Constitution of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet
Relationships are central to the spirit and mission of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet. Communion is the origin of our energy, moving us to serve our world in need. We invite you into our community! Below you’ll find more information about the variety of ways to join our family of Joseph.
We are ordinary women who do together what we could not do individually—give communal and corporate witness to God’s love.
Through our religious vows, we profess lifelong conversion and witness. We listen attentively, we love freely and we live simply.
“As a Sister of St. Joseph, the vows to me are in constant dialogue with my intuition and my relationship with the Divine. They are ways of living that grow deeper throughout my journey in life.”
Sally Koch, CSJ
“I found what I was looking for spiritually as an associate. Following the congregation’s charism of unifying love has filled that ‘want,’ that ‘need.’ Thirty-odd years later, I continue to be satisfied with that spiritual nourishment.”
Associate Pat Hunt
Associates, named consociates in the St. Paul Province, ‘ohana in Hawaii, amigas in Peru and familia de San José in Chile (we abbreviate them all as ACOF), are women and men from various faith traditions, married and single, who extend the mission and share the spirit of the Sisters of St. Joseph without becoming vowed members.
The agrégée commitment is an emerging relationship in our congregation. Agrégée companions embrace our charism and mission of unifying love of God and the dear neighbor without distinction. They are called to make a deep commitment to our congregation and to each other in community.
“The agrégée affiliation with the CSJ community calls me and my family to strive to live our lives within the CSJ mission, grounding us in life and spirit.”
Consociate Jennifer Tacheny
“The amount of personal reflection and introspection I have gone through because of this program is life-changing. I have come to know myself in tremendous ways, which would have never been possible outside of the context of being a St. Joseph Worker.”
Lillia Smyers
St. Joseph Worker, 2020-21
The St. Joseph Worker program is a year-long service opportunity for women in preparation for a lifelong commitment to social change and personal transformation. Individual growth and development are built on the values of leadership, spirituality, social justice and intentional community grounded in living simply and sustainably.
See all stories about vocations
The profound influence on the associate community Suzanne had is not to be forgotten. She served on and off over most of her 30-plus years as a Syracuse area coordinator. She graciously volunteered behind the scenes of many associate Commitment Weekends.
In light of the current Black Lives Matter Movement, many memories flooded back from my experience of the 1965 Watts riots. This was a time of awakening and conversion for me. Until the riots, I did not know what I did not know.
Last week, Noriko Kuroki arrived in Los Angeles from her native Japan to continue her discernment about religious life. We asked Noriko a few questions so we could get to know her better.
On September 12, we welcomed our newest candidate, Guadalupe Moore. Lupe answered our questions so we could get to know her more. Welcome, Lupe!
Additionally, every day there are small ways to partner with us in our mission.
The Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet are a congregation of Catholic sisters. We, and those who share our charism and mission, are motivated in all things by our profound love of God and our dear neighbors. We seek to build communities and bridge divides between people. Since our first sisters gathered in 1650, our members have been called to “do all things of which women are capable.” The first sisters of our congregation arrived in St. Louis, Missouri in 1836, and we now have additional locations in St. Paul, Albany, Los Angeles, Hawaii, Japan and Peru. Today, we commit to respond boldly to injustice and dare to be prophetic.