Dear Friends of Joseph House: Some people have a goal to be a big success. Our founder, Sr. Mary Elizabeth Gintling, wanted us to be little nobodies. Sister worked hard to establish the Joseph House: she gave her life to it. But she used to say that if it all disappeared she’d be happy to…
Without a good foundation, nothing will stand. Buildings crumble and arguments fall apart if they lack the necessary support beneath them. Human societies also need to rest on something — something that is solid but flexible, dynamic yet enduring. That something is the family. Families are the foundation of society because they create people, not…
Dear Friends of Joseph House: Money is a curious thing. It can buy books but not intelligence; finery but not beauty; entertainment but not happiness; luxuries but not culture; a house but not a home. Money can give us what we want, but not always what we need. It is our servant, not our master….
Everyone has a vocation, that is, a particular calling and purpose in life. Growing up, we ask ourselves the same questions: Why am I here? Why am I alive at all? What am I to do? We instinctively realize that our lives must have meaning. We seek knowledge, relationships, experience. Something calls us onward. For…
Our founder used to say, “A community is not so much a group of people living together to love Christ as it is a group of people loving Christ together.” Being together physically to form a community is not always possible. Distance can keep people apart, not to mention their commitments and circumstances. Now, thanks…
The goal of the Joseph House Workshop is to help homeless men transition to stable, productive living. We know the goal has been reached when a resident completes the program and has a steady job and the means to live independently. There are also signs along the way that show hard work, commitment, initiative, and…
Dear Friends of Joseph House: Sr. Mary Elizabeth Gintling, our founder, had a vision for our ministry that continues to guide us. When she started the Joseph House, she had next to nothing apart from a few principles in mind. These principles, and the rationale behind them, were explained by her in this way: 1)….
Dear Friends of Joseph House: Across the land, we see a transformation taking place: buds forming on tree branches, birds chirping in the early morning light, delicate sprouts poking through the earth. After a long winter of nor’easters and arctic cold, Spring is on the way. Our fussing and self-importance do nothing to bring this…
Spring is a tonic for the soul. After being cooped up inside during the winter, stepping outside to perceive the awakening land is a blessing. It feels like the flowers and grasses are not the only things coming back to life. Sooner or later, though, we have to consider the garden chores that await us….
Dear Friends of Joseph House: Home is where our story begins. If this is true for us then it was true for Jesus when He walked the earth, born into the family of Mary and Joseph. He lived in a home created by His parents in the town of Nazareth. The house itself was likely…