Join us for a story of faith and courage in America on this episode of the American Catholic Daily Reader podcast.
Transcript
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Welcome to the American Catholic Daily Reader Podcast. Today is March 5th, and our story is The Sisters from Lyon. In 1834, Mother St. John Fontbonne, CSJ, Superior of the Sisters of St. Joseph in Lyon's France, received an unusual visitor, the French Countess Félicite Duras.
Not long before, the Countess had received a request for help from Bishop Joseph Rosati, the first bishop of the Diocese of St. Louis in Missouri. The bishop needed aid for his poor but growing diocese. More specifically, he needed religious sisters who could teach the diocese's children.
Promising to cover the costs of the sisters' work, the Countess asked Mother St. John to help the bishop. Mother St. John agreed, and in mid-January 1836, six sisters from the Lyons convent set sail for the port of New Orleans.
The oldest was 30, and the youngest was 21 years old. After a harrowing 49-day crossing, the sisters landed in New Orleans on March 5, 1836. Bishop Rosati was there to meet them. The group rested for two weeks in New Orleans, then boarded a steamer ship bound for St. Louis.
Upon their arrival, the French sisters lived with the Sisters of Charity. Soon, however, they settled into their new home in Carindelet, doing the work, and then some, that they'd crossed an ocean to accomplish. In St. Louis, the sisters founded schools for both white and black students, and administered a school for the deaf and hard of hearing.
They also opened a college for women and ministered to the poor and the sick in their community. Their example of service rapidly inspired vocations, and in less than 25 years, the community was sending out sisters to serve all across the country. Today, more than 175 years later, the Sisters of St. Joseph continue their work in the Archdiocese of St. Louis and nearly 20 other cities around the United States.
The sisters remind us that service often requires sacrifice, adaptability, and faith-filled initiative. Look for an opportunity to serve others in your community this week, whether through teaching, volunteering, or mentoring. May we emulate the sisters' courage and commitment, trusting God as we step beyond our comfort zones to serve.
Thank you for listening to the American Catholic Daily Reader podcast. Join us tomorrow, March 6th, for another story of faith and courage in America.
