachers with constraints on community service curriculums. But looking back to 1942 reveals that teacher creativity, combined with student heart and willpower, can focus service efforts to address the pressing needs of our current time.

The first weekend in October marks the 147th anniversary of the foundation of the Sisters of Saint Joseph in Jamaica Plain. The founding Sisters left their home in New York to serve a need in Boston: to provide faith-based education to the growing Catholic parishes in the Boston area. Click through for an interactive way to learn about this anniversary.

At the turn of next month, the Sisters of Saint Joseph celebrate their foundation in Boston 147 years ago. The Sisters were sought after by Rev. Thomas Magennis, founder of St. Thomas Aquinas Parish in Jamaica Plain, after he witnessed their teaching ministry in New York. In early October of 1873, Sr. Mary Regis Casserly and three other sisters answered the official call from Archbishop John Williams to serve the children of working-class immigrants.

Raising the voices of the marginalized is essential to achieving equality. The struggle for a voice in government for all Americans was not completed in 1920; our yearning for social justice continues today. We still need voices of inclusivity, like those of the Sisters of Saint Joseph, to be heard – and the the age-old adage still rings true:  A woman’s work is never done.

We, the Federation of Sisters of St. Joseph, compelled by the Gospel and by our heritage to be responsive to the “dear neighbor” without distinction, are disheartened to learn of these sweeping changes to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program which the Department of Homeland Security recently announced. Click to read the full statement and recommended action.

Since we last gathered, we have all been faced with two pandemics: Covid-19 and Racism. Our plan for all our prayer gatherings this year is to look together at each of these pandemics in light of these questions: How do we pray/or how have we been praying in these challenging times? How do we stand in a “posture of hope?”

The Leadership Conference of Women Religious is grateful that the Supreme Court struck down President Trump’s attempt to end Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). DACA recipients have long contributed to our communities and our economy. Catholic sisters will continue to advocate for bipartisan legislation that addresses the injustices in our current immigration system

Between now and June 20, U.S. Catholic Sisters Against Human Trafficking, will be spreading the word via Social Media. We will post their graphics on our social media channels to show the interconnected between refugees and human trafficking.

We are here because God CREATED us in colors, knowing it would add to our strength, BEAUTY, and richness. As women religious and their partners in mission, we acknowledge our own privilege and complicity in institutional racism. It is time to address the institutional racism that lives within our institutions and within ourselves. As we continue to work to dismantle institutional racism, we are all asked to do the deep, ongoing inner work that anti-racism requires of us. This includes listening to, learning from, supporting, and elevating the black voices within and around us. We ask God’s blessing on the struggle that lies ahead. We, as Sisters of St. Joseph and as individuals, must do better.

The Leadership Conference of Women Religious strongly condemns the police-killing of another black man on the streets of our nation. Racism is America’s original sin. It is a virus every bit as deadly as COVID-19 that has infected our nation since its inception and unless and until we address it, people of color will continue to die and our nation will never heal. Racism, whether the institutional racism which privileges some at the expense others or the daily acts of hate and discrimination diminishes us all. It denies that most profound truth, that all of us are created in God’s image and each of us is entitled to dignity and respect.

As members of LCWR, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Boston partner with other faith leaders calling for all people to spend time during the weekend of May 29-31 to lament and mourn the 100,000 persons who will have died in the United States from COVID-19, and to pause at noon on June 1 to honor the deceased.

As members of LCWR, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Boston partner with other faith leaders calling for all people to spend time during the weekend of May 29-31 to lament and mourn the 100,000 persons who will have died in the United States from COVID-19, and to pause at noon on June 1 to honor the deceased.

During Laudato Si’ week, five members of our Boston CSJ Earth Book Club have each prepared personal reflections on favorite parts of Laudato Si’ and its relevance today. A link to one of these reflections will be posted each day this week in the space below. Each reflection ends with a question for your personal reflection. Click title above for the schedule of these reflections

In 2018, the 100th Anniversary of the 1918 flu, our CSJ Boston Archives created a PowerPoint video documenting our sisters service to the dear neighbor during this epidemic which can be viewed here.

The Sisters of St. Joseph of Boston are committed to being a presence to you, our Dear Neighbors, during these days of the COVID-19 pandemic. Desiring to provide a space of hope and the opportunity for reflection, we are providing this virtual space of prayer resources that have been shared with us by religious congregations throughout the country. We will update this as new content becomes available.

We know that COVID-19 has upended everything – including the 2020 Census. So this weekend, May 1-3, 2020, is designated Census Awareness Weekend. During these past few weeks, The Literacy Connection, a ministry of the Sisters of St. Joseph, has been working with the Allston-Brighton 2020 Census committee to continue efforts for a “complete count” of the 2020 Census.

In recognition of the 50th anniversary of Earth Day on April 22nd, the week of April 19-25, 2020 is being celebrated as Earth Week. Each day this week you will find a quote from our CSJ Corporate Stance on Care for the Earth, which we publicly declared on Earth Day 1992. We continue to try to live by the aspirations of this declaration.

During this week of service, participants will dare to “be witnesses of a different way of doing things, acting, living!” and broaden the circle of love poured out toward every kind of neighbor without distinction.

During Catholic Sisters Week 2020 [March 8-14], we Sisters of St. Joseph of Boston invite you to share in a video series that features several of our sisters. Each reflects on why she is a sister and what continues to inspire her to live our mission of unifying love. These stories offer inspiration for others who are seeking hope and meaning rooted in the profound love of God and desirous of reaching out to the dear neighbor without distinction.

March 8-14, groups around the world are shedding the spotlight on women religious. Catholic Sisters Week 2020 is an opportunity to shine a light on the spirituality, mission and community building of women religious and celebrate how they respond to evolving needs.

As this Lent begins, we offer a particular understanding of the one we CSJs call the Holy One, the God we have come to know through the grace of the charism, the God who informs our common mission… the God the charism has taught us about for 370 years.

You don’t want to miss this evening. It will be here before we know it. So take a minute to click through to where you can learn more to be part of this evening.

Our advocacy is one of the ways we carry out the statement in our Constitution: ”We stand with the poor in the struggle for justice, incarnating hope, by seeking to improve the quality of human life.” We do this “through direct service,” but also “through indirect service and efforts at systemic change which improve the quality of life for those who are poor.”

a six session series that aims to contemplate God’s action and presence in our origins, our becoming, our possibilities. As participants, we welcome women & men of all faiths, whose experience includes: A personal story, an eagerness to contemplate our common story and a willingness to read and pray between sessions.

We, the U. S. Federation of the Sisters of St. Joseph join with the Leadership Conference of Women Religious ( LCWR) in expressing our deep disappointment regarding President Trump’ s promise in 2017 to withdraw from the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement. We are profoundly troubled by the decision to formally request U. S. withdrawal from this critically important international agreement.

Did you know there is more than one way to live the mission and spirituality of the Sisters of St. Joseph in your daily life? Our canonically vowed members continue to serve the dear neighbor without distinction and have done so for more than 360 years. read more…

Over 30 sisters, associates, St. Joseph Workers, and partners in mission from the U.S. Federation of the Sisters of St. Joseph joined with over 400 individuals in the Catholic Day of Action for Immigrant Children, part of a “Stop the Inhumanity” campaign designed to increase the visibility of the Catholics who are willing to take risks on the issue to increase pressure on the U.S. government to end child detention.

Recognizing the intersection of the issue of racism, migration and climate crisis, the U.S. Federation of the Sisters of St. Joseph joins with the Leadership Conference of Women Religious in recommitting to a compassionate response to the cries of our brothers and sisters and our Earth

In response to our recent corporate voice statement calling for an end to gun violence, The U.S. Federation of the Sisters of St. Joseph is participating in a Anti-Gun Violence Social Media campaign  from Monday, August 12 through Friday, August 16. The Sisters of St. Joseph of Boston is running this campaign alongside the Federation to amplify the reach. You can be a part of widening the reach by visiting our csjboston Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram channels [see icon links at bottom and top of our website]. Come back and visit for the remaining days of this Social Media Campaign!

The following is a letter sent by the Leadership Conference of Women Religious during its annual 2019 conference to President Trump on August 14. The letter, affirmed by the 663 LCWR members gathered in assembly in Scottsdale, Arizona, calls upon the president to end all divisive rhetoric.

As Sisters of St. Joseph, we share in the communal heartbreak of our nation in the face of unthinkable violence. The recent mass shootings in our country impel us to once again demand that all citizens and elected leaders end the rage and division that all too often results in mass, indiscriminate violence. Click title to read full statement…

The Sisters of St. Joseph of Boston, together with our associates, join in prayer with our Muslim brothers and sisters and particularly the families and loved ones of the 50 murdered and those wounded in the horrific attack at the Noor and Linwood mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand.

The Sisters of St. Joseph of Boston, together with our associates, join in prayer with our Muslim brothers and sisters and particularly the families and loved ones of the 50 murdered and those wounded in the horrific attack at the Noor and Linwood mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand.

What does the Sisters to sisters program look like? Two or three Sisters of St. Joseph accompany class until graduation and develop relationships through presence at co-curricular events and activities.

In 2007 the U.S. Senate designated January 11th as a National Day of Human Trafficking Awareness in an effort to raise consciousness about this global, national and local issue. Included in this message is a “Reflection and Prayer” to End Human Trafficking. This prayer extends from January 11, 2019, which is Human Trafficking Awareness day, through February 8, 2019, the feast of St. Josephine Bakhita. We are grateful to the Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange, CA, who designed this calendar and offer it for the use of all.

St. Joseph Spiritual Ministries, founded and supported by the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Boston, welcomes women and men of all faith traditions and cultures who seek a deeper relationship with God, self, and all creation.