Active Life
The active religious life usually refers to religious communities whose members minister in settings outside their convent or monastery—in education, health care, pastoral service in parishes, social service, and social justice advocacy, among others.
Hermanas Josefinas, San Antonio
Active religious women and men generally live with one or more other members of their religious community in convents, apartments, or houses. Whether living alone or with others, their lives are distinguished by the values, vows, and habits of prayer that they hold in common.
Sisters of Saint Joseph, Chestnut Hill; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
The Sisters of Saint Joseph, Chestnut Hill, have a long and impressive history. Founded in 1650 in Le Puy, France, the community originally sent members to Saint Louis in 1836. Eleven years later, four sisters arrived in Philadelphia to administer Saint John's Orphanage for Boys. In 1861, the growing community of sisters in Philadelphia became an independent congregation. More than 145 years later, this institute remains one of the largest communities of women religious in the United States, numbering just under 1,000 members.
Although the Chestnut Hill congregation is large compared to many other communities, it has experienced a 44 percent decline in membership during the past 19 years, primarily due to the deaths of sisters. Presently about 35 percent of the community is past age 75, and over the next 15 years the earning potential of the members is expected to decline by roughly 76 percent. And yet the Sisters of Saint Joseph have managed a dramatic improvement in their capacity to fund members' retirement.
Our feature story in PDF format about the Sisters of Saint Joseph
www.ssjphila.org
Congregation of Holy Cross, Eastern Province; New Rochelle, New York
The Congregation of Holy Cross traces its founding to Le Mans, France in 1835. From those earliest days, the mission of the congregation has been to "go as educators in the faith to those whose lot we share." The brothers' education ministry is carried out in schools, colleges and universities, parishes, and missions throughout the world.
In 1990, the Eastern Province had 160 members, the majority of whom were 50 to 74 years of age. Less than one percent of the community was over the age of 75. At that time, the projected costs of retirement care for members of the province were 100 percent unfunded. While such costs were a nonissue at the time, the recognition that the province was completely unprepared for future needs was a definite wake up call. The province responded by seeking education for both leadership and members, conducting careful analysis, detailed projections and planning, and making many difficult decisions. But the outcome was worth it—today the Eastern Province is adequately funded for its retirement needs, according to NRRO calculations.
Our feature story in PDF format about the Congregation of Holy Cross
www.holycrossbrothers.org
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