Guiding Principles – Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph

Guiding Principles

Generous Promises

Our congregation is rooted in our commitment to our mission and charism. We commit ourselves to build and deepen our relationships as sisters and associates, and to be faithful to our spiritual practice of sharing the “State of the Heart” and “Order of the House,” to respond to the unmet needs of our time. Recognizing that we are called to incarnate our mission and charism in our world in fidelity to God’s call in the Gospel, we commit ourselves to these Generous Promises:

  • We the Congregation of St. Joseph, promise to take the risk to surrender our lives and resources to work for specific systemic change in collaboration with others so that the hungers of the world might be fed.
  • We the Congregation of St. Joseph, promise to recognize the reality that Earth is dying, to claim our oneness with Earth and to take steps now to strengthen, heal and renew the face of Earth.
  • We the Congregation of St. Joseph, promise to network with others across the world to bring about a shift in the global culture from institutionalized power and privilege to a culture of inclusivity and mutuality.
  • We the Congregation of St. Joseph, promise to be mutually responsible and accountable for leadership in the congregation.

Sacred Work

We recognize that the crises of humanity and the crises of Earth are intertwined. This emerging worldview of integral ecology impels us toward an intentional and fuller way of living the Generous Promises through this Sacred Work:

  • We commit to deepen our practice of shared leadership among ourselves and with others to activate personal and collective empowerment, creativity, inclusion and mutuality in order to respond to the changing needs of our times.
  • We commit to strengthen and expand our collaboration, partnering and networking with a diversity of persons and groups to bring about life-giving change in our neighborhoods and in our world.
  • We commit to respectfully engage people who may hold different values or worldviews to bring about personal and cultural transformation.
  • We commit to exercise our credibility and moral authority as sisters and associates of the Congregation by standing in solidarity with Earth and with all who are oppressed and marginalized, taking the risks entailed in giving public voice when addressing systemic injustice.

 

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