Anne Faye

  According to The Sisters of St. Joseph U.S. Confederation , the community began with "six women meeting in small kitchen in Le Puy, France in 1650. These six women had a common desire to grow in their love of God and serve the unmet needs of the people around them, whom they came to call their 'dear neighbors.' These women, with the spiritual direction of a Jesuit priest, Jean Pierre Medaille, formed the first community of Sisters of St. Joseph. From their humble beginnings as widows meeting in a small kitchen, the order grew to include communities all over the world. Today, we continue to respond to the unmet and critical needs of our contemporary society and world. Our mission, informed by a deep and pervasive love of God and neighbor without distinction, moves us to respond in a spirit of unifying, reconciling love to the needs of our local communities, the people of God, and the global community in which we live. Starting on Founders’ Day October 15, 202...

  Thank you to those of you who have read The Charter Class ! My original plan was to write three more books, one for each year of college. I wrote about half of the next installment, but book sales have been rather dismal and I just didn't have it in me to spend three years writing books that almost no one would read, especially when I have other book projects in my head eager to make their way to the world.  At the same time, I felt I owed Mother John Berchmans, Nora, Katie, and Beth (and my readers) some closure. What happened to them? I decided to write an Epilogue focused on Commencement Day in 1932. I'm going to add it to the print and Kindle versions so that new readers who find the book will have the ending, but for those who have read it and want to find out how their lives play out, I'm including it here. ******* Spoiler Alert*********   Epilogue Wednesday, June 15, 1932   Katie took in the beauty of Veritas Auditorium as she waited for the commence...

  Prologue August 14, 1921, Springfield, Massachusetts   Mother John Berchmans Somers shifted the papers in her hands as she waited in the chancellery office. Going to see the bishop was a bit like being called to the principal’s office. Bishop Beaven had always been so kind to her and to the whole Sisters of Saint Joseph community, but the Good Lord saw fit to call him to his eternal reward. She offered a quick prayer for his soul as she thought of him. Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and may perpetual light shine upon him. Yes, he had been a good man and a good superior. She could only hope to have as cordial a relationship with the recently installed Bishop Thomas O’Leary. She understood that it couldn’t be easy to lead an entire diocese. The Diocese of Springfield covered much territory and included many people of varying ethnicities who lived in both urban centers and the most rural of hilltowns. Yes, she knew what it was like to bear the weight of respons...