The Joseph House Crisis Center has remained open during the COVID-19 pandemic, providing food and financial assistance to people in need. As a safety precaution, each person has to wait outside until his or her name is called. We do this so everyone can maintain social distancing inside the building. Those who have cars wait…
The Joseph House Workshop is a long-term residential program for men who were homeless. It help them advance toward gainful employment and healthy new lives. Here is an interview with Nick, Assistant Director, who is also a Workshop graduate: How many men are in the program? We have 4 men here now; one is in…
Music is a shortcut to the soul—and a new album from one of the oldest communities of religious women offers a reminder of that. The Poor Clares are contemplative nuns who belong to the Franciscan family. Their founder was St. Clare of Assisi, who lived from 1194 to 1253. A group of these nuns in…
Dear Friends of Joseph House: February 14 is of course Valentine’s Day, but the day has another special meaning for us in that it’s the birthday of the Joseph House Crisis Center. It was on February 14, 1984, that the Crisis Center officially opened, the beginning of a new era for the Joseph House ministry….
Dear Friends of Joseph House: Here we are in the year 2021 in the 21st century. Opening up a new calendar is symbolic of a new beginning, which is something we all need right now. The year 2020 is certainly one for the history books. How many times did we hear the word “unprecedented?” How…
Years ago, in December of 1964, our founder Sr. Mary Elizabeth was at a turning point in her life. Unsure of her next move, she decided to make a pilgrimage to St. Joseph’s Oratory in Montreal, the largest shrine in the world dedicated to St. Joseph. She went there to have a heart-to-heart talk with…
Dear Friends of Joseph House: One of our customs during Advent is to set up a Jesse Tree in our dining room. The Jesse Tree is sort of a cross between a Christmas Tree and an Advent Calendar. It depicts the family tree of Christ and the events of salvation history; the name comes from…
Dear Friends of Joseph House: This is the season for giving thanks, and the difficult times we live in only make us more grateful that the Joseph House is here to help people facing hardships. Our ministry is an expression of your compassion: thanks to your continued prayers and support, our doors remain open to…
Dear Friends of Joseph House: On the day the Joseph House Crisis Center opened in 1984, a newspaper quoted Sr. Mary Elizabeth as saying, “A beautiful thing has happened. It means an awful lot to us to finally have this.” We are just as grateful today. Over the years, the Crisis Center has grown with…
Dear Friends of Joseph House: “We’re all in this together.” We’ve heard this over and over again during these past few months. And it’s true: we are not alone in dealing with the pain, hardship, and anxiety that this year has brought. The normal course of our lives has been disrupted, not only by the…