Sisters of Saint Joseph raise
their voices to proclaim a vision
of unity in response to situations
and conditions which threaten our global community. We want to
share with you our views about
some important issues.

Global Concerns

Since 1979 the Congregations of St. Joseph have been present at the United Nations (www.un.org) as an NGO (Non-Governmental Organization). Our NGO is comprised of all the Sisters of St. Joseph and Associates throughout the world. We are organized as the Canadian, French, Italian, and United States Federations, the Institute of St. Joseph (European Congregations), and Sisters of St. Joseph in Argentina and Australia. In 1979 (through our Canadian Sisters) we received accreditation to the United Nations Department of Public Information (DPI) as a DPI-NGO. The United Nations defines an NGO as a "not-for-profit, voluntary citizens' group, which is organized on a local, national and international level to address issues in support of the public good." As a DPI-NGO, we share and disseminate information about the United Nations and its many activities within and among our own members as well as those we serve. Our NGO is present in 50+ countries around the world, serving in the areas of education, human rights, the eradication of poverty, women's rights, healthcare issues, peace, environment, sustainable development, and conflict resolution.

In 1999, the Congregations of St. Joseph (our official UN-NGO title) received accreditation with the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) at the United Nations. As an ECOSOC NGO, there is a reciprocal relationship between the NGO and the United Nations programs and agencies responsible for the many economic and social issues of our day. In this reciprocal relationship, we not only share information about the UN issues, but we are invited to bring our collective presence and voice to bear on the various UN-related issues our Sisters and Associates further at the grass roots level around the world. This reciprocal relationship allows for our CSSJ Mission and Charism to make a contribution to the creation of a world of unity, peace, justice, reconciliation, and hope for all living beings.

Presently, our UN-NGO ministry is served by a fulltime representative, Carol Zinn, ssj (Philadelphia) and three volunteers, Mary Legge, ssj (Philadelphia), Marianne Sennick, csj (Brentwood), and Susan Wilcox, csj (Brentwood).