SISTER OF ST. JOSEPH OF PEACE

Sister of St. Joseph of Peace –  Sister Mary Fidelis, C.S.J.P.                                                                                                                            “Promoting social justice”

Foundress:  Mother Francis Clare  (Margaret Anna Cusack)  † a convert to Catholicism †

Place:  Nottingham, England

Year:  1884 A.D.

Her Charism:  Recognizing that Gospel peace is both a gift and a task, this Sister’s founding spirit calls her to further the work of peace by word and by work through social justice, education, and healthcare.  As a disciple of Jesus, she responds anew to the call of Mother Clare to “be a brave, noble, large-minded and courageous soul.”  Her hunger and longing for union with the holy dwells deep in her heart calling her continuously to a special love for the poor who cry out to her for action.  She gives herself in a way of the self-emptying Jesus Christ Who is her peace and source of strength.  This Sister chooses to shape the future, rather than let the future shape her and lovingly responds to the divine mysterious initiative of an overwhelmingly compassionate God.  This challenges her to a prophetic risk so that God’s reign might be more fully realized.