375 Years of Service

By Samantha Miller

The Sisters of St. Joseph of Brentwood, New York, spent October 2024 through November 2025 celebrating their 375 years of service (and counting) with more than 2,000 people around the world.

These celebrations included nearly 10 parish visits, two service projects, three Masses, an art history presentation, many smaller gatherings, two events for employees, and one large event that brought together more than 700 attendees on the night of the anniversary itself: Oct. 15, 2025.

“When the 375th anniversary arrived on our doorstep, it gave me pause to really look back, and to get a sense of the greatness and magnitude of the incredible women who went before us and all the partners that they worked with,” shared S. Tesa Fitzgerald, President of the Sisters of St. Joseph. 

“It was never an alone mission; it was always a real community of people who really listened, who were attentive to the signs of the time and the needs of the people, and who did something,” she continued. “That was really the story of 375 years, and that’s what ignites me now.”

Parish Visits

Sisters, Associates, Agrégées, and Partners in Mission visited churches across Long Island and throughout New York City in which our Sisters are or have resided or ministered. During these visits, members of the CSJ community shared with the parishioners some of our history and charism via a brief video and message. The two groups then joined in conversation, and the CSJ community invited the parishioners to join with us in keeping our charism of unifying love alive and well in their parish.

These visits were very well received and resulted in hundreds of new connections. 

Service Projects

Nearly 100 participants attended two service projects at the Brentwood Campus, helping clean over 200 headstones. 

“I remember my freshman year coming to the Brentwood Campus for a service trip,” said Raquel Ramirez, who graduated from St. Joseph’s University, New York, in 2023. “It was the most fun I ever had with a group of people — and my first introduction to St. Joseph’s and what it means to be a part of this community. The Sisters gave me my education, my degree, and are close to my family. The Sisters of St. Joseph has always been there to help us out, and I’ll be here to help them out whenever they need.”

Masses

The CSJ community gathered first on March 19, 2025, for a special Mass on St. Joseph Day at the Sacred Heart Chapel in Brentwood. Mass was followed by a large celebratory lunch in the Convent Dining Room. 

More than 300 people gathered in Brooklyn at St. James Cathedral Basilica on Sunday, Oct. 19, 2025, where Bishop Robert J. Brennan presided. The event was followed by a reception for attendees to gather in celebration over light refreshments. 

The last Mass recognizing the milestone anniversary — and the final 375th celebration altogether — will take place at the Sacred Heart Chapel on Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025: the Feast of the Mother of St. John Fontbonne. Most Rev. John O. Barres will join us as the presider. Mass will be followed by refreshments in the Convent Dining Room. 

Ignite the Night

Perhaps the biggest gathering of the year took place Oct. 15, 2025, during the Ignite the Night event at the Cradle of Aviation Museum in Garden City, New York. More than 700 Sisters, Associates, Agrégées, Partners in Mission, friends, family, and supporters gathered for a night of dinner and dancing. 

“It was truly inspiring to see more than 700 individuals gathered together — a living reflection of the community, compassion, and commitment that have defined the Sisters of St. Joseph for generations,” said Jorge DeJesus, Director of Mission Advancement. 

The evening included a special visit from Mother St. John Fontbonne (but those in attendance may have heard a similarity between her voice and S. Tesa’s), as well as a video presentation celebrating the charism and mission of the Sisters of St. Joseph

For the Sisters who could not make it to the event itself, the celebration was brought to them.

Art History Presentation

The Sisters of St. Joseph hosted a special art history presentation for the 375th anniversary on Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025. The event, entitled “Begin to Weave, and God Will Give You the Thread: A Tapestry of Our CSJ History Told in Song, Word, and Dance,” led attendees on a beautiful visual journey in the Sacred Heart Chapel in Brentwood.