Congregation of St. Joseph CSJ Ministries i i and You Ministry Sponsorship Reationship
Generous Promises Mission of the Congregation of St. Joseph We ive and work that a may be united with God and one another. Our mission is rooted in the mission of Christ, that a may be one. To bring about this unity, we search out and undertake whatever works may best meet needs and show forth the gory of God. CSJ Constitution As a current expression of the 360 year od mission, the Congregation has adopted the foowing Generous Promises. We, the Congregation of St. Joseph, iving out of our common tradition, witness to God s ove transforming us and our word. Our congregation is rooted in our commitment to our Mission and Charism, the Vaues/Characteristics and Purpose Statements, the Evoving Design for the Congregation of St. Joseph, and the Provisiona Constitution. We commit ourseves to buid and deepen our reationships as sisters and associates, and to be faithfu to our spiritua practice of sharing the State of the Heart and Order of the House, in order to respond to the unmet needs of our time. Recognizing that we are caed to incarnate our mission and charism in our word in fideity to God s ca in the Gospe, we commit ourseves to these Generous Promises: WE, THE CONGREGATION OF ST. JOSEPH, promise to take the risk to surrender our ives and resources to work for specific systemic change in coaboration with others that the hungers of the word might be fed. WE, THE CONGREGATION OF ST. JOSEPH, promise to recognize the reaity that Earth is dying, to caim our oneness with Earth and to take steps now to strengthen, hea and renew the face of Earth. WE, THE CONGREGATION OF ST. JOSEPH, promise to network with others across the word to bring about a shift in the goba cuture from institutionaized power and priviege to a cuture of incusivity and mutuaity. Core Vaues of CSJ Sponsored Ministries Sponsored Ministries are vibrant expressions of the CSJ mission of unity. Aways moving toward exceence, we serve the dear neighbor in the manner of Jesus, manifesting God s active, incusive, unifying ove, through hospitaity, generosity, service and zea. Rooted in this common mission, we therefore: i Exercise our persona and coective eadership to bring about a more just and peacefu word. Coaborate with others to change societa systems that cause injustice, oppression, and poverty. i The Congregation of Take steps to strengthen, hea and renew St. Joseph Earth. sponsors ministries as a means to express and Work toward transforming the cuture of WE, THE CONGREGATION OF ST. JOSEPH, extend our 360 year power, priviege and vioence, to a cuture promise to be mutuay responsibe and accountabe for eadership. od mission that is incusive, embraces diversity and wecomes the gifts of a. 2 3
Reationship between Sponsored Ministries and the Congregation of St. Joseph The Congregation of St. Joseph sponsors ministries as a means to express and extend its mission and charism of making manifest God s active, incusive, unifying ove in the word, stemming from the mission of Jesus, that a may be one. This is the primary mission of each ministry sponsored by the Congregation. Sponsorship is a forma, mutua, dynamic reationship between the Congregation and each ministry. CSJ Ministries works in partnership with a invoved in the ministry to promote the strength and we-being of the ministry, and to ensure high quaity services and adherence to the CSJ mission. Since its inception, the Congregation has sponsored ministries in partnership with others who experience a ca to participate in the great work of deepening the unifying mission of Jesus in the word. It is through the efforts of these partners: eaders, board members, staff, coaborators, donors and vounteers, that the CSJ mission and charism continue to fourish. From this overarching mission fows the mission of each individua ministry. This twofod dimension of mission permeates every ministry, giving it its fu identity and purpose. Each individua sponsored ministry is a unique expression of the CSJ mission and charism and is vaued and supported by the Congregation. The ministry pubicy recognizes and ensures the continuation of the sponsor s mission and heritage. Responsibiities of Sponsored Ministries A Ministry sponsored by the Congregation of St. Joseph Articuates ceary and expresses visiby the CSJ mission and Core Vaues of Sponsored Ministries in concrete ways; Engages a primary groups of the ministry eaders, boards, staff, vounteers in ongoing mission formation, and in continua deepening of mission integration of the CSJ mission, charism and spirituaity; Consistenty provides high quaity services/programs and has an ongoing method of assessing the effectiveness of services/ programs; Maintains effective eadership within the organization and through the board of directors; Ensures a organizationa poicies, procedures and practices are consistent with and further the CSJ mission and charism; Deveops a reaistic budget and is accountabe to it; Demonstrates the abiity to sustain the human and financia resources necessary to carry out its mission; Operates in keeping with appropriate ega and canonica structures, icensing requirements and Congregationa byaws. Your zea wi aways be in proportion to the ove of God in your heart. 4 Maxim 11:1
Sponsorship and Governance In order to ensure and exercise its sponsorship responsibiities, the Congregation of St. Joseph has the foowing mode of governance for its sponsored ministries. Congregation Leadership Team The Congregation Leadership Team has utimate ega responsibiity for the sponsored ministries. In order to exercise this responsibiity, they retain some reserved powers such as changing the mission, and the merger or dissoution of a ministry; they deegate some of this responsibiity to CSJ Ministries and much of it to the board of the particuar ministry itsef. The CLT is egay designated as the corporate Member of the Member of each ministry. CSJ Ministries CSJ Ministries is the umbrea organization through which the Congregation of St. Joseph exercises its sponsorship roe and responsibiities. CSJ Ministries provides support, eadership, guidance and oversight in areas reated to mission, governance and operations. It is governed by a fifteen member board appointed by the Congregation Leadership Team. The responsibiities of CSJ Ministries incude ensuring the foowing for each ministry: Faithfuness to the CSJ mission, charism and Core Vaues for Sponsored Ministries; Effective governance and operations; Effective, high quaity services; Congregation Leadership Team CSJ Ministries Board of Directors of each ministry Effective eadership; Adherence to civi and Canonica (Church) aw; Sound stewardship of financia, materia and human resources; In exercising these responsibiities, and to assist the ministries in exercising their responsibiities, the CSJ Ministries staff works in cose partnership with the board and eadership of each ministry to provide support, consutation, services and resources in a variety of areas. CSJ Liaison CSJ Ministries is the corporate Member of each ministry, and has responsibiity to ensure that the ministry remains faithfu to the mission, vaues and phiosophy of the CSJ Congregation over time, as we as ensuring organizationa effectiveness. They do this by exercising certain reserved powers that are contained in the Byaws; these incude such things as approving amendments to the Byaws and Artices of Incorporation and the appointment of trustees to the Board of Directors for each ministry. CSJ Ministries exercises these responsibiities through its Board of Directors. Each of these entities is expained on the foowing pages. 6 7
Board of Directors of the Sponsored Ministry The Board of Directors of each ministry has the primary responsibiity for oversight of the operations and ongoing management and governance of the ministry. This incudes monitoring adherence to the mission and vaues, formuating and impementing poicies, ensuring sound fisca and operationa practices, and maintaining the quaity of its programs and services. Key responsibiities of the board are to: Exercise eadership guided by the mission and charism of the Congregation of St. Joseph and the Core Vaues for Sponsored Ministries; Shape, carify and ensure faithfuness to the mission of the organization; Ensure mission integration at a eves of the organization; Set organizationa direction, incuding effective panning and continua assessment of the ministry s effectiveness; Provide oversight of the assets, programs and services; Ensure effective administration of the organization; Ensure the necessary resources, both financia and human, to carry out the organization s mission; Support and evauate the executive director; Buid and maintain a competent board; Continuay assess and improve board performance; Ensure ega and ethica integrity. Boards of Directors exercise their responsibiities in partnership with the CSJ Congregation through their reationship with CSJ Ministries. CSJ Liaison One member of each ministry board is designated as the CSJ Liaison. In addition to reguar board responsibiities, the Liaison is a connection to the Congregation through CSJ Ministries. The Liaison assists the board in its responsibiity to exercise sound eadership in and through the CSJ mission and charism. The Liaison participates in the orientation of new board members, specificay reated to sponsorship information. The CSJ Liaison is a member of the executive committee, and participates on the search committee for the ministry eader. Reserved Powers Areas Requiring Confirmation by CSJ Ministries The foowing actions/issues require approva by the CSJ Ministries Board and in some cases approva of the Congregationa Leadership Team (CLT). The board of the ministry normay initiates the desired or needed action. Foowing approva by the oca ministry board, the CSJ Ministries directors wi faciitate the fina confirmation process with the CSJ Ministries board and the CLT if needed. These reserved powers are further outined in the byaws of the ministry. 8 9 Fina appointment of new board members Fina appointment of a new executive director or (academy) president Changes to the ministry s Byaws and Artices of Incorporation Changes to the ministry s mission statement Changes to the ministry s phiosophy statement Purchase, sae, acquisition, transfer, ease or encumbrance of rea property Addition, termination, merger, consoidation, affiiation, division or separation of substantia programs of the ministry Merger, consoidation, or affiiation of the ministry with other corporations or organizations Formation of a subordinate or subsidiary organization, joint venture, partnership or any other affiiation arrangement Any significant corporate reorganization Borrowing or other financia obigation in excess of the amount stated in the ministry s byaws The dissoution of the ministry i i
History of the Congregation of St. Joseph The Origins Coming to the United States The Sisters of Saint Joseph wordwide trace their beginnings to seventeenth century France, a period in history marked by civi and reigious wars. In the town of LePuy in centra France, the impact of this unrest was evident in the crime and poverty that pagued the region. It was in this city in 1650 that six women, with the guidance and support of Jean Pierre Medaie, a Jesuit priest, were to form the foundation of the Sisters of Saint Joseph. The French Revoution Saint Joseph groups sprang up quicky and by the time of the French Revoution (1789) numbered about 150. The mercuria tides of the French Revoution and the Reign of Terror forced many reigious men and women to go into exie or hiding. As the poitica turmoi of the times spread through south centra France, the Congregation was forced to disband. Some of the Sisters met death at the guiotine; others returned to their homes or went into hiding. After the Revoution ended, Jeanne Fontbonne, imprisoned and narrowy escaping the guiotine hersef, refounded the Sisters of St. Joseph in Lyon, France. Known in the congregation as Mother St. John, she gathered the sisters again and faced the chaenge of meeting the needs of a nation spirituay and economicay cripped. Unike most reigious congregations of their time, the Sisters of Saint Joseph did not ive a coistered, encosed ife. Instead, they divided their time between prayer and service of the dear neighbor. Father Medaie urged the eary sisters to divide the city into various sections, discover the socia is and to do whatever possibe to remedy the needs. These women were to become unifiers...of neighbor with neighbor and neighbor with God. The heritage of the Congregation of St. Joseph coming from France to the United States invoves the journeys of two groups, one from Lyon in 1836 and one from Bourg in 1854. When, in 1836, Mother St. John Fontbonne received a request from the Bishop of St. Louis, for sisters to come to the United States, a sma and vaiant group eft Lyon on January 4 and took 49 days to cross the Atantic Ocean. They traveed up the Mississippi River and on March 25, 1836 arrived at Carondeet, outside St. Louis. They immediatey began a schoo in the rear of their cabin and taught Native American chidren as we as chidren who were hearing impaired. On December 30, 1854 the first three sisters from Bourg, France arrived in Bay St. Louis, New Oreans, after an ocean voyage of 41 days. As their numbers grew in the new country, they founded ministries focused on education for white, back and Native American chidren. This new country, with a anguage and cuture very different from France, offered few comforts for these women as they strugged to form a community and meet the needs of their neighbors. Once estabished, however, the Congregation grew and spread to other parts of the United States. Today With a passion to continue the founding mission, in 2007 seven U.S. congregations of Sisters of St. Joseph came together to form one united Congregation of St. Joseph. Faithfu to the origina Sisters of St. Joseph mission of unity uniting neighbor with neighbor and neighbor with God the new Congregation of St. Joseph draws its membership (over 500 women reigious and 400 ay associates) from seven formery autonomous congregations. Founded over the years from 1855 through 1899, the seven congregations of Ceveand, OH; LaGrange Park, IL; Kaamazoo, MI; Tipton, IN; Wheeing, WV; Wichita, KS; and Medaie (Cincinnati, OH, Louisiana and Minnesota) ooked toward the future with a vision and creativity simiar to that of their French beginnings. i i Through the efforts of the sisters and their partners in mission, and in particuar through the works of the sponsored ministries, the congregation continues to seek out and respond to the needs of the dear neighbor in our times with great vitaity, commitment and ove. 10 11
Gossary Board Education Opportunities for board members to continue their professiona growth for effective eadership in areas of governance roes and responsibiities, and in areas reated to the specific fied of the ministry. Charism Charism is a gift given to an individua or group by the Hoy Spirit. In this context, it is a distinct spirit and tradition that animates a reigious community and gives it a unique character. It carries a particuar manifestation of God s invitation to ive in reationship with God and others who share that spirit. Congregation Leadership Team (CLT) The eected eaders of the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph. Core Vaues for CSJ Sponsored Ministries The Core Vaues for CSJ Sponsored Ministries are grounded in the origina core vaues of the Sisters of St. Joseph, and refect the ways and means in which sponsored ministries activey move forward the CSJ mission and charism into the future. CSJ Charism The CSJ charism is the grace given by the Hoy Spirit needed to ive and extend the CSJ mission of fostering God s active, incusive, unifying ove in the word. Recognizing that God is one with a of Creation, the CSJ charism is experienced as the impuse to ive and act in ways that recognize and bring the unifying ove of God to every person and situation we encounter. CSJ Mission The mission of the Congregation of St. Joseph is: We ive and work that a may be united with God and one another. Our purpose is to ive and manifest the active, incusive, unifying ove of God. It is rooted in the mission of Christ: that a may be one, as you Father, are in me and I in You: I pray that they may be one in us (John 17) CSJ Spirituaity Father Medaie and the first sisters grounded the CSJ Spirituaity in the mode of the Trinity, who exempify oneness and who exist in constant, oving reationship. Fowing from this, the centra theme is what Fr. Medaie caed tota doube union - the union of neighbor with neighbor and neighbor with God. The six core eements of CSJ spirituaity are identified in the two trinities : Incusive Love (Father), Sef-emptying Love (Son), A Permeating Love (Spirit), Zea (Jesus), Listening Heart (Mary), Cordia Charity (Joseph). This grounding eads to the way Sisters of St. Joseph and their partners in mission participate in God s on-going, active, unifying action in the word. CSJ Liaison The board member designated by CSJ Ministries who serves as a ink between the ministry and CSJ Ministries. The iaison participates in the orientation of new board members, is a member of the executive committee, and participates on the search committee for the ministry eader. CSJ Ministries CSJ Ministries is the umbrea organization through which the Congregation of St. Joseph exercises its sponsorship roe and responsibiities. CSJ Ministries provides support, eadership, guidance and oversight to sponsored ministries in areas reated to mission, governance and operations. Dear Neighbor The term used by Fr. Jean Pierre Medaie and the founding sisters to name those whom the Sisters of St. Joseph are caed to serve. Foowing Scripture, in the CSJ tradition, the dear neighbor incudes everyone we encounter, incuding Earth, without distinction. Father Jean Pierre Medaie The Jesuit priest who, aong with the first six women, founded the Sisters of St. Joseph in LePuy, France in 1650. Formation In our context, formation is the process of earning and embracing a spirituaity that gives meaning, anguage and structure to one s ife and work. It invoves an ever-deepening, persona understanding and experience of the CSJ mission, charism and spirituaity. Formation is a key eement for a invoved in the ministry - board members, eaders, staff. Generous Promises The key areas of concentration identified by the members of the Congregation of St. Joseph that express how the sisters ive out their mission and charism in today s word. Mission Integration The process of ensuring that the CSJ mission and the particuar mission of the ministry are refected in a aspects of the ministry: its services, poicies, governance, operations, decisions, etc. Mother St. John Fontbonne After the Congregation was disbanded during the French Revoution, Mother St. John Fontbonne re-estabished the Sisters of St. Joseph in Lyon, France, in 1812. She is considered the second founder of the Sisters of St. Joseph. Reserved Powers Specific areas of governance and operations, identified in the byaws, in which the Congregation of St. Joseph retains authority and responsibiity for the purpose of ensuring the ministry s faithfuness to the mission and the exercise of sound governance and operations over time. Sponsorship Sponsorship is a forma, mutua, dynamic reationship between the Congregation and the ministry. CSJ Ministries works in partnership with a invoved in the ministry to promote the strength and we-being of the ministry, ensuring high quaity services and adherence to the CSJ mission. Sponsored Ministries Works initiated and sustained through the Congregation of St. Joseph for the core purpose of meeting the needs of the dear neighbor and extending the CSJ mission in the word. Unity Unity is the core expression of the mission, charism and spirituaity of the Sisters of St. Joseph. It is the founding mission: to bring about unity of neighbor with neighbor and neighbor with God.
Notes CSJ Ministries Core Staff Janet Feischhacker, CSJ Executive Director 3427 Gu Road P.O. Box 18 Nazareth, MI 49074 269.492.9390 office 269.370.7173 ce jfeischhacker@csjoseph.org Theresa Denton Associate Director 221 W. Northridge Lane Peoria, IL 61614 312.568.9159 ce tdenten@csjoseph.org Judith Minear, CSJ Coordinator for Mission Integration 3430 Rocky River Drive Ceveand, OH 44111 216.252.0440 office 304.639.2634 ce jminear@csjoseph.org 14 2016 Edition