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Sponsorship Statement of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet
Los Angeles Province
August 8, 2007

The congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph traces its origin to and follows the spirit of the foundation made in Le Puy, France in 1650.  The congregation is dedicated to “the practice of all the spiritual and corporal works of mercy of which woman is capable and which will most benefit the . . . dear neighbor”                                                                            (Primitive Constitution of the Sisters of St. Joseph).

The first Sisters of St. Joseph came to the United States in 1836 and began their ministries in Carondelet, a suburb of St. Louis. In 1870, the Sisters opened their first mission in the western United States in Tucson, Arizona, and later moved the province center to Los Angeles.

In carrying out their mission, the members of the congregation minister in a way that:
  • heals and reconciles
  • serves all persons without distinction
  • makes known through their lives the gospel they proclaim
  • enables others to assume a more active responsibility for continuing the mission of Jesus
  • recognizes and defends the human dignity of all persons
  • promotes justice with a particular concern for the poor.                                                                                                                  (Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, Constitution, #20)

During the last century, some of the institutionalized ministries of the Sisters entered into a sponsored relationship with the congregation. In this relationship, the congregation lends its name and reputation to the ministry, and transfers to a local governing Board the responsibilities for operating the ministry as a separately incorporated corporation.

Sponsorship
Sponsorship is a formalized relationship between the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, as the sponsoring congregation, and an institutional ministry. It is a relationship established legally either by church or civil law or through another kind of public written agreement for the purpose of sustaining and furthering the gospel values of compassion and justice that respond to the needs of persons in our times.

The relationship of sponsorship involves mutual benefits
and complementary responsibilities.

Mutual Benefits
In the sponsored relationship the institution and the Sisters of St. Joseph identify themselves with each other and to the public.  Some mutual benefits are:
  •  shared history, tradition, and experience
  •  the diversity of resources of each available to the other, such as personnel,
  •  expertise, and finances
  •  the insights and perspectives arising from diverse experiences
  • ongoing mutual support and challenge.

Complementary Responsibilities
Both the Sisters of St. Joseph and the sponsored institution encourage fidelity to the institution’s mission by and through:
  • processes for understanding and implementing the mission
  • the institution develops and implements processes such as orientation  and ongoing education
  • the congregation influences the processes and lends resources
  • an annual review of the vitality of the mission, the operational health and the financial stability of the institution.
  • the congregation calls for the review
  • the institution prepares a response
  • a periodic review of by-laws, specifically reserved powers, as well as policies and practices that have implications for human dignity, justice and ethics.
The congregation and the institution have a mutual responsibility for communicating appropriately about issues and decisions that may have an impact on the institution and/or the congregation.

Reserve Powers of the Congregation

Areas in which the sponsoring congregation, and the sponsored institution share responsibilities, but which the congregation, after receiving a recommendation from the Board of Directors/Trustees of a given institution, must also give approval include:

  1. Change of mission of the institution
  2. Alienation/sale of property
  3. Extraordinary expenditures and contracts, as specified in the By-Laws of the Institution
  4. Appointment of trustees/directors to the Board of Trustees/Directors
  5. Appointment of the President/Principal/CEO of the institution

List of Institutions Directly Sponsored
by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet
(Los Angeles Province)

Academy of Our Lady of Peace     
         San Diego, California  
Carondelet High School  
         Concord, California
St. Joseph High School (Philosophical Sponsorship)
         Lakewood, California
St. Mary’s Academy
         Inglewood, California
Mount St. Mary’s College
         Los Angeles, California
St. Joseph Center
         Venice, California



Sisters of St Joseph of Carondelet - Carondelet Center . 11999 Chalon Road . Los Angeles, CA 90049
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