Questions We've Been Asked
Do Sisters have a direct line to God? We all have a direct line to God. It makes no difference whether the person seeking the connection is a Sister or not. God cares for all.
What does CSJ mean? CSJ stands for the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph. When you see these initials after a woman's name, you know that she is a vowed member of our Congregation. In the Federation of Sisters of St. Joseph there are several communities which also use SSJ as their identifying initials. Who We Are.
Who was St. Joseph of Carondelet? St. Joseph was the husband of Mary of Nazareth, Mother of Jesus. There is very little information about Joseph. The first Sisters chose Joseph as their patron, hoping to emulate his life of quiet service. Carondelet is a port town on the Mississippi River down the river from St. Louis, Missouri. The first Sisters, sent to the United States from Le Puy, France in 1836, began their ministry in the settlement of Carondelet. Almost all communities of Sisters of St. Joseph are named after the place where they are based. There is no such person as St. Joseph of Carondelet.
Do you have to be Catholic to be a sister? Yes, to be a vowed member a woman must be a baptized Catholic. To be a Consociate a person does not have to be a Roman Catholic.
Can men join? Men are welcomed to become Consociates as are women who are married or who are not called to be a vowed member.
What if I've been married in the past? Women who have been widowed or divorced are welcome to seek sister membership if there are no canonical impediments to vowed life. For a woman who was married and then divorced, that would mean getting an annulment. If a woman has children, they must be independent, self-supporting adults before she could begin to discern sister membership. A woman seeking membership in a religious community must have the capacity and willingness to commit herself to live a chaste, celibate life. Her virginity is not an issue, nor is her sexual orientation.
Why don't you wear habits any more? When the Sisters of St. Joseph were founded we dressed in the same manner as widows of that period. Eventually, like other religious communities of the time we were habited, as fashions moved on but our clothing did not. The Vatican
II Document on Religious Life mandated that religious communities of women return to the spirit of their founder. In the spirit of our founders, that meant we were not to be separated from the neighbor whom we served. In 1967 after much prayer, conversation and negotiation we determined that the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet were free to dress in the manner of those with whom and for whom they worked. In that way, we do not separate ourselves from our neighbors, and it means that a relationship must usually be established before someone knows we are sisters. Since relationship is at the heart of the gospel, that fits with our charism as members of an apostolic community.
Do you own your own car or other stuff? The St. Paul Province owns the cars we drive. If a Sister needs a car for her ministry or other activities she requests one from the appropriate province committee. We hold all we have in common. Our salaries go into the common Fund, which supports all of the Sisters of the province. Personal items belong to the sister who has them.
Do you earn money? Some Sisters have salaried positions. These salaries are contributed to the common fund which supports retired members and those who work in ministries which offer direct service to persons who, for whatever reason, are unable to pay. The common fund allows all Sisters to participate in our commitment to act with a preferential option for the poor.
Do you live in a house? Some of us live in houses, some in apartments and others in convents. Each sister chooses the living situation that is the best for her within the context of the ongoing discernment of the community.
Do you do your own cooking? Except for those of us who live in large groups we prepare our own meals. Some of us love to prepare meals while others are glad to clean up!
What radio station do you listen to--do you like rock n roll? Each of us listens to the radio stations of her choice. The same holds true for TV, films and books.
What do you do for fun? We have parties, attend concerts, plays and movies. If there is snow some of us ski, cross-country and/or downhill, others enjoy rock climbing, swimming, walking and other physical activities. Some folks play cards, Scrabble, chess, checkers, and other such games. Others like to read, do crafts, or make art. For fun we pretty much do what most women do during their leisure time.
May you go to bed at night when you want to? We do not have a set time for our daily routine. Each of us is able to choose when to sleep, when to rise, when to work, when to play, when to visit, when to pray. Those sisters who live with other sisters determine some of these things in discernment with the other people they live with, such as times to pray together. Of course, as for anyone, our responsibilities sometime prevent us from doing what we want when we want.
May Sisters go on vacation? Yes, each Sister has a budgeted amount of money for vacations. We also schedule time each year for a spiritual retreat.
What if a sister wants to leave religious life? Can she stop being a sister? If a woman has made final lifetime commitment, there is a process for a dispensation from her vows. Once the dispensation is signed by the appropriate parties she is free from her obligation to the community and the community is free from its obligation to her.
Can a sister be asked to leave? A sister who has made final vows may be asked to leave only in the case public scandal or grave and consistent incorrigibility. A woman who is the process of becoming a member may be asked to leave at any stage of the formation process. As with becoming a member, separating or being separated are done in the context of prayer and discernment by the sister and the community.
Does the Province have a policy on sexual misconduct? Yes. The Province’s Policy on Sexual Misconduct was approved in 1996. It is available for review at the Province’s Administration Center. To set an appointment to review the policy, contact Ann L. Thompson, Communication Director, at 651-690-7019 or athompson@csjstpaul.org. abuse
What kind of prayer do you pray? There are many ways to pray. Click here to read about some of them. Sisters and consociates pray in a variety of ways, together and alone, with people they minister with, at meetings and celebrations, on retreat, and at work. Sisters who live together in a house or an apartment usually have regular times they gather to pray together.
