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SISTERS OF ST. JOSEPH

of Northwestern Pennsylvania

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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.

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A Reflection for the First Week of Advent

Hidden Holiness by Marie Stephen Kebort, SSJ Each year, as the Advent season approaches, we can pause and reflect on how we live our everyday lives and where we are on our spiritual journey. Whenever we evaluate our progress, having some sort of measuring rod as a companion is always helpful. What better one to…

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Faith, Compassion, and Action: Addressing Violence in Our Society

The Sisters of St.  Joseph of Northwestern Pennsylvania share in the communal heartbreak of our nation as we face another senseless act of violence, this time, the assassination attempt on former president Donald Trump that resulted in the death of an innocent bystander and injuries to others.   We are a nation divided, marked by…

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Spring 2024 petite Journeys

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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-MODERN-12

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-MODERN-26

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-MODERN-54

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-MODERN-81

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