Journal of Sacred Work

  
The congregation of the Sisters of  St. Joseph of  Orange was founded in Le Puy, France,
in 1650 by Father Jean Pierre Médaille. At that time in history, France
was suffering from the devastating consequences of war. The aftermath left an overwhelming
number of people in misery due to disease and homelessness. Many were widowed
or orphaned and without the social structures in place to meet the great need. The
Sister’s responded by reaching out to their “dear neighbors” with compassionate help.

  
Fr.
Médaille was a Jesuit priest and a missionary, sent out to preach in the local parishes. Touched
by the selfless efforts of the Sisters he organized them so they could continue
and sustain their good works within the support of a formal, religious
community.

  During these early days, Father Médaille wrote a series of
100 maxims, or thoughts, to inspire and guide the Sister’s sacred work. These
maxims were based on the ideals of the Gospel readings. The early Sisters memorized
them as a means to enrich their spiritual life.

 “Have for God a love that is generous, embracing all that love
is capable of, and all that a heart can love in God and for God…and [a love]
unable to be uprooted by any created power.” ~Maxim of Love 9:2 Jean
Pierre Médaille

 In present day times, the congregation's General Superior, Sr. Katherine “Kit” Gray reflected on
the ongoing ministry of the Sisters. “Since the first Sisters of St. Joseph
came together in Le Puy, France, we have been impelled by the desire to respond
to the spiritual and physical needs of people. Our founder, Fr.Médaille, SJ, called us to go out into the
community, divide the city, and assess and address the needs there. Some of our
early sisters were lace makers. They used lace making to support themselves,
and taught the craft to girls and women. Lace has become a symbol for us of
relationships and patterns in our congregational history. In our activities, we
see two related patterns: the pattern of responding to needs and the pattern of
bringing people together in ministry.” 

The Sister’s
emulate the true meaning of hospitality, inclusiveness and reconciliation.
They awaken a deep desire in me and others to follow a path of service by carrying on
their faithfulness for doing good works. I feel grateful to be a caregiver in their
healthcare ministry. I’ve heard it said that the
essence of  Father Médaille's and the
Sister’s spirituality can be summed up in this one sentence.

           love through me."

                                  Mandala by ~liz                                          ~Liz Sorensen Wessel