History of the Sisters of St. Joseph
Three hundred sixty years ago in the hills circling the village of LePuy, France, the Spirit of God touched the hearts of a young priest and a group of women firing them with love for others and a vision of union with God and neighbor. This vision was to be achieved through prayer, service and reconciling love. The concept of a non-cloistered congregation including women of all classes and all backgrounds was unique in its time.
It was a vision that took root in the hearts of many. We do not know the names of all, but we honor those we know: Jean-Pierre Medaille, S.J., Francoise Eyraud, Clauda Chastal, Marguerite Burdier, Anna Chaleyer, Anna Vey, and Anna Brun.
Small groups of these women spread throughout France where they earned a livelihood making lace, while devoting themselves to their goal of “dividing the city, seeking out its ills and curing them.” Finally, in 1650 in LePuy, the group was established as a religious foundation by Bishop de Maupas, the Bishop of LePuy.
The vitality and expansion of the Congregation continued until it was abruptly halted by the French Revolution. Convents were closed; Sisters were disbanded or were thrown into prison; some were even beheaded at the guillotine. In the aftermath of this chaos, it was thought that the Congregation had died.
However, after the Revolution, the Sisters of St. Joseph were refounded by Mother St. John (Jeanne Fontbonne) who had narrowly escaped the guillotine herself. Once again the Congregation flourished. The new government called for universal education so the Sisters, once again meeting the needs of the times, became teachers. Soon their numbers increased and they were able to spread throughout the region.
In 1836, a request came from the Bishop of Missouri for the Sisters to come to America to teach deaf children. Three Sisters were sent to Carondelet, Missouri to establish a foundation and a school. The first U.S. ministry of the Sisters of St. Joseph was the education of deaf children.
The Congregation spread throughout the heartland of the United States and to the west and east coasts. Like their foremothers, these Sisters sought out the “needs of the city” and worked to alleviate them. In 1856, at the request of the Bishop of Brooklyn, Mother Austin Kean came from Philadelphia to Brooklyn to found what is now the Sisters of St. Joseph of Brentwood, New York. She was accompanied by Sister Baptista Hanson and Sister Theodosia Hegeman from Buffalo.