Dear Friends of Joseph House: The last few months have been tough for our Joseph House family. Our Sr. Clare died of cancer last May, and in July we tragically lost Gregory Dennis, a Crisis Center staff member, in a hit-and-run accident. Two sharp blows, one after the other. We carry on (we have no…
Dear Friends of Joseph House: God has blessed the Joseph House in many ways, and one of the greatest is the commitment of all the people who hold it together. There are some people here who measure their service in decades, whether as sisters, volunteers or supporters. They’re in it for the long haul. They…
Dear Friends of Joseph House: Our actions bring to life our beliefs, values, commitments, and convictions. If our actions were the pages of a book, what would the story tell? Reflecting on the life of Sr. Clare, her book would tell a story of sacrifice in order to care for others, of being generous with…
Dear Friends of Joseph House: Nine years after starting the Joseph House, our founder thought it needed a change in focus. The year was 1974 and Sr. Mary Elizabeth had just begun forming our community, the Little Sisters of Jesus and Mary, in Baltimore. She thought it was time to provide conferences and days of…
Dear Friends of Joseph House: Our mission at the Joseph House is to help people in crisis situations, no matter what their needs may be. It doesn’t matter if it’s rent or an electric bill or medical care or anything else—if we can verify the need, and we have the means to help, we go…
Dear Friends of Joseph House: As you know from reading our monthly Newsletter, we attend to many people who come to the Joseph House Crisis Center. Sometimes people travel a considerable distance because they’re desperate and afraid of losing their housing or having their utilities turned off. But not everyone is able to come to…
Dear Friends of Joseph House: Last month we presented some thoughts on the Good Samaritan courtesy of Pope Benedict. We’d like to do a little more with help from Pope Francis this time, who wrote an excellent commentary on the parable in his encyclical, On Fraternity and Social Friendship. Francis takes a look at each…
Dear Friends of Joseph House: Here’s a fun fact: centuries ago, if you had called a nun “silly,” she would have taken it as a compliment! She probably wouldn’t today (although personally we would smile and nod and say yes, sometimes it’s true), but back in the Middle Ages the word meant pious and devout….
Dear Friends of Joseph House: January is the doorway into a new year. It’s a threshold we cross, and although symbolic (January 1st was just another day), it is still rich in meaning, like many other thresholds. A literal threshold we cross every day is the one going into our homes. Our front door marks…
Dear Friends of Joseph House: Whether it comes naturally to one’s self or not, our convent life is geared toward early risers. At this time of year our days begin in darkness. It is quiet and still when we gather in the chapel for Morning Prayer. We recite psalms, listen to a Scripture reading, and…