Our Founder
Fr. Jean-Pierre Medaille
( 6th October 1610 - 30th December 1669 )
Jean-Pierre Médaille was born in Carcassonne, France on 6 October 1610. The family lived in fairly comfortable circumstances and was deeply religious. Father Jean-Pierre was a gifted spiritual director and a preacher. About 1646 Fr. Médaille formed the association of six women which was called the ‘Little Design’, they were filled with Love of God and neighbour, were dedicated to working for the disadvantaged and neglected. The group officially became known as the Congregation of Sisters of St. Joseph in 1650. On 15th October of that year the bishop of Le Puy gave them canonical status.
Our Foundress
St. John Fontbonne
( 31st March 1759 - 22nd November 1843 )
The French Revolution dealt a blow to the rapidly growing Congregation. The sisters were dispersed, some of them were imprisoned and some were even executed. However, in 1808 Mother St. John Fontbonne, who had narrowly escaped execution, began the re- formation of the sisters of St. Joseph. She founded the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Lyon in 1808 after the French Revolution and served as its first Superior General during her years of leadership, she established and reorganized pre-revolutionary communities and by the end of her leadership, she was responsible for establishing a number of new Congregations in France. Guided by the spirit of Founder and Foundress we, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Lyon Consciously commit ourselves to live the Charism of Communion.