View a Slideshow of Our History
Click here to view a slideshow presentation (in PDF format) of our congregation's history. This presentation was created by Sr. Deb Weina.
Evolution of Our Name
Throughout our history, the title of our community has changed while the founding spirit has remained the same. The timeline of our name evolution is as follows:
July 1, 1901: The Polish Sisters of St. Joseph
January 8, 1902: The Order of the Sisters of St. Joseph
June 20, 1903: Order of the Polish Sisters of St. Joseph
January 2, 1925: The Order of the Sisters of St. Joseph
March 15, 1945: The Sisters of St. Joseph of the Third Order of St. Francis
Significant Dates in Our History
July 1, 1901
Forty-six School Sisters of St. Francis withdrew from their order to form a new community, now known as the Sisters of St. Joseph of the Third Order of St. Francis.
May 20, 1902
The cornerstone of the Motherhouse, St. Joseph Convent in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, was blessed.
August 13, 1902
Mother Mary Felicia and Mother Mary Clara were elected First Superior General and Assistant, respectively at the First General Chapter.
August 15, 1926
Marymount Convent and Academy (now known as Marymount Congregational Home) was dedicated.
October 1, 1939
Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa in Garfield Heights, Ohio, was blessed.
November 11, 1943
General Administration moved from the Motherhouse at Stevens Point to the Motherhouse in South Bend, Indiana.
May 31, 1964
Immaculata Convent, the new provincial convent of the Immaculate Conception Province, was dedicated in Bartlett, Illinois.
July 21, 1972
The community voted to establish the St. Francis and Mission Regions as an addition to the existing provincial governance structure.
July 1, 1982
A Fitting Response, Part I: The Founding, was published. It traced the setting and early history of the congregation.
July 1, 1990
The community changed from a provincial/regional to a centralized governance structure.
December 4, 1995
Central Offices moved from South Bend into St. Joseph and Marymount Congregational Homes.
July 1, 2001
The Sisters of St. Joseph of the Third Order of St. Francis celebrated the 100th anniversary of the founding of the congregation.
July 27, 2007
At the 25th General Chapter, the community voted to re-establish St. Joseph Congregational Home as St. Joseph Motherhouse. All Central Offices are located in Stevens Point, Wisconsin.
July 2013
Members of the SSJ-TOSF and the School Sisters of St. Francis (SSSF) came together for a formal reconciliation of the division that occurred between the two communities in 1901. Click here to read more.