About our Community
From LePuy, France in 1650 to London, Canada in 2010...
The Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph of London, Ontario is a vibrant religious community of women involved in a variety of ministries including pastoral work, education at the university level, chaplaincy, teaching, working among people living with AIDS, operating a hospitality centre (soup kitchen), counselling, spiritual direction and retreat work, healing arts, justice issues and concretely meeting needs of those most marginalized. You will find our Sisters living, working and ministering in Ontario, Alberta, the North West Territories, Chicago in the US and in Kenya and Mzuzu in Africa.
The Sisters of St. Joseph began in Le Puy, France in 1650 through the collaboration of six courageous women and Father Jean Pierre Médaille. They looked around the society in which they lived and saw any number of unmet needs and suffering humanity in need of hope. They held a vision of the unity that exists among us all even though such miseries as war, poverty, ecological devastation and religious rigidity can obscure that unity.
In this 21st century...
In this 21st century, we continue to respond to needs in our culture and now are aware that our neighbourhood is the whole world as well as the person next to us. This deepening sense of who is our neighbour has strengthened the desire in us to live in good relationship with our planet and all other life forms in creation. We, along with many Associates collaborate with others to support healing of relationships at a personal, inter-personal and global level. Systemic justice is another way to bring about this healing. A deep and pervasive love of God moves us to face these challenges together as we desire to become the change we seek. We believe that prayer has a significant influence in healing and creating inclusive relationships.
