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SISTERS OF ST. JOSEPH

of Northwestern Pennsylvania

Come to the Waters, is a history of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Northwestern Pennsylvania written by Leonie Shanley, SSJ, and Mary Francis Becker, SSJ, on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the Sisters of St. Joseph in the Diocese of Erie in 2010. Click here to explore the book.

News

A Reflection on the 370th Anniversary of the Founding of the Sisters of St. Joseph

| November 2, 2020

A reflection by Mary Fromknecht, SSJ October 15th marked the 370th Anniversary of the founding of the Sisters of St. Joseph in LePuy, France. This passage is the foundation of each of our spiritual lives—our God’s promise to dwell among us and be with us forever. In the the1650s, our first sisters heard this very…

Treats, Not Tricks!

| November 2, 2020

“Necessity is the mother of invention.” This proverb means that a need or problem encourages creative efforts to meet the need or solve the problem. Once again, COVID-19 made it necessary for us to do things a little differently. The associates had some creative Halloween fun on October 25 in lieu of their usual …

Wrapping Our Nation in Prayer

| November 2, 2020

Our upcoming election is slated to be one of the most important of our lifetime. As a result, the U.S. Federation of Sisters of St. Joseph is asking all SSJ congregations and communities to join in our 100 Days of Prayer – Wrapping Our Nation In Prayer initiative. The special sheet was sent out via…

Maxims — A Modern Take

More than 360 years ago, Father Jean Pierre Médaille, SJ, composed the Maxims of the Little Institute, 100 short sayings to help the first Sisters of St. Joseph grow in virtue. We share them here, along with contemporary translations developed by Susan Wilcox, CSJ, Brentwood, and a group of her students.

MAXIM 12

ORIGINAL

Choose to bear all the evils of time rather than the least of eternity, all the evils of nature rather than the least deprivation of grace, since all kinds of reasons illumined by faith teach you to live according to this truth.

Original Maxim 12
as written by Fr. Médaille

MAXIM 26

ORIGINAL

Seek in everything God's contentment and not anything else, and the better to practice this, remember in the entire living out of your life, in desolation, in sick¬ness, etc., to desire God's greater contentment without giving a thought to your own interests.

Original Maxim 26
as written by Fr. Médaille

MAXIM 54

ORIGINAL

Empty yourself of all human respect and of the least blameworthy concession, and declare, with a generous heart, never to yield in anything that would be against God's will.

Original Maxim 6
as written by Fr. Médaille

MAXIM 81

ORIGINAL

Whatever the virtue you recognize in yourself, never turn away from a true fear of God, conscious that his judgments are unfathomable and that his appraisals are quite different from ours.

Original Maxim 81
as written by Fr. Médaille

Read all Maxims

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