Dear Friends of Joseph House: Once again the holiday season is upon us, a time of year that is grace-filled and often busy. At our convent and Crisis Center, donations of canned goods, turkeys, toys, coats and other items arrive almost daily. They need to be sorted, transported, shelved and bagged. We’re also on the…
Dear Friends of Joseph House: We never know what we’ll be called to do at the Joseph House. Our mission is open-ended; we are here to help the poor, and that can mean anything and everything. Our founder liked to tell us that “we are free, that’s the beauty of our work.” Unencumbered by red…
Dear Friends of Joseph House: The star of Bethlehem was a silent beacon that led the wise men to the Christ Child, the King of kings wrapped in swaddling clothes, hidden away in poverty and simplicity. Today the star would be easy to ignore. We are more apt to look at glowing screens, and light…
Dear Friends of Joseph House: We love the changing seasons. Each time of year has its own beauty, and winter is no exception. The dormant earth, the pale light of the sky, the skeletal trees . . . the starkness of winter is a time to enlarge our perception of what is beautiful, to appreciate…
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: “We are not expecting utopia here on earth. But God meant things to be much easier than we have made them.” These are words of Dorothy Day (1897-1980), a woman who dedicated her life to peace and the works of mercy. She was a friend of our founder, Sr. Mary…
Dear Friends of Joseph House: A few months ago, three of us were at a gas station on a rainy morning in late winter when a familiar face appeared. It was Gregory, looking cold and a little down. The Sister at the wheel rolled down the car window.“Hi Gregory, how are you doing?”“Hi Sister. You…
Dear Friends of Joseph House: A year ago the pandemic really began to tighten its grip on all of us. Quarantines, lockdowns, and face masks became part of life. There was a long road ahead, but thanks be to God we have made it to this point. Every day has been a surrender to the…
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: To the world, he was John Paul I, a pope known primarily for the shortness of his term (33 days). To Pia Luciani, however, he was Uncle Albino, and in a recent interview she shared her memories of him: Pia: He told stories, sometimes even jokes with a moral ending,…