Just outside of the home of The Sisters of St. Joseph the Worker in northern Kentucky, St. Joseph watches over us.
Any visitor sees his watchful gaze right outside our door.
I’m writing this letter because I want to encourage you to sign up for our May 18 – 20 “Called to Love” Vocation Retreat here in Walton, KY.
But first I have to explain the “why” behind my invitation to sign up for the retreat.
We see our community as a little St. Joseph’s workshop. St. Joseph was a quiet man. Not one word of his is recorded in Scripture.
That’s how we work. Quietly, laying a foundation for future generations. Like those who built the grand cathedrals in Europe, we will probably never see the finished result of our efforts, this side of heaven.
And as St. Joseph prepared the world for Christ our Savior by teaching him and by caring for the holy family, we teach at the grammar school down the block, St. Joseph Academy. We also care for the elderly at Taylor Manor some distance away.
Doing the ordinary things, with love. Like a little Nazareth.
Building the Church in Kentucky
These humble tasks are only small steps in our part of Kentucky history. Most people think of Kentucky as part of the Bible Belt – with lots of Protestant believers. But most don’t know that Kentucky was the foundation of the Catholic faith in the entire Midwest.
Bardstown, KY in fact, about two hours southwest of us, was the first Catholic diocese west of the Alleghenies. The only other diocese in the country was Baltimore. The first bishop in Kentucky came here in 1811.
There is a three-county area in the state that has so many Catholic religious orders and institutions that it is known as “The Holy Land.” This fledgling diocese also included such large metropolises as Cincinnati, Indianapolis, Chicago, and Detroit.
Awesome, isn’t it?
These frontier Catholics, who were called by one historian “an iron race of pioneers,” arrived just a few years after the famous Daniel Boone blazed a trail through the Cumberland Gap.
We are proud of our heritage. Catholics here are like leaven, the kind that the woman in the parable of Jesus worked into the flour to make the dough rise. In the same way, Catholics have had a sanctifying effect in this state for all these years. And we plan to help continue that.
Carry on this noble tradition
That’s why we are asking you to play a part in this noble tradition.
You’re getting this newsletter because your “Is Jesus Calling You?” quiz shows that you are qualified to seriously look into religious life.
If you think that God is whispering “yes” or “maybe” in your heart to become a religious sister, take the next step. Tap or click on the button below.
(If you’ve signed up for the retreat already, we look forward to seeing you!)
We have space for only nine registrants. Registration closes on May 11.
Sr. Patricia Jean, SJW
Vocation Director
Sisters of St. Joseph the Worker