Organization:

The Federation is a membership organization composed of the vowed members of 26 communities of Sisters of St. Joseph, including autonomous congregations, the Carondelet congregation which has 4 provinces as well as vice provinces in Hawaii and Japan, and Peru, and 2 communities which are provinces of French congregations. Carondelet Center, the general leadership team, is also represented in the Leadership Assembly.

There are about 7500 members in the communities as well as lay Associates who relate to them and lay staff who participate in the mission of the communities.

We relate to the Canadian, French, and Italian Federations. There are Sisters of Saint Joseph in over 53 countries.

The Federation is governed by the Leadership Assembly which is composed of the Leadership Teams of all the Congregations. This group meets annually in November for direction setting and corporate responsibilities.

The Leadership Council is the elected leadership team of the Federation. It is made up of 10 members plus the Executive Director and the Treasurer. This group meets several times a year to forward the purpose and direction of the Federation, plan the annual meeting, and carry on business. Co- chairs provide leadership and relate between meetings with the Executive Director.

• Janet Fleischhacker, SSJ, Co-Chair Nazareth
• Jane F. Morrissey, SSJ, Co-Chair Springfield
• Sharon Becker, CSJ Orange
• Margaret Belanger, CSJ, Treasurer St. Paul
• Laura Bufano, CSJ Albany
• Paula Drass, CSJ Baden
• Kathleen Durkin, SSJ Wheeling
• Kathleen Kelly, CSJ Los Angeles
• Pat Kozak, CSJ Cleveland
• Marianne Race, CSJ La Grange
• Anna Louise Schuck, SSJ Philadelphia
• Kathleen McCluskey, CSJ, Exec. Dir. Boston

The Finance Committee serves the Leadership Assembly in the management of the operating budget and investments. It meets 2 - 3 time annually with the Treasurer to monitor finances, oversee investments, develop budgets, prepare finance reports for the Leadership Assembly. Other Leadership Assembly Committees serve as needed.

The Regions are now a part of the formal governance structure. Business and information can flow between the regions, the Leadership Council, Executive Director, etc. Currently there are four Regions:

• The Atlantic Coast (Boston, Brentwood, Philadelphia, Springfield, St. Augustine, West Hartford, and Winslow)
• The Lakes (Albany, Baden, Buffalo, Erie, Rochester, St. Paul, and Watertown)
• The Heartland (Carondelet Center, Cleveland, Concordia, La Grange, Medaille, Nazareth, Tipton, St. Louis, Wheeling, and Wichita)
• The Pacific Rim (Hawaii, Los Angeles, and Orange)

• Executive Director Kathleen McCluskey, CSJ (Boston)
• Secretary Helen Colbert, CSJ, (Boston)
• Treasurer Margaret Belanger, CSJ (St. Paul), supported by the Finance Office in St. Paul

The Federation sponsors several Projects. These are collaborative efforts which involve substantial commitment of time on the part of project staff.

• United Nations NGO Status
  Carol Zinn, SSJ (Philadelphia) serves full time as our NGO representative, assisted by volunteers. The office is on East 43rd Street in New York.
• Canonical Novitiate Program
  Kay O'Brien, CSJ (Boston) is the Director of the program which is currently housed in Framingham, MA.
• Collaborative History
  Pat Byrne, CSJ (Baden) and Barbara Baer, CSJ (Wichita) staff this project which currently involves the translation of Therese Vacher's history of the French foundations and the Oral History Project which is leading to a writing of the US history.
• Archives
  Charline Sullivan, CSJ (St. Louis) serves as archivist and maintains the records at Carondelet, St. Louis.
• International Centre NEW!
  This is a seedling collaboration among the worldwide federations and congregations of St. Joseph. It is to be a center for promotion of the charism and mission, international in focus and experience, located in LePuy, France

Much of the work of the Federation is carried on by Committees which are established by the Leadership Assembly/Council to promote the goals and purposes of the Federation. Membership includes sisters, associates, staff colleagues, and the meetings are hosted by congregations/provinces around the country. Some committees plan and run programs; others carry out specific tasks for us all.

• Initial Formation
• Candidates Program (annual)
• Canonical Novitiate Program (annual)
• Temporary Professed Program (bi annual)
• Vocation/Formation Personnel Program (bi annual)
• Ongoing Formation
• COR - study of the primitive documents (bi annual)
• Third World Experience (bi annual)
• Federation Retreat
• Associate Directors (bi annual)
• Federation Event
• Will be convened this year to prepare for Event 2006
• Public Image
• The goal is to increase CSSJ visibility
• Produced Federation video for congregation use
• Developed and maintains the web site
• Current focus is external, public projection of CSJ image
• Research
• Currently co extensive with the History Project

Interest Groups are self initiated and sustained. They link persons from the various communities around similar interests, ministries, etc. Current Interest Groups include:

• Treasurers
• Development Personnel
• Communications Personnel
• Justice and Peace Personnel
• Federation South
• Latin American Ministers

Associates
Though they are not members, Associates are closely connected to the Federation by virtue of their relationships to their congregations/provinces. They participate in Federation programs and serve on committees as appropriate. They run their own Associates Event every 2 3 years.

Finances The Federation is supported by:

• Membership Dues
• Gifts
• Investment Income
• Gifts in Kind: office space and support, hospitality, personnel, service, expertise, etc.

Legal Status

• The Federation is a Civil Corporation, incorporated in Missouri and a Canonical Juridic Person.