Sisters of St. Joseph Watertown

Sisters of St. Joseph, Watertown

Sister Kathleen DeBoalt, SSJ or Sister Mary Paul Frenia, SSJ

Address: 1425 Washington Street, Watertown, NY   13601

Phone: 315-782-3460

Fax:   315-788-6574

e-mail:  SSJOGDWA@connect.com   or   sisssj@qisco.net

We, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Watertown, NY, have served in the Diocese of Ogdensburg in northern New York since 1881. We are a relatively small community, numbering 78 at the present time. We serve the people of God through a variety of ministries including: Prayer, Catholic Education, Social Work, Religious Education, Special Education, Pastoral Ministry, School Administration, Music Education, Youth Ministry, Campus Ministry, Missionary Outreach, Cosmetology, and Household Management. Most of us live and work in the Diocese of Ogdensburg. We also have one Sister who is doing missionary work in Alaska and four Sisters working in Syracuse, NY.

To enter the Sisters of St. Joseph of Watertown, a woman must be at least a high school graduate (some college experience is recommended) and not more than 50 years old. The formation program begins with the Vocational Discernment phase in which the woman with an interest in religious life receives help discerning where God is leading her. She is provided with opportunities for growth through prayer, spiritual direction, self-knowledge, and an understanding of religious life as lived by the Sisters of St. Joseph.

The duration of this program varies with the needs of the individual woman. In order to be received into the Congregation, candidates should have the right intention, possess those qualifications deemed necessary for living the religious life, and have no legitimate impediment.