Associates of Congregation of St. Joseph meet to pray and serve others

John 17:21 so that they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us, that the world may believe that you sent me.  

Associates of the Congregation of St. Joseph (CSJ) are lay men and women who desire to live in union with God, with one another and with all creation. In response to God’s great love and with mutual support, Associates are deeply engaged in living the Congregation of St. Joseph’s mission of unity and inclusive love of God and the dear neighbor without distinction.  

In 1978, the General Chapter of the Federation of the Sisters of St. Joseph accepted the proposal to study the possibilities of a co-membership program, and later that year the proposal was approved. On October 31, 1982, the Community received twenty-four co-members or associates. 

St. Joseph Academy Alumna Carolyn Perry became an Associate in 1993. Today, more than 30 lay people in and around Central Indiana maintain a connection to the Congregation as Associate members. 

“The Congregation of St. Joseph is built around the great love of God—St. John’s statement ‘all may be one as you and I are one,’ said Perry, who is the contact for the local group of Associates.  

Fr. Medaille, the founder of the Sisters of St. Joseph in 1650, lived this concept.  

“At a time when most religious sisters were cloistered, Fr. Medaille created a community that would go out and work with the poor—taking the love of God to all people and serving all people,” Perry shared. 

Associates of the Congregation of St. Joseph continue his mission. 

“We are called to live in union with God, one another and nature,” Perry said. “We serve in our neighborhoods, in our families, in our church, in the larger church and the world. We’re building the city of God wherever we are.” 

Andi Humphrey became involved with the Associates in the early 2000s when she joined the Sisters and Associates for a bus trip to St. Mary of the Woods near Terre Haute. She was later invited to become an Associate and has been active ever since. 

Andi, who attends St. John the Baptist in Tipton, volunteers with the St. Joseph Retreat & Conference Center typically helping with laundry every other week or so. 

Even though the Congregation left the Tipton facility in early 2013 and sold the property to the Diocese of Lafayette-in-Indiana in 2016, the Associates continue to gather and serve. As of 2023 there are 33 Associates including Fr. Keith Hosey who served as the chaplain for the Sisters of St. Joseph of Tipton. 

Associates gather monthly at the St. Joseph Retreat & Conference Center for mass with Fr. Hosey. After mass they enjoy a pitch-in meal, fellowship and prayer. In addition, they perform service projects and raise money for the Rescue Mission and St. Vincent de Paul, both in Kokomo.  

Part of their prayer time includes sharing the ‘State of the Heart’ which helps in relationship building within the Associates. Members share God’s invitations, stirrings, graces, and longings. This spiritual practice goes back to the founding of the Congregation, as has been reclaimed in more recent times as a uniquely CSJ form of prayer. This communal prayer form often takes the form of leisurely and candid personal faith sharing by each member of the community gathered, followed by a prayerful assessment and discernment of what God may be calling the community to at that time. 

“We are called to serve the dear neighbor starting where we can—whether in organized service just helping people we know,” Perry added. “We’re living as Christian servants—not tied up in our own self but with our eyes open to serve the dear neighbor with love.” 

Someone who was integral to the Associates program in Tipton was Sr. Martin (Marty) McEntee, CSJ, who served as President/CEO of St. Joseph Hospital in Kokomo, Indiana for twenty-eight years.  

“When I think about Sr. Marty, who passed away last week, she was such an inclusive person,” Perry shared. “She was always trying to bring people together in the community. Everything she did was trying to bring people together and serve others.” 

In the early 2000s, Sr. Marty was instrumental in opening the dialogue with seven other Sisters of St. Joseph communities to consider how they might together live the mission to be one in service of the dear neighbor. In 2007, these autonomous communities joined to create the Congregation of St. Joseph. 

“Sister Marty worked really hard to bring all these small communities together for the betterment of the order,” Perry added. “Sr. Marty was a model for us for inclusiveness. She was always supportive of us as Associates and included us as a part of the Congregation of St. Joseph.”  

Twice a year, the Tipton group gathers with other Associates from the now 11 other communities of the Congregation that also have Associate groups. The Congregation of St. Joseph has a presence in 12 areas across the US including Wichita, KS; Minneapolis & Crookston, MN, LaGrange & Chicago, IL; Tipton, IN; Cleveland & Cincinnati, OH; New Orleans & Baton Rouge, LA; Nazareth, MI and Wheeling, WV. Often, they utilize technology—like Zoom—to connect with the other Associates. 

This April is the week-long Chapter meeting of the Congregation of St. Joseph. Associates and Sisters will come together in Chicago for a week to elect officers for the next five years as well as examine the Associates programming and activities and make plans for the future. 

There are twelve remaining Sisters of St. Joseph of Tipton. Ten reside at Congregation facilities in Cleveland, OH; Nazareth, MI, and Wheeling, WV. Two additional retired Tipton Sisters, Sister Jane Francis Mannion and Sister Karen Van de Walle, still live in Indianapolis and regularly gather with the Associates. 

Currently, the Tipton Associates are working with a few lay people going through the process of joining the Associates. Becoming an Associate involves discernment and a period of formation to grow in the spirit and spirituality of the Congregation and prepare for participation in the Congregation’s life and works.  

Steps to becoming an Associate of the Congregation of St. Joseph are listed below.  

Initial Contact: Contact Carolyn Perry, [email protected], who will talk through the process, answer your questions, and help you discern if this is the right decision for you. 

Application: Once accepted as an inquirer, you may be assigned a local mentor or spiritual director who guide you in the application and formation process. 

Formation: The formation process includes learning the history, spirituality, mission and charism of the Sisters of St. Joseph, what it means to be an associate, and what you can expect moving forward. At the end of your formation period (usually about 1 year), you will formally request to make your commitment as an associate. This request is submitted to the Congregational Leadership Team (CLT) by the Director of Associate Movement. You will receive a formal letter of acceptance from the CLT. 

Commitment: Commitment ceremony takes place, usually at your local center, during which you sign your name in our associate commitment book and receive your lace cross necklace identifying you as an associate of the Congregation of St. Joseph. 

To learn more about becoming an Associate of the Congregation of St. Joseph visit the Congregation of St. Joseph website, https://www.csjoseph.org/as-an-associate/