Sisters of St. Joseph of Toronto

About Us

We, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Toronto, are a Roman Catholic Congregation of women founded in France in 1648. We have been in Toronto since 1851.

Mission

As a religious community, we are brought together by the love of Christ. We are called by God, the Gospel and the Church to serve those in need in simplicity and compassion and to pursue social justice and equality for all.

We are committed to nurture community with those who are homeless, alienated or poor, women at risk, and our wounded earth. We continue our long tradition of meeting unmet needs with life-giving ministries.

Charism

Father Jean-Pierre Médaille, SJ and the first Sisters of St. Joseph were inspired by Jesus’ invitation to love God and to love the “dear neighbour.” From this invitation flowed our charism: to be one with God, among ourselves and with all others.

Our Ministries

Our ministries serve seniors, young adults, newcomers to Canada and those who are alienated and economically disadvantaged. We care for all creation with a special emphasis on clean drinking water as a human right. We invite others to collaborate with us in our mission and ministry and participate in our spirituality.

Congregational Ministries

Ministries operated by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Toronto. These include:

• Ministry for Social Justice, Peace and Creation Care: Indigenous justice and climate action.
• Green Initiatives: Care of Earth in our buildings.
• Blue Communities: Recognizing water as a shared commons, sacred gift and human right.

Collaborative Ministries

Our Collaborative Ministries are shared projects established in partnership with other organizations. These include:

• Collaborative Network to End Exploitation: Raising awareness to prevent human trafficking and mistreatment.
• Joint Ecological Ministry: Religious communities promoting care for creation.
• Becoming Neighbours: Assisting newcomers as friends, guides and mentors.
• Project Hope: Sponsoring refugees to live in Canada.
• Ignatian Spirituality Project: Ongoing spiritual direction for those recovering from homelessness and addiction.