Founders of the Sisters of St. Joseph by artist Julie Lonneman
Each year the Federation of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Canada provide a gathering for us, entitled S.A.I.L., which is an acronym for “Sojourners for Active Inclusive Love.”
During the gathering this year we focused on the first six courageous and faith-filled women, who in the year 1650 made a commitment to God and neighbour with the blessing of the Church. While living among the people, they spread the good news of the gospel, in order to build bonds of relationship and respect among all.
The seventeenth century saw the thirty-years war, the wars of religion and the great designs of Louis XIII and Cardinal Richelieu with glittering palaces. In the wake of these events many suffering families were left in poverty because of injustice and violence.
The six faith-filled women in Le Puy, France varied in age. As widows and single women, they had already been reaching out to the needy with acts of compassion. Their names were Francoise Eyraud, Anna Vey, Marguerite Burdier, Anna Chaleyer, Clauda Chastel and Anna Brun. They had a desire for more. On October 15, 1650 in Le Puy-en-Velay, a new form of apostolic religious life under the protection of St. Joseph, was given to these Christian women by Father Jean-Pierre Médaille, S.J. and Bishop de Maupas. When it came time to sign the documents that would give a legal foundation to the community, only one of them could sign her name--Clauda Chastel.
These amazing women were able to support themselves and their ministries by making lace in their kitchen sitting around the light of a candle at the end of their daily visits. They did not live the cloistered existence but divided the city and spent their days between prayer and the service of others. As the community spread, the members adopted the clothes worn by widows in their locality which varied from town to country. Their apostolic tasks were extremely varied and adapted to the needs of the people.
This new form of apostolic religious life was/is called the Sisters of St. Joseph. We claim Fr. Jean Pierre Medaille, S.J., as our founder and spiritual guide. His little design (in opposition to the great design of governing authorities) was to spread the gospel and build bonds of friendship with active, inclusive love. He stated that the Sisters were to draw love from its source, Jesus in the Eucharist. The Eucharist was to be the model for this form of apostolic life; the women were to imitate its hiddenness, its humility and were to be entirely for God and the dear neighbour, as Jesus was.
Spending time at S.A.I.L. observing our roots and the dedication and eagerness of women wanting to spread the gospel by living lives completely emptied of self, to be entirely for God and the dear neighbour, was inspiring and hopeful. Our world needs this kind of faith and dedication.
-Sister Elaine Cole, C.S.J.