The Congregation of
the Sisters of St. Joseph
Brentwood, NY
http://www.brentwoodcsj.org
The History of a Congregation of Women
It is impossible to recount 105 years of history of St. Joseph High School without recognizing the community of women religious who have sponsored it throughout this period. The Congregation was founded in 1650 when a group of women gathered in LePuy-en-Velay in southwest France in a climate of social, religious and political unrest. These women longed to devote themselves to the service of God and the poor but wanted this without entering a monastery. A young Jesuit preacher Jean-Pierre Medaille who was profoundly affected by the misery and poverty he witnessed during this time, attempted to organize these extraordinary women and sent them out into the community with a directive: “divide the city, find its ills and cure them.”
“Divide the City, Finds its ills, Cure them”
The French Revolution brought severe suffering for religious organizations. At least five Sisters died at the guillotine. The Archbishop of Lyon heard about the good works of Mother St. John Fontbonne (who narrowly escaped beheading during the Revoluation) and asked her re-found the Order in Lyon.
In 1836, the Sisters were asked to work in American missions. Three young Sisters arrived in Williamsburg in northern Brooklyn to care for an academy on Grand Street. The community grew and prospered in the coming years and staffed many schools in the diocese of Brooklyn. The Brentwood property was purchased in 1896 where the congregation relocated their Motherhouse.
Today, the community continues to sponsor eight high schools -- St. Joseph HS, Academy of St. Joseph, Stella Maris HS, The Mary Louis Academy, Sacred Heart Academy, Fontbonne Hall Academy, Bishop Kearney HS, and Academia Maria Reina in Puerto Rico. Additionally, the sisters can be found staffing numerous elementary and middle schools across the area.
As the Congregation of God's great love, the Sisters of St. Joseph, both personally and as a congregation, are impelled to be the face of gospel justice and the voice of conscience for our world.
