As a Sister of St. Joseph of Peace, I often find myself reflecting on the words spoken by the Bishop of Nottingham at the profession of our first sisters in 1884: “To secure this divine peace for ourselves and procure its blessings for others in the midst of the sin, turmoil and restless anxiety of this modern world is the object of your institute.” Our religious congregation was founded to promote peace in family life, in the church, and in society in the late 19th century, a time when there was tremendous social upheaval and poverty causing people to flee their native lands in search of a better life. Today in the early 21st century, there is tremendous poverty and violence forcing millions of people to flee their native lands in search of a better life.
