Peace through Justice
We believe that in accord with our original charism the promotion of peace through justice is integral to our mission and spirituality as the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace.
We believe that this mission is rooted in the gospel, described for us by our foundress, and reaffirmed by the bishops in the statement justice in the world:
Action on behalf of justice and participation in the transformation of the world fully appear to us as a constituent to dimension of the preaching of the gospel or, in other words, of the church’s mission for the redemption of the human race and its liberation from every oppressive situation. (Roman Synod, 1971)
— From the Statement of Direction, CSJP General Chapter, 1974
Throughout our history we have followed the lead of our founders and focused our ministries mainly on low-income women and children and healthcare.
At the urging of the Second Vatican Council, the Congregation took a fresh look at our founders and our charism of peace through justice, which finds expression in our actions and characterized the life of Margaret Anna Cusack (Mother Francis Clare).
Chapter Acts/Chapter Call
Every six years the sisters and associates of the Congregation gather for a General Chapter where new leadership is elected and decisions are made regarding the focus and direction of the Congregation. Drawing on the wisdom of speakers and input from Chapter participants, a group is charged with writing the Chapter Acts. One of the responsibilities of the newly elected Leadership Team is to guide, engage and challenge the Congregation in fulfilling the direction of the Chapter Acts.
Recent commitments are:
The Chapter Acts of 2008, Seeds of Peace:
Congregational Stance
The Congregation may choose to take a Congregational Stance or issue a Congregational Statement between Chapters to express concern on contemporary peace and justice issues.
Non-Governmental Organization Status
The Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace is a Non-Governmental Organization of the United Nations, which provides the Congregation a forum to express its charism and collaborate with others in bringing justice and peace to our world.
Peace through Justice in the United States and United Kingdom
The Congregation has a full-time Peace through Justice Facilitator in the United States and a part-time Peace through Justice Worker in the United Kingdom to do the daily work of moving the justice work of the Congregation forward.
In this event we celebrate our unity, renew our life and spirit, reflect together on the call of the gospel.
The Congregation may choose to take a Congregational Stance or issue a Congregational Statement.
In recognizing the sacredness of Earth, the Church hopes to unite people in new ways of caring for our planet
The Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace is a Non-Governmental Organization of the United Nations.
NewsNotes is a newsletter published near the beginning of every month by our Peace through Justice Facilitator,
Our Land Ethic, as an expression of the CSJP charism, calls us to a Covenant of Peace with Earth.
The Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace supports and collaborates with other nonprofit organizations that promote justice and peace, both in communities where we live and in our increasingly global reality.