News & Events

On Saturday, November 20, 2021, we offered a virtual Donor Appreciation Prayer Service. The celebration was live-streamed and can still be viewed

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.

October 31, 2018: As women religious, we reject the rhetoric of fear and policy of division that poisons our politics today. We choose instead to embrace an America that is filled with hope for a nation united for the common good. We stand with Pope Francis who calls us to, “promote the dignity of all our brothers and sisters, particularly the poor and the excluded of society, those who are abandoned, immigrants and those who suffer violence and human trafficking.”

October 25, 2018: We, the U.S. Federation of the Sisters of St. Joseph join with NETWORK Catholic Social Justice Lobby, the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR), and other faith-based advocates in seeking federal policies that reflect gospel principles. Our mission of unity calls us to the realization that an economy and a society of inclusion depends on good policy…read more

September 27, 2018: We, the U.S. Federation of the Sisters of St. Joseph, join with the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR) in strongly opposing the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s proposed changes to the public charge regulation. As Sisters of St. Joseph, committed by our heritage to embrace the Gospel message of unity and reconciliation, we urge people of faith to call for the protection of immigrants, especially those who are most vulnerable and to register their objections to this unreasonable and mean-spirited proposal during the 60-day comment period. Click title to read the full statement…

August 24, 2018: We, the U. S. Federation of the Sisters of St. Joseph, compelled by the Gospel and by our heritage to be responsive to the “dear neighbor” without distinction, are concerned for all of God’s creation and our sisters and brothers everywhere.
We stand with the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR) in our deep concern about the release of the Trump Administration’s Affordable Clean Energy rule. The proposed rule would significantly weaken the Clean Power Plan (CPP) which sought to speed the closure of coal-burning plants and the conversion to clean energy in order to reduce carbon pollution, mitigate climate change, and protect the health and welfare of all people, especially the most vulnerable. Read more…

The U.S. Federation of the Sisters of St. Joseph joins the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR) in their deep concern about the growing repression and state-sanctioned violence in Nicaragua. As a country that Sisters of St. Joseph have served in, we are horrified to hear of the injustices occurring against our “dear neighbors” in Nicaragua.

The U.S. Federation of the Sisters of St. Joseph joins the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR) in their deep concern about the growing repression and state-sanctioned violence in Nicaragua. As a country that Sisters of St. Joseph have served in, we are horrified to hear of the injustices occurring against our “dear neighbors” in Nicaragua.

The U.S. Federation of the Sisters of St. Joseph is extremely disappointed with the June 26, 2018, United States Supreme Court Decision in Trump vs. Hawaii, commonly referred to as the travel ban. en. We believe that this travel ban intentionally targets Muslims and that the Court’s decision adds to the climate of fear of Muslims and fuels the flames to anti-Muslim sentiment in the country. As Catholic sisters, our mission is one of unity. We are grounded in a loving relationship with God and neighbor. We live the Gospel values and view each person, regardless of their race, religion, or nation of origin as our dear neighbor, whom we love without distinction. [click above to read full statement]

This ministry of leadership is one of collaboration.  It is about working together to set our faces forward, to continue the journey, extending our charism to the wider world through prayer and ministry, and walking in the confidence that it is our God who calls us to that future.”

JUNE 20, 2018: We join with the US Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and Sr. Theresa Maya, the President of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR), and members of many faith traditions in calling for an end to the separation of children from their parents at the border where they are seeking asylum. In May 2018, the U.S. Government began prosecuting migrants who illegally crossed the United States border from  Mexico.  Their children are then detained separately from their parents.

JUNE 6, 2018, Brighton, MA: On Monday, June 4, 2018, the Board of Directors of the Corporation for the Sponsored Ministries [CSM] of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Boston unanimously approved the decision to offer Sister Mary Anne Doyle, CSJ, the position of Executive Director of the Corporation for the Sponsored Ministries. This appointment was affirmed by the CSJ Leadership Team and will be effective in August 2018.

BRIGHTON,  June 4, 2018 – The Literacy Connection, a ministry of the Sisters of Saint Joseph of Boston, is one of the 100 local nonprofits to receive grants of $100,000 each through Cummings Foundation’s 100k for 100 program. The Boston-based organization was chosen from a total of 597 applicants, during a competitive review process.

BRIGHTON — Sisters of St. Joseph of Boston and associates gathered in at their Motherhouse in Brighton March 8-11, 2018, for the election of the six-member leadership team who will serve the congregation for the next five years. The members of the new team who will begin their term of leadership at the end of June are Sisters Lee Hogan, CSJ, President; Catherine Clifford, CSJ, Assistant President; Marian Batho, CSJ, First Councilor; Judith Costello, CSJ, Second Councilor; Betsy Conway, CSJ, Third Councilor; and Denise Kelly, Fourth Councilor.
Click on title to read full article

On February 14 a very troubled 19-year-old took an AR-15 assault rifle to Marjory Stoneman High School and opened fire killing 14 students and three staff members. The shooting was a horrible tragedy that has become all too familiar to students, teachers, and parents across the country.

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.

Last year, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange, California, ran a campaign called 100 Days of Prayer. It was a simple daily prayer that followed the first 100 days of the Trump Administration. 100 Days of Prayer traveled really far and they are doing it again, only a little differently.

Brighton, MA: As persons of faith who embrace the Gospel value of respect for the dignity of each individual, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Boston and our Associates are disappointed and saddened by the Trump administration’s decision to terminate the Temporary Protected Status of more than 200,000 Salvadorans.

The Leadership Conference of Women Religious strongly denounces the cruel decision by the Trump administration to terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for more than 200,000 Salvadorans. El Salvador is the fourth country whose citizens have been stripped of their right to protection by President Trump’s administration.

For those who are not part of a religious congregation, an aura of mystery often surfaces when they hear that the sisters who minister among them are meeting for “chapter.” Sisters have done this for centuries but, as the needs of our world evolve, so does the process of General Chapters.

As we began the second weekend of our Chapter of Affairs, our facilitator, Chris Partisano, CSJ, reminded us that this weekend was an opportunity to spend time together in deeper reflection and decision making as we envision our future.

As the Sisters of St. Joseph come together for this year’s Leadership Assembly, it is important for us to be united with others and join in prayer and action for our planet, for good jobs, in a clean energy economy and for the protection of vulnerable communities.

As persons of faith who embrace the Gospel value of respect for the dignity of each individual, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Boston and our Associates are disappointed and saddened by President Trump’s decision to terminate the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.

Last week, while tensions between the governments of the United States and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea [DPRK] quickly escalated, 700 members of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious meeting in Orlando, FL issued a public statement imploring President Donald J. Trump to engage in dialogue and negotiation.

As persons of faith who embrace the Gospel values of respect for the dignity of all persons and non-violent, peaceful resolution of differences, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Boston and our Associates abhor the recent tragic events in Charlottesville, perpetrated by white supremacists.

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.

Nearly 500 friends, former students, and supporters packed the Ballroom at Boston’s Seaport Hotel on April 19, 2017, for the fourth annual “Living the Dream” Dinner.

We, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Boston, are deeply concerned about the U.S. administration’s executive orders on immigration and refugee resettlement which serve only to threaten border communities.

As people committed to justice, nonviolence, unifying love and communion with the Earth Community, we, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Boston, together with our Associates, stand in solidarity with our Native American sisters and brothers, especially of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe.

The Presidents of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR) and the Conference of Major Superiors of Men (CMSM) representing the elected leaders of more than 55,000 Catholic religious sisters, brothers, and priests sent a letter to President-Elect Donald Trump reminding him of the gift and responsibility of leadership.

The Literacy Connection, a ministry of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Boston, is in need of volunteer tutors for September. Volunteers meet one on one with adult residents who need ESOL, literacy, or GED/Hi-SET practice for a minimum of two hours a week.

Bethany Hill Place [BHP] is a sponsored ministry of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Boston which offers affordable, educational housing to more than 150 individuals and families every year.

As an employer of Haitian immigrants, I am writing to support the extension of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for over 50,000 Haitians living in the U.S. since the 2010 earthquake, including the over 4,000 who reside in Massachusetts.

The final edition of 100 Days of Prayer covering April 1-30 is attached. We are so grateful to the CSJ Orange Communications office and their St. Joseph Justice Center for their generosity in sharing this timely resource.

Immediately following the 2016 U.S. presidential election, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Boston join with others across our country in calling for all Americans to come together in the spirit of unity and reconciliation and build relationships based on respect.