Today the Sisters of st. Joseph honor the memory of Mother St. John Fontbonne refounder of the congregation.
Jeanne Fontbonne, known in religion as Mother St. John, was born March, 3 1759, at Bassen-Basset, Valey, France and died November 22, 1843 in Lyons. In 1778 she entered a house of the Sisters of St. Joseph which had just been established at Monistrol by Bishop de Gallard of Le Puy. The following year she received the habit and soon gave evidence of unusual administrative powers, particularly through her work in the schools. On her election, six years later, as superior of the community, Mother St. John, as she was now called, co-operated in the establishment of a hospital, and accomplished much good among the young girls of the town.
At the outbreak of the Revolution she and her community followed Bishop de Gallard in refusing to sign the Oath of the Civil Constitution of the Clergy. Forced to disperse her community, the superior remained at her post till she was dragged forth by the mob and the convent taken possession of in the name of the Commune, after which she returned to her father’s home. Not long afterwards she was torn from this refuge, to be thrown into the prison of Saint-Didier, and only the fall of Robespierre on the day before that appointed for the execution saved her from the guillotine.Unable to regain possession of her convent at Monistrol, she and her sister, who had been her companion in prison, returned to their father’s house.
Twelve years later (1807), Mother St. John was called to Saint-Etienne to head of a small community of young girls and members of dispersed congregations, who at the suggestion of Cardinal Fesch, Archbishop of Lyons, were now established as a house of the Sisters of St. Joseph. She restored the asylum at Monistrol, repurchased and reopened the former convent, and on 10 April, 1812, the congregation received Government authorization.
In 1816 Mother St. John was appointed superior general of the Sisters of St. Joseph, and summoned to Lyons to found a general mother-house and novitiate, which she accomplished after many difficult years. During the remainder of her life she was busied in perfecting the affiliation of the scattered houses of the congregation, which had been formally decreed in 1828. She also established over two hundred new communities. An object of her special solicitude was the little band which she sent to the United States in 1836 and with which she kept in constant correspondence, making every sacrifice to provide them with the necessities of life. Towards this end of her life, Mother St. John was relieved of the arduous duties of superior, and spent the last few years in preparation for the end.
From The Catholic Encyclopedia
Prayer
May women of faith and courage continue to shape history.
Action
Jeanne Fontbonne courageously responded to her moment in history.
What are we called to do in our time? How can we respond?
Suggested Reading
This valiant figure was a woman of great adaptability and flexibility, a woman of courage and daring, a woman bold in her undertaking, not because she was sure of her own strength, but because she relied on God’s loving Providence, and she placed her trust squarely there…She guided the sisters in seizing every opportunity to serve God and the dear neighbor. She asked of each of her sisters that same attentiveness born of intimate union with God and a loving compassionate service of the neighbor.
From Prayer Remembering Mother St. John
In whatever part of the world we may be, we are never exiled…in Europe, as well as in America, God is everywhere witness of our works and struggles…My entire wish is that you be saints, and that your communities be edifying. I implore God to pour down upon you God’s choicest blessings and assist you always with God’s grace.
Letter from Mother St. John to the Sisters in the United States
O, my sisters, let us love one another.
Mother St. John Fontbonne
In your undertakings, see to it that God alone is their inspiration and their goal.
From Maxims of Perfection of the Sisters of St. Joseph
As the congregation of the great love of God, we believe our loving God is intimately present in all creation and desires its flourishing. Our rootedness in the gospel of Jesus calls us to deepen our awareness of the grave systemic injustices of our times. We commit ourselves to the risk and cost of fostering right and just relationships among all our sisters and brothers and Earth our common home. We acknowledge the culpability of our own biases and our participation in oppressive social, political and religious policies and practices. In response to the sin of racism and other evils, we pledge ourselves to undergo personal and communal transformation.
We commit ourselves to sharing our spiritual and material resources, to networking and partnering, and to creating ongoing formation and educational opportunities to address racism, restorative justice, immigration reform, human trafficking, LGBTQIA biases, gender inequality, climate change, and other emerging issues. In this way, we work toward the transformation of ourselves, our congregation, the diverse communities in which we live and work, and our world.
Direction Statement 2021
We believe that we create the future as we move with the Spirit in giving full expression to our giftedness as women in the Church sharing equally in its mission—in living a life that is simple, prayerful, courageous and compassionate—in proclaiming with prophetic voice the Gospel to all people—in strengthening our corporateness as women in community—in demonstrating our belief in the dignity of the human person and the call to secure this dignity for all women and men—in expressing our solidarity with the poor and oppressed, in faith and hope we accept the challenges these beliefs imply.
Vision Statement, Sisters of St. Joseph
As Sisters of St. Joseph, our charism calls us to love of God and neighbor without distinction. We believe that all is one and that our call is to an active inclusive love that seeks this union with God and the sacred community of life that includes all of creation – soil, water, plants, and animals. We see ourselves in union with this community that we hold as the neighbor through whom God continues to be revealed. We acknowledge our responsibility to balance our communal needs and the needs of Earth community now and into the future.
Land Ethic Statement, Sisters of St. Joseph