Where We Serve - Mission Presences
The Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace have always had a missionary component. We were first founded by Irish sisters who left their homeland to serve in the missions in the United States, England, and Canada.
In 1890 two Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace, Teresa and Stanislaus, made their way by train from New Jersey to Bellingham, Washington, to start the town’s first hospital. They begged in mines and lumber camps, and within a year had raised enough money to build St. Joseph Hospital. These courageous women were the pioneers of the Western Province of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace and certainly were missionaries in the true sense.
Later, sisters went to the Philippines where they served in a hospital, a dispensary, and two high schools, and Africa, where they taught in educational facilities from nursery school to diocesan seminaries. More recently, one of our nurse-sisters ministered in Rwanda with people living with AIDS. (Read her journal.)
Other sisters worked with Catholic Relief Services in Vietnam and Maryknoll in Chile. Two sisters of Irish descent returned to their homeland and ministered in Boys’ Schools in Northern Ireland.
Today our Sisters and Associates minister in El Salvador, Haiti, and Guatemala.
El Salvador
Sister Susan DeWitt, CSJP and Sr. Margaret Jane Kling, CSJP continue the CSJP presence in El Salvador which was begun in 1985.
Read the story of our presence in El Salvador 
Learn more about the current ministry of Sr. Susan and Sr. Margaret Jane
Haiti
The 125th Anniversary Project of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace was officially launched October 5, 2009 with the arrivals of Sisters Maureen Boggins, CSJP, Ann Crawley, CSJP, and Marilee Murphy, CSJP at Hôpital Sacré Coeur in Milot, Haiti. The hospital was founded by Sacred Heart brothers in the 1960’s and today is sponsored by which requested the Sisters’ presence.
The three sisters in Haiti truly were sent at a poignant time in the history of Haiti. They have been personally involved in aiding the people of Haiti who have been so affected by the earthquake which rocked the country in January, 2010.
Learn more about our CSJP ministry in Haiti
Guatemala
Sheila McShane, a CSJP Associate is a Lay missionary, nurse, working again in the Helena, Montana diocese Guatemala Mission since 2006. She had previously ministered there for 17 years in the same Mission. The parish clinic is located in the Mountainous region of Guatemala, serving Mayan Indigenous population.
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