Who We Are
Who We Are…
Our Mission
We are a community whose mission is to realize the prayer of Christ: that all may be one with God and with one another. We are united in a special focus: to work for unity where there is brokenness and to help people become whole and holy, individually and together.
What we refer to as the “charism” of the Sisters of St. Joseph is a gift of the Spirit given to all of us, sisters, associates, agrégées, and partners in mission in such a way that the prayer of Jesus “that all may be one” may be experienced in our time and into the future. We are called to live in right relationship with all creation. This mission belongs to all of us and allows us to reach out in so many different ways to so many different people. In community and prayerful contemplation we listen to this Spirit and move always toward profound love of God and love of neighbor without distinction. We are united in this mission with Sisters of St. Joseph and lay partners all over the world.
In 2005 we articulated this mission with renewed hope for the future in the following statement:
Enflamed with the compassion of God, we Sisters of St. Joseph of Boston, women of the Church, rooted in the Gospel, together with our Associates, are impelled by the active, inclusive love of God to: deepen our relationship with God and the dear neighbor without distinction; foster prophetic communion; and journey into the future with Sisters of St. Joseph and Associates throughout the world and with all God’s Creation.
Our Spirituality
Consensus Statement of the Sisters of St. Joseph
Stimulated by the Holy Spirit of Love
and receptive to Love’s inspirations,
the Sister of St. Joseph moves always towards
profound love of God
and
love of neighbor without distinction
from whom she does not separate herself
and
for whom, in the following of Christ
she works in order to achieve unity
both of neighbor with neighbor
and neighbor with God
directly in this apostolate
and
indirectly through works of charity
in humility – the spirit of the Incarnate Word
(Philippians 2:5-8)
In sincere charity – the manner of St. Joseph
whose name she bears
in an Ignatian-Salesian climate:
that is, with an orientation towards excellence
tempered by gentleness, peace, joy.
– From the central ideas of Jean-Pierre Médaille, SJ, As drawn from the Primitive Constitutions
Our Spirituality
Spirit and Purpose (excerpts from Boston CSJ Constitution)
Called first by Christ,
we call one another to follow him
as he is revealed to us in the Gospel,
and in the people, events, and circumstances of our lives.
In simplicity and joy,
we celebrate the meaning of our Christian life
and make the celebration of the Lord’s Supper
the center of our religious life.
We look to Joseph
as our model of justice, gentleness, and humility,
extending, as he did, a cordial charity toward all.
Responsive to the stirrings of the Spirit in our midst,
we move into the future
through rhythms of prayerful reflection,
discernment, and action.
Our Rich History
When the first Sisters of St. Joseph arrived in Boston in 1873, they found a city where unemployment, poverty and illness marked the daily life of working classes. Today, we are part of the U.S. Federation which includes approximately 6,500 members of 16 congregations throughout the U.S. and 14,000 members worldwide.