A First-Class Miracle

The Joseph House Crisis Center opened 40 years ago today, on February 14, 1984.

It was born out of necessity. After making regular trips to help the poor in the countryside, the Little Sisters started to see people coming to their convent asking for assistance. The crowds grew and became too disruptive for the neighborhood. There was strife, dissension and controversy, but when the Mayor’s Office agreed to help the Sisters find a new location for their ministry, the community became united. Local government, businesses, churches, and private individuals all worked together to find a solution. The end result was the Joseph House Crisis Center on Boundary Street — and a network of community support that remains to this day.

When the Crisis Center opened, our founder Sr. Mary Elizabeth called it “a first-class miracle.” So much work was involved in getting it off the ground, and now she had a real soup kitchen and food pantry plus office space to counsel people. “It means an awful lot to us to finally have this,” she said. “I just hope we can continue to make it a success.”

Well, if she had any worries they were in vain. Forty years later, thanks to the providential love of God and the hard work and generosity of many people, the Crisis Center is still fulfilling its mission of providing direct services to low-income families and individuals.

Photo from the special dinner we served at the Crisis Center.

This anniversary is a time of humble gratitude, a time to give thanks to God for all that has been entrusted to us. The Crisis Center is a gift for the poor, and God has given us the responsibility of being good stewards of it. We pray for the grace to be wise and generous.

May our gracious Lord bless the Crisis Center and keep it a safe and welcoming place, where the Gospel is preached through works of mercy and love.

And may the intercession of St. Joseph, patron of the Crisis Center, provide for its material and spiritual support, both now and for as long as its mission is required. (For more about this mission, see The Joseph House Crisis Center.)

Our thanks also go out to our volunteers and benefactors. Year after year, the many unseen faces that remain in the background give life to the work of the Joseph House. It is their dedication that makes the Crisis Center shine brightly as a beacon of hope. We hold them all close to our heart, those from years past and those who make the journey with us today.

A collection of memories is found in this photo gallery. Click on the thumbnail to see a larger image.

Future home of the Joseph House Crisis Center, 812 Boundary Street, Salisbury, MD. The building was a warehouse owned by the Campbell Soup Company. Wicomico County had been renting it to store voting machines.