September 5, 2011: Sisters of St. Joseph, St. Augustine, Florida
~by Susi Pittman
145 Years of Loving Service
On September 2nd, 145 years ago, eight French Sisters of St. Joseph stepped foot on this “foreign” soil of Florida which was to become their home.
April 29th of this year, I was commissioned as an Associate of the Sisters of St. Joseph, St. Augustine. It was perhaps one of the most joyful and spiritually elating moments in my life. To be a part of such a Congregation as these Sisters is humbling. Their 145 year history of sacrifices and achievements on American soil are a reflection of God’s divine providence guiding them in the salvation of souls of the Dear Neighbor.
I am forever indebted to Sister Marie Rene who was my spiritual mentor and sponsor!
What follows below is a Press Release from their Motherhouse.
The Civil War had just ended and Bishop Jean-Pierre Augustin Verot called upon the Sisters of St. Joseph of Le Puy, France to come to Florida for “the thousand of Blacks without education and without religion or Baptism.” On September 2, 1866, eight brave Sisters stepped off a boat at Picolata, Florida for the final part of their journey to St. Augustine.
Picolata is located where State Roads 13 and 208 meet, which was a natural place for crossing the river as the St. Johns narrows at this point. “To the Sisters of St. Joseph, the landing at Picolata is as important as landing on the moon is to NASA,” stated Sr. Jane Stoecker, General Superior. “Because of the courage and stamina of these pioneer Sisters, we are here today celebrating 145 years of serving God’s people in Florida.” In prior years, each September the Sisters would return to Picolata to remember the Sisters who came before them.
Sr. Thomas Joseph McGoldrick states in her book, Beyond the Call, that little is known about the first eight sisters, but through their legacy we do know that they were women of strong faith, dauntless conviction and indefatigable energy. The Sisters of St. Joseph were the only European religious to venture to the New World for the sole purpose of educating liberated slaves. The obstacles they endured to bring education to the black people of Florida continued through the Civil Rights Era.
For the 145th anniversary, Bishop Estevez will celebrate Mass on Friday morning at the Motherhouse Chapel. That evening the Sisters will gather for a presentation by Sr. Thomas Joseph on the Sisters’ journey to St. Augustine followed by prayers and a special dinner.
The Sisters will also mark this historic event with a concert by St. Augustine Schola Cantorae on Sunday, November 13 at St. Benedict the Moor Catholic Church at 3:00 p.m. Cantorae St. Augustine will perform a variety of songs and spirituals from French folk songs to Stephen Foster compositions while telling the story of eight pioneer Sisters.
The Sisters of St. Joseph of St. Augustine, reach “The Dear Neighbor” in many diverse ministries throughout the state of Florida. In 1866 the Sisters of St. Joseph were brought to St. Augustine to teach the children of recently freed slaves. Education and healthcare have been important ministries for us. We are involved in all levels of education including elementary and high schools, adult education, art education, literacy, and special education. Our pastoral and spiritual ministries place us in parish settings, pastoral care, chaplaincy, spiritual direction and retreat work. We serve in leadership roles throughout the dioceses of Florida and within our own congregation. We reach to France with a Sister who is currently ministering at the Centre International St. Joseph.
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Mrs. Camille “Sissy” Crabtree Horn Director of Mission Advancement Sisters of St. Joseph of St. Augustine
AUTHOR: Sister Thomas Joseph McGoldrick was born in Sunnyside, N.Y. in 1926, graduated from St. Joseph Academy, St. Augustine, FL in 1944 and subsequently entered the novitiate of the Sisters of St. Joseph in St. Augustine. Sister holds a B.A. from Barry University, Miami, Fl; an M.A. from U of F, Gainesville, FL and a Specialist degree from Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, FL. Currently she serves as the curator of the O’Reilly House Museum in St. Augustine, archivist for the Diocese of St. Augustine, FL and archivist of her congregation, the Sisters of St. Joseph of St. Augustine, FL.
May God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit continue to bless their countless works in the world today, as they serve the Dear Neighbor through the most Holy Trinity!
Why not consider being a part of Catholic history and inquire into the ASSOCIATE PROGRAM offered at the Motherhouse in Saint Augustine, Florida.
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Susi Pittman is founder of CatholicStewardsofCreation.com and Owner-President of Twin Oaks Publishing; she is author of Animals in Heaven? Catholics Want to Know!; an advocate for the Florida Catholic Conference; a member of the St. Joseph’s Catholic Council of Women in Jacksonville, Florida; an Associate of the Sisters of St. Joseph, St. Augustine;a member of the Florida Publishers Association, Independent Book Publishers Association, the National Association of Professional Women, the ASPCA, the Humane Society of the United States and the National Audubon society.
