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Vowed Membership
As vowed members of the Sisters of St. Joseph, we are
women who love God and attend to the needs of our
neighbor. We strive to unite people with God and with
each other. We give witness to our love of God by living
simply and working for a more just society. We seek to be
responsible stewards of our planet Earth. We believe in
one another and in the power of women working together.
Our ministries flow from our mission “that all may be
one”. In keeping with the intention of our founding
sisters, we minister where there are unmet needs, with
preference for the poor. We minister in education,
parish work, on college campuses, with youth, in spiritual
 direction
and retreat work, with Aids patients, in homeless
shelters, in soup kitchens, in diocesan offices, with the
elderly, in nursing, in neighborhood centers, in prisons
and rehabilitation centers.
Prayer is at the heart of our service and our life in
community sustains us for service. Our life together is a
sign of unity that gives us strength for our ministry in
the Church and human community. We meet regularly to pray,
dialogue, grapple with challenges, and we make decisions
through consensus.
Associate Membership
 Associates are women or men who seek to be identified in
spirit and in mission with the Congregation. In keeping
with our charism, Associates are involved in living simply
and working for a more just and peaceful world in prayer
and in action. They seek to deepen their baptismal
commitment by striving for personal holiness. From a
variety of lifestyles, Associates serve in various
ministries according to their own gifts and talents,
generously carrying out the works of mercy.
April 25,
2010
Associates Gather to
Celebrate 30 Years
To celebrate over 30
years of association with the Sisters of St. Joseph of
Springfield, associates gathered at Mont Marie on April 25
to pray, listen, remember, reconnect and recommit. About
40 Associates and Sisters attended the gathering including
several
former associate coordinators, as well as Cindy Katinas
who is the newest Associate, and two Associates who have
been with the group for 30 years, Sam and Mary Belluardo.
The morning
session included discussions on why Associates stay with
the group and how their covenants continue to reflect the
charism of the Sisters of St. Joseph in today’s world.
The afternoon included a prayer service in the chapel,
with a recommitment ceremony.
The Associates
agreed to continue to share the SSJ charism with the dear
neighbor whoever or wherever they may be. Sister
Sally Marsh closed the day with her song written for the
closing of the 125th anniversary – Graced by Love. Truly
it is because of God’s great love that the Associates are
able to celebrate over 30 years as part of the Community
of St. Joseph.
Community of St. Joseph: a New Way to Share Our Mission
 For
those interested in joining in the mission of the Sisters
of St. Joseph of Springfield, there are several
possibilities. With the establishment of the Community of
St. Joseph, vowed members, associate members, Agrégées and
partners in mission all strive to bring people together
with one another and with God.
According to the Mission Statement of the Community of St.
Joseph, “We commit ourselves to work together towards
building a more just society and in living more simply.
We encourage one another to use and celebrate our gifts in
accordance with our chosen paths of life”
To
learn more about the Community of St. Joseph, please click
here.
First
Agrégées Welcomed
The Sisters of St.
Joseph of Springfield have welcomed three women as
Agrégées. Marisa Brown-Ludwig, Sherry Enserro
and Teresa Foley made their commitments at a
ceremony on August 9, 2008 at Mont Marie in Holyoke.
While living various lifestyles, Agrégées are committed to
the mission of the Sisters of St. Joseph and choose
ministries based on that mission.
Leaders of Catholic Sisters Contemplate Future, Issue 9/11
Statement (September
2011)
As Catholic sisters in the United States explore their
future, approximately 650 leaders of their orders met in
assembly where discussion of the mission of Catholic
sisters in the face of the rapid and pervasive changes
occurring in the world headed the agenda.
These Catholic sisters, members of the Leadership
Conference of Women Religious (LCWR),
including several
members of the Leadership Team of the Sisters of St.
Joseph of Springfield, gathered for their annual meeting
from August 9 to 12, in Garden Grove, California, under
the theme “Mystery Unfolding: Religious Life for the
World.” Read
Entire Press Release.
On September 1,
the presidency of LCWR issued a
statement commemorating
the tenth anniversary of 9/11. In the statement we are
reminded of the strength and courage of those who lost
loved ones on that day. We are grateful to people of
faith and principle who have come together to confront
bigotry and bind the wounds of war. We recognize that our
common humanity is stronger than that which seeks to
divide us. May we
continue to pray for peace throughout the world and to be
bearers of forgiveness and reconciliation.
For more information on vowed membership or associate
membership, please contact:
Natalie Cain, SSJ, Coordinator of
Membership and Agrégées
Email:
ncain@ssjspringfield.com
(413) 536-0853 ext. 249
Sue Lavoie, Associate, Director
of Associates
Email:
slavoie@ssjspringfield.com
(413) 536-0853 ext. 408
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