Sisters in Albany stand up for indigenous peoples' rights

Sisters and partners in mission plant native species in St. Paul

Justice

“Go deeper. Journey farther. Respond boldly. Dare to be prophetic.”

2019 Congregational Acts of Chapter

The Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet work to bring loving unity to a divided world. Urgent needs call us, Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, our associates, consociates, `ohana, amigas and familia de San José, along with our partners in mission, to bold conversation and prophetic action.

We educate, advocate and take action to promote social justice. Our work is rooted in the Gospel call to social justice and the struggle to be prophetic signs of unity in our world.

Striving to be beacons of hope, we commit to:

Respond to the crisis of Earth and global warming,
Deepen awareness of our complicity and work toward dismantling interlocking systems of oppression,
Articulate and authentically live our vows in ways that witness and speak to today’s realities,
Walk with women as we claim our voice and work toward an inclusive church and society,
Use our collective voice to accompany others in speaking their truth.

Our priorities

These three concerns especially guide our justice work:

Care for creation

As Sisters of St. Joseph, connectedness and relationship are at the heart of who we are. Foundational to our justice work is the belief that everything is interconnected and that creation is a sacred trust given to the whole Earth community. We recognize that all aspects of justice and survival intertwine with all creation—nature, humanity and organizations. We commit, individually and communally, to recognize how our decisions impact the Earth community; to raise our awareness and change behaviors; to act with urgency to protect Earth’s stability and integrity; and to celebrate her beauty wherever we are.

Dismantling discrimination of race, class, gender and religion

Foundational to the principles of Catholic Social Teaching is our belief in the sanctity of human life and the inherent dignity of the human person. We are our siblings’ keepers; we are one human family. We are in solidarity with one another. In our Catholic Social Teaching, that means loving our neighbor “without distinction” has global dimensions. In our circle, everyone is included.

Promoting the rights of migrants, asylum seekers and refugees

In these complex times, we commit ourselves to both deepen and broaden our understanding of the interlocking issues that impact both people and governments. While recognizing the complexity, we acknowledge the simple truth that the right to seek asylum is a human right, and migrants are our siblings worthy of being treated with dignity and respect.

Everyone is Sacred

We commit to use our collective voice to accompany others in speaking their truth.

Developing Diverse Voices is a free 10-session curriculum for nonprofit organizations to train their clients to speak and advocate for themselves.

Learn more about the curriculum

Recent stories, statements & action alerts

See all posts about justice

Eco-Challenge: Reduce your carbon footprint

Our September Eco-Challenge is all about reducing our carbon footprints. This Season of Creation, we’re learning what our carbon footprint is and steps we can take to reduce it.

Produce is piled high on tables at a farmers market and shoppers browse

Eco-Challenge: Examine your food’s lifecycle

We often think about what food we eat and its effects on the health of our bodies. We also need to be aware of the impact our food has on the health of our planet.

Eight women holding signs that read "stop human trafficking" and a banner that reads "Sisters of St. Joseph and Associates Oppose Human Trafficking"

Stopping Human Trafficking

Jesus calls us to treat all with dignity and respect and to look at people and creation as sacred beings not objects, yet human trafficking is a growing crime worldwide. Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet are engaged with ending human trafficking by addressing root causes.

Four women stand next to a pile of collected hard to recycle objects.

Making Changes to Implement Laudato Si’

In 2021, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet established our Laudato Si’ Action Plan to enfold the call of Pope Francis’ Laudato Si’ into our personal, communal and institutional decision-making over the next seven years and beyond.