Seven Generations

Seven Generations
1650 - 1836: Seven Generations from the founding of the Sisters of St. Joseph in Lepuy France to the arrival of the first six sisters in Carondelet, Missouri.


12 years after the Sisters of St. Joseph arrived in the United States, The Seneca Falls Convention was organized by Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott, two abolitionists who met in 1840 at the World Anti-Slavery Convention in London, where both were barred from the convention floor because they were women. Their outrage was the impetus for the Seneca Falls Convention was attended by 200 women.

1836-2011
November 2, 1851: The first four Sisters of St. Joseph arrived in St. Paul, Minnesota to teach children, found the first hospital in Minnesota (1853), St. Catherine College, now St. Catherine University (1905).

July 2011: We know our decisions will lead, influence and impact the next Seven Generations.

Sisters of St. Joseph Federation 2011 Event

Posted by: Ginger Hedstrom, Justice Associate

The Federation Event is truly global and intergenerational. More than 850 Sisters of St. Joseph and associates are here from the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Africa.

At my table is a young woman who will be a senior in high school and is a guest of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Concordia. She is one in a group of about 12 young women attending. Our learnings are many. Imagine, in 2011 she attends high school with a total of 40 others and is growing up on a five generation family farm. And, she is very happy to be here. We sang happy birthday yesterday to an 83 year old Sister of St. Joseph from Philadelphia. She may not be the eldest among us!

DVDs of the major presentations by, Meg Wheatly, Catherine Nerney, SSJ, PhD and Joan Lescinski, CSJ, PhD will be available to all congregations.

An associate from England went to the microphone yesterday and said, "I had no idea I was part of such a big family."

From the stage yesterday, participants from outside the United States (including those working outside the United States) introduced themselves, their congregation, and nation. Kathy McClusky, outgoing executive director of the CSSJ Federation, on behalf of the entire Federation addressed our Japanese sisters assuring them of our ongoing prayers and support.

Over lunch yesterday, the Justice and Peace Coordinators met with Patty Johnson, CSJ, incoming executive director of the Federation, Joe, her associate and Griselda Martinez-Morales, SSJ, CSSJ NGO Representative to the United Nations to further our work for global justice and peace.

The session this morning is focused exclusively on human trafficking!

We are immersed in "Zeal for healing the neighborhood of God's sacred universe." We are working hard (it is too hot to play outside), the energy is palpable and I am privileged to be among the great "swarm of bees" that is the Sisters of St. Joseph gathered here from around the world, including many from St. Paul.

The New Republic of South Sudan

175 years ago the Sisters of St. Joseph migrated from France to North America and began their ministry on this contintent in Carondelet, Missouri. The celebration, in St. Louis, Missouri, included opportunities to look back seven generations and forward to the next seven. There is much to celebrate and much to inspire, dream and anticipate into life.

As we celebrated yesterday through our own stories of migration, our work for humane and just immigration reform, and closed with the inspiring sending forth to the seventh generation ritual and banquet, the people of the Republic of the South Sudan were living the first day of their independence.

The children pictured here stand quietly holding the flag of their new republic. They are yet too young to understand what is happening, how their future was made more hopeful yesterday.

As the Sudan and global community celebrate the independence of the Republic of South Soudan, the United Nations vows it's support in ongoing global quest for peace and prosperity.

We celebrate and pray for the people of the Sudan today and to the seventh generation!

Immigration Witness Event

As the Sisters of St. Joseph Celebrate 175 Years in the United States

JOIN US for
Immigration Witness Event, featuring Miriam and Iacha, blood sisters from Ghana presenting "Personal Stories, Global Perspective."

Friday, July 8, 10:30 a.m.
Carondelet Center, 1890 Randolph Ave., St. Paul

FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
To register: 651.690.7043
We came as migrants
We live and work with migrants
We work for humane and just immigration reform.

Presented by the Immigration Working Group of the Justice Commission

Faith Leaders Meet with President Obama

Simone Campbell, Executive Director, NETWORK, A Catholic Social Justice Lobby (third from the left) and other faith leaders met with President Obama at the White House Easter Breakfast.
(posted on FACEBOOK, June 28, 2011)

Catholic Rural Life Sunday, June 26, Gergen Family Farm

Hosted by St. Mary's Catholic Church, New Trier, Rural Life Sunday officially began with Mass celebrated by Bishop Lee Piche at 1:30 p.m.

The farm yard was replete with a wide array of tractors (several vintage), a fully restored 50's something GMC pick up truck, a petting zoo that incuded a Holstein cow with calf, banty chickens, rabbits and a goat. Mass seating on hay bales and rough planks overlooking the soybean fields and the farmstead faced the flatbed fifth wheel trailer from which the Mass was celebrated.

Through the ligurgy and Bishop Piche's homily gratitude was expressed to our God for the bounty of earth and the hands of farmers who abundantly feed God's people, and the ongoing call to continue to provide care for earth.

Immediately following the Mass, dinner was served in the machine shed to more than 400 people, from Mendota Heights, West Saint Paul, St. Paul and the surrounding area.

The Gergen Family was represented by Helen, 98 year old matriarch (back home on the farm for the day), Leon and Nancy, Ray and Elaine Gergen who currently live on and farm the land. More about Catholic Rural Life

The Honorable Joseph Boakai, Vice President of Liberia

The Honorable Joseph Boakai, Vice President of Liberia, met with civic leaders early in his visit to Minnesota, June 17. That afternoon, the Coalition for Permanent Residency (CPR) hosted a reception in his honor at the Urban League in Minneapolis.

CPR is an interfaith and advocacy based coalition that since early 2007 has been working with the Minnesota Congressional Delegation and local and national networks (NETWORK, A Catholic Social Justice Lobby, Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, Advocates for Human Rights, Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota...) urging the White House to grant early extensions of Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) to affected Liberians; and for passage of HR 1293 and SF 656, the Liberian Immigrant Refugee Fairness Act to grant permanent status to approximately 3,600 Liberians who have lived in the United States "temporarily" since 1991.

Scott Gray, CEO Minneapolis Urban League opened the reception with a welcome from the Urban League. CPR representatives presented a program: Mayalan Keita-Brown: African and American Association for Cooperation and Development served as MC; Ahmed Sirleaf, Advocates for Human Rights presented an update on DED and pending legislation in Congress; Theodosia Gray, Liberian on DED, described the multiple challenges of living a life in limbo on DED; Ginger K. Hedstrom, Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet and Consociates provided background on the mission of CPR lived through our advocacy efforts locally and nationally.

In his remarks, Vice President Boakai described the harsh realities rooted in the civil war that forced so many Liberians to leave - and the current challenges in Liberia's reconstruction. He expressed deep gratitude to the United States for our ongoing support of Liberia and hospitality provided to Liberians living in the United States. Going on he expressed that the ideal would be for Liberians to return. However, he noted that the destruction of the infrastructure, lack of electricity, potable water, 80% unemployment, and lack of the opportunity for an education pose enormous challenges for those in Liberia. Passage of the Liberian Immigrant Refugee Fairness Act would allow Liberans on DED to return freely when the situation there improves rather than by forced departure. Proudly he stated that the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Administration "holds no political prisoners."

Vic Rosenthal, Jewish Community Action closed the afternoon by calling everyone to action by signing postcards urging President Obama to grant an immediate extension to DED and to join CPR in thanking Senator Klobuchar, Senator Franken, Congressman Ellision, Congresswoman McCollum for their leadership roles in advancing the Liberian Immigrant Refugee Fairness Act in Congress. Vice President Boakai signed a postcard before leaving the reception.

NOTE: Brooklyn Park and Brooklyn Center, Minnesota are home to the largest number of Liberians in Minnesota - estimated at more than 23,000.