When I lived in Peru, one of the things that I most admired about the Peruvian people are their gifts of compassion and solidarity. I found this to be especially true among people who have limited material resources.
As the church prepares for the next stage of the synod, we invite you to pray with us a womanly novena, each month for nine months, for a more inclusive church.
In August, the occasion of our anniversary celebration of the arrival of our sisters to Peru brought us many blessings both virtually and in person as we gathered to celebrate with our sisters, associates, collaborators and other friends of the sisters.
The Sisters of St Joseph of Carondelet in collaboration with the Fe y Alegría (Faith and Joy) School in Tacna, Peru have created a tree-planting program in this desert area: Trees for Tacna.
In both local communities, I experienced meaningful daily common prayer, delicious typical Peruvian dishes prepared right at home and an occasional outing. So, pass the days and the weeks, very ordinary, but never dull.
The Sisters of St. Joseph have gone through many organizational changes since our founding in 1650, while never wavering from our mission and charism. Today, guided by the Spirit, our congregation continues to discern the best way to govern ourselves.
Our founder, Father Jean Pierre Médaille, SJ said in the 1600s, “All are called to enter more profoundly into their vocation, even if their ways of living it are different.” Now in the 21st century, the people called together by our charism continue to find new ways to live their vocations.
On November 11, 2021, our congregation publicly committed to join Pope Francis and the universal Catholic Church on a seven-year journey to ecological conversion through the Laudato Si’ Action Platform. Efforts towards this commitment have been in the works since 1997, and the journey continues.
Letting go. Though the reasons may vary, as these sisters from across the congregation share, it is something we all must learn to do.
Sister Yolanda (Yoli) Arrbasplata, CSJ reflects on the immigration experience of the Quero Urdaneta family.
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.