By the power of the Holy Spirit, the hearts of a small group of women in Le Puy-en-Velay were enflamed by God's call to reach out to people suffering from devastating poverty, pervasive violence, and stifling oppression. These women found their home in the Gospel and in the teachings of the itinerant Jesuit, Jean Pierre Médaille. They found that God was present among them, at work within them, and in love with the world in which they lived. They joined together in 1650 as followers of Jesus to become the community of God's Great Love, the Sisters of St. Joseph.
In each generation since, the Holy Spirit has awakened God's compassionate presence in the hearts of women to respond to the ever-changing needs of the people of God.
In this program participants will get in touch with and claim once again the transformative power of this charism in our midst and into the future. They will also explore the streets of Le Puy-en-Velay and visit and pray in the original Kitchen, Living History Centre, Cathedral of Notre Dame du Puy, Chapel of St. Michel d'Aiguilhe, Eglise du Collège, and Tree of the Martyrs. Then they will travel to Lyon to visit the Heritage Room and graveside of Mother St. John Fontbonne. The Lace begun in 1650 is not yet completed. The threads are now in our hands. We are challenged to be responsive to the grace poured out in our world to reveal God's great love.
Suggested Contribution:
655 to 755 Euros (if paid with cash)
675 to 775 Euros (if paid with a bank transfer)
Register by August 16, 2023
Registration Form
Sr. Jane Delisle, CSJ is a Sister of St. Joseph from Orange, CA, USA. Jane has come to Le Puy-en-Velay many times with sisters and staff from the Orange Health Systems.
The past few years have seen unprecedented challenges with a global pandemic, political unrest, and environmental crisis. We are witnesses and participants of this reality, sometimes struggling to find hope in the midst of chaos. Exploring the prophetic nature of the spirituality of the Sisters of St. Joseph, we will find examples in our earliest foundations that show that like-minded people can make a difference. This spirituality calls us to take a prophetic stance in how we relate, especially to the dear neighbor, and bring all people into union with God, one another, and creation.
This program offers a pilgrimage of the heart for all who are drawn to the charism of unifying love. We will discover how obstacles to inner freedom, grief and loss, and the rapid change and transition so prevalent today is an invitation to radically respond, bringing Triune relationship and love alive in the world. The week-long experience offers a rhythm of input sessions, interactive participation, reflection, and an orientation to the city of Le Puy, with a visit to the Kitchen.
Suggested Contribution:
655 to 755 Euros (if paid with cash)
675 to 775 Euros (if paid with a bank transfer)
Register by August 29, 2023
Registration Form
Sr. Linda Buck, CSJ is a Sister of St. Joseph of Orange and has a background in spirituality, theology, leadership, initial formation, and psychology. She is the Executive Director of the Leadership Collaborative and works with individuals and congregations to foster transformation within their hearts and systems.
Join Sisters of St. Joseph from all over the world to integrate your life and initial formation experience and reflect on your Perpetual Vows commitment. This intensive 10-day program will include re-reading your life and vocational call, exploring it in the light of our origins as Sisters of St. Joseph, and moving into how to live your vowed ‘yes’ today within the reality of our world and the “Dear Neighbor” near and far. Our time together will interweave an understanding of holistic human health with our history, spiritualty, mission and charism within a context of international relationships, prayer, sharing and relaxation.
This is a program by invitation only for those in temporary profession or after one year of perpetual profession to be held at the International Center in Le Puy, France.
Sr. Gloria Philip has been a member of Congregation of Religious of San José de Buenos Aires in Argentina since 1971. She has worked in education and in diverse ministries in communities in both Argentina and Bolivia. She has served as Superior General. She gave programs at the International Center from 2013 to 2018. She speaks Spanish, English and understands Portuguese.
Sr. Judy Donovan has been a Sister of St. Joseph of Lyon from the US for 35 years. She is currently their leader but previously spent 22 years as an interfaith community organizer in the southwestern United States. She lived 8 years of her juniorate northeastern Brazil with the CSJs of Chambéry, She has a bachelor’s degree in psychology and philosophy and an MSW in Public Policy. She speaks English and Spanish with good comprehension of Portuguese and some limited French.
Welcome to Le Puy! Come and enjoy an exciting opportunity to discover, in fresh ways, the history, spirituality, and charism of the Family of Joseph as it unfolds for a new day. Come and listen to the ageless echo of the footsteps of the first members on the cobble-stone streets of France. Let them touch your soul. Explore the resonance and relevance of the echo from the past animating us to life in the present. Journey, with others, into the promise and hope of an evolving and unknown future at the very heart of this beautiful and dynamic charism. Come to appreciate ever more deeply your special place, your own call and journey into the mystery of relationship with God and with others. Embrace anew the spirituality that calls us always to “expansive and inclusive love” in the realities of the contemporary world. This seven-day program will integrate prayer, reflection, presentations and sharing, visits to special sites in the story of the Family of Joseph and the enjoyment of “walking together” in the movement of the Spirit. Come and be in Le Puy!
Suggested Contribution:
655 to 755 Euros (if paid with cash)
675 to 775 Euros (if paid with a bank transfer)
Register by April 1, 2023
Registration Form
Sr. Mary Rowell, CSJ, is a Sister of St. Joseph in Canada and is vocation and first formation director for her Congregration. She currently works in retreat and environmental ministries at Villa St. Joseph in Cobourg, Ontario. In that capacity, Mary provides presentations and retreats across Canada and the United States, many of which focus on the CSSJ charism for all members of the “Joseph Family”. Mary also facilitates general chapters for various Congregations.
Formerly, a nurse and nurse educator Mary has been privileged to work in the United Kingdom, and in ophthalmology and blindness prevention programs in Bangladesh, China, India, various countries in South East Asia and in Romania.
Mary has a Bachelor’s degree in philosophy, a Masters in Medial Law and Ethics from the University of London in the U.K. and a doctorate in Theology from the University of Durham, U.K.
This program offers a pilgrimage for lay partners in mission and provides an immersion experience into the original spirit and global dimension of the charism and spiritual tradition of the Sisters of Saint Joseph. If you are associated with one of the ministries founded by the Sisters of Saint Joseph as an administrator, staff person, board member, or supporter, this program is for you! Come deepen your learning, nourish your imagination and strengthen your conviction in participating in a world-wide movement that fosters union with God in drawing all into one. The week-long experience offers a rhythm of presentations, interactive participation, prayer, and visits to historic sites in Le Puy-en-Velay. A day trip to Lyon is also included.
Suggested Contribution:
655 to 755 Euros (if paid with cash)
675 to 775 Euros (if paid with a bank transfer)
Register by August 2, 2023
Registration Form
Sr. Dolores Clerico, SSJ is a Philadelphia Sister of Saint Joseph (USA) with ministry experience in the academic, parish, diocesan, and congregational arenas. She is a frequent speaker, workshop presenter, and retreat facilitator for sisters, associates, and partners in mission throughout the United States and annually at the International Centre.
We offer you many opportunities at the centre throughout the year including: