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June
and July
2003
Sisters
Look to Future with New Initiatives, Leaders
After
two five-day sessions, the 34th Chapter of the Sisters of
St. Joseph of Baden, Pennsylvania, closed July 20 with four
new initiatives and five Sisters called to leadership for
the next five years.
Using a process of scenario writing to help them imagine their
preferred future, the Sisters identified four areas that will
focus their attention over the next five years and continue
to position the Sisters of St. Joseph to respond to the deep
needs of the Church and the world, both locally and globally.
Each initiative provides a contemporary expression of the
Sisters’ centuries-old mission to draw all people into deeper
union with God and with one another.
The principles of global solidarity will be the context in
which the Sisters will commit their resources and energies
in order to implement the values inherent in their Directional
Statement, particularly social justice and the integrity
of creation.
These principles include ethics, equity, sustainability, inclusion
and development of resources, and will provide the framework
and context within which they will further their existing
ministries and develop emerging ministries.
In addition, the Sisters have committed themselves to further
collaboration with the Federations of Sisters of St. Joseph
all over the world, particularly in the areas of ministry,
organization and resources. Already the Sisters participate
in and provide leadership for the United States Federation
of Sisters of St. Joseph, which numbers nearly 8,000 sisters.
In order to further situate the Congregation to respond to
both emerging ministerial needs in the Beaver Valley and to
provide a safe living environment for their aging sisters,
the Congregation will embark on a multi-million dollar renovation
project on their Baden campus. Already the buildings are being
prepared for the renovations and the Sisters living there
are beginning to relocate in order for the project to begin.
In addition the Sisters have begun to seek partners for future
ministerial use, as well as for funding for the project.
Recognizing that their ministerial life as Sisters of St.
Joseph relies on both the bonds among them and the grace of
God active in they lives, they have committed themselves to
participating with one another in processes aimed at transforming
their lives in order to more effectively live a vocation characterized
by communion and discernment.
To lead them over the next five years in the implementation
of these initiatives, the Sisters have called Sisters Diane
Cauley, Sharon Costello, Marguerite Coyne, Paula Drass
and Rosanne Oberleitner to serve the Congregation in
the ministry of leadership.
Directional
Statement
Sisters of St. Joseph
As women
called to a life of profound union with God and with each
other,
we seek to be conformed to Jesus Christ in his love for God,
for all people and for all creation.
Using
the discernment mode and collaborative feminist and womanist
models,
we recognize that violence and the abuse of power fracture
relationships, diminish human dignity, and destroy our earth.
We commit
ourselves to live non-violently, to work to transform structures
that promote violence, to affirm the dignity of persons, to
be attuned to how all of creation lives and moves and has
its being in God.
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©2008
Sisters of St Joseph - Baden
1020 State Street, Baden PA 15005
724.869.2151 | 412.761.3700 | Fax: 724.869.3336
Feedback, questions and comments are welcomed at csjprbah@stargate.net
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