Stories from the Congregation Archives
From the very beginning the sisters involved themselves in ministries of social service, education, and health care. They worked directly with the poor and sick in their own homes, provided housing and care for women, orphans, and blind children and adults, and, as need arose, established schools and hospitals.
Read these stories from our Congregation Archives:
History and Roots: Sister Alphonsus Mooney
The Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace were healers early on in their founding, starting healthcare ministries in both the United Kingdom and the United States. Many sisters have been nurses, caregivers or administrators of hospitals, nursing homes, and healthcare systems. In this issue, we bring you Sister Alphonsus Mooney, who received the Royal Red Cross decoration from King George V for her service during World War I.
Sisters Travel to the Pacific Northwest in 1890 to Provide Medical Care for Miners and Loggers
Not long after arriving in Fairhaven, Washington, Sr. Teresa Moran, CSJP, wrote her community in New Jersey, US. Her letter dated 23 August 1890 offers points for reflection on nonviolence.
Sisters Respond to an 1890 Smallpox Epidemic in Paterson, New Jersey
In 1890, a smallpox epidemic broke out in the poorer section of Paterson and spread like wildfire. People fled the city. No hospitals would accept the sick, so they were nursed in their homes. Appeals to trained nurses went unanswered. City officials then turned to the Catholic sisters.
Sister Cecilia McCann Writes to King Edward VIII in 1903
The Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace first came to Our Lady and St. Joseph's parish in Hanwell, London, at the request of the pastor in 1901. Sisters Alacoque and Dympna, still a novice, were sent to staff the new school which began in converted rooms over the stable. The Salvation Army Hall was soon purchased and within a year, the school had expanded to educate over one hundred students.
History and Roots: Stick to Your Colours
In our Congregation archives, we have the final advice of Mother Evangelista (Honoria Gaffney) to the assembled community of sisters in Nottingham from her deathbed, as recorded by Sister Ignatius Killian:
History and Roots: Images of Refuge by Margaret Jane Kling, CSJP
We are excited to announce that Images of Refuge by Sister Margaret Jane Kling was published in March by Kenmare Press, the CSJP imprint.
History and Roots: Waterspirit - A Perfect Marriage of Ecology and Spirituality
Sister Suzanne Golas grew up in New Jersey spending summers at the beach where a lifelong love affair with the sea began.
History and Roots: Peace House
In 1978, the Irish Section of Pax Christi, the international Catholic peace movement, asked the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace to consider coming to Dublin, Ireland to work for peace and justice.
St. Joseph School for the Blind: Nurturing Abilities for over 100 Years
Since their earliest days, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace had expressed an interest in the care and instruction of the blind poor.
History and Roots: Hope, Courage and a Ten-Dollar Ticket Build a Hospital
The two young Sisters who first set foot in the Pacific Northwest and founded St. Joseph Hospital seem almost impossibly courageous today. In 1890 thirty-three- year-old Sister Teresa Moran and twenty-seven-year-old Sister Stanislaus Tighe were chosen to set out for Washington, newly a state, and to build a hospital in that pioneer country.
History and Roots: St. Mary’s Residence Offering a Stable Alternative in an Unstable World
St. Mary’s Residence, one of the sisters’ oldest ministries, is situated in Paulus Hook, a historic section of Jersey City that has cycled through different socio-economic stratospheres over the last 100 plus years.