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The Sisters of St. Joseph began in Le Puy, France, in 1650 when small bands of faith-filled women nursed the sick, assisted the poor, sheltered the abandoned, and cared for orphans.
Under the direction of Jean Pierre Medaille, a Jesuit missionary, six of these women consecrated themselves to the service of God and neighbor under the patronage of St. Joseph.
For more than a century, the Congregation of St. Joseph (CSJ) grew and prospered. In addition to their earlier works, our Sisters opened homes for working girls, catechized prisoners and taught trades to persons with disabilities.
When the French Revolution began in 1789, religious communities were forbidden and Sisters were imprisoned. Seven Sisters of St. Joseph were beheaded at the guillotine. Our houses were disbanded and our Sisters were forced to return to their families where they prayed, worked and waited to be reunited.
Among those who waited was Jeanne Fontbonne. At the end of the Revolution in 1807, this visionary leader refounded the Congregation and once more a new sense of mission flourished within the community. Soon, word of the Sisters' good works spread throughout Europe and eventually to America.
In 1836 Mother St. John Fontbonne sent six Sisters to Carondelet in the Diocese of St. Louis, Missouri in order to teach the deaf.
Buffalo's Bishop Timon called the Sisters to this diocese in 1854, also to teach the deaf. A novitiate and motherhouse were soon established in the City of Buffalo; our types and places of work increased rapidly. St. Mary's School for the Deaf, Our Lady of Victory Homes of Charity, Our Lady of Victory Hospital, Mount St. Joseph Academy, Mount St. Joseph Teachers' College and more than 30 elementary schools all engaged Sisters of St. Joseph for many years.
Today, the Sisters, along with our Associates, continue to provide services of varied types: spiritual, social, educational and health. With special concern for the poor and marginalized, we engage in various ministries that attend to the need of our neighbor and promote a more just, unified society. Whatever our ministry, we encourage people to identify what they have in common, and work from there to more affirming, inclusive attitudes and actions.
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