The Centre International St. Joseph Board and the Global Coordinating Group for many years had been talking about preserving the Le Puy archives. In 2012, Mr. Joseph T. Rogers, president of the Anna-Maria Moggio Foundation (Haverford, Pennsylvania, USA), stopped by Centre International while visiting Le Puy. He had been taught by the Sisters of St. Joseph in the United States and had expressed particular interest in the archives of the Sisters.
Sr. Claudette des Forges (US), on staff at the Centre at the time of his visit, referred him to then-President of the International Center Board, Sr. Valerie Van Cauwenberghe (Canada). In fall 2012, Sr. Valerie and Mr. Rogers spoke about the Canadian Federation requesting grant monies to purchase shelving, map cases, pedestal, restoration of three paintings, and software system for computer use, etc.
In 2013, Sr. Patty Johnson, executive director of the US Federation of the Sisters of St. Joseph, and then-president of the Centre International Board, made another request about preserving the Archives and opening them to the public “by making the Archives display more attractive and easier to access.”
Using modern technology, a scenography was set up so that everyone who visited it could experientially enter the unique history of the Sisters of St. Joseph foundations as it was intertwined with the history of the Church in France and the history of France itself.
This beautiful achievement was realized and celebrated on September 23, 2016, through the generous donation of Mr. Joseph Rogers and the Anna-Maria Moggio Foundation as well as through the investment of the Institute of the Sisters of St. Joseph.
Mr. Joseph Rogers addressed the group in French and English and then cut the ribbon of the scenography’s official open and invited guests to tour the facility.
“Dignitaries and friends of the sisters from the area gathered with sisters from many Congregations to celebrate this significant opening,” said Sr. Patty Johnson. “We were welcomed by Sr. Monique Vallon, Superior General of the Institut St. Joseph. There were several speeches acknowledging the hard work of the Institut committee that envisioned and created the scenography content; the extraordinary technical assistance from Muséophone, the company who built and installed the technology; and the generosity and commitment of the Institut of St. Joseph to share their sacred documents with the world.”
Gathering outside the entrance
Sr. Catherine Louis, Sr. Nadia Boudon-Lashermes and
Sr. Marie-Therese ____
Sr. Monique Vallon and Sr. Odile Gaillard
Institute of the Sisters of St. Joseph
Joseph T. Rogers, president & trustee, Moggio Foundation (r)
Laurent Wauquiez, president, Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes Region (c)