Protest

History has documented many instances in which the Sisters of St. Joseph, among other women religious, defied authority to defend and protect the dear neighbor. One such instance includes the actions of Sisters of St. Joseph of Rochester at the Selma protest.

In 1965, in Selma, Alabama a group of nuns, united in their fight against the violence inflicted upon the African American community, spoke up at a time when the church was reluctant to do so.  “In reality, the sisters and those they marched with walked only about a block that day before they were stopped by Alabama troopers and a sheriff’s posse; but that short walk helped propel American Catholic sisters into a new era that forever changed the face of religious life and would inevitably redefine how sisters understood and acted upon social justice issues for the rest of the century.” (The Selma effect: Catholic nuns and social justice 50 years on)

Today, Sisters of St. Joseph continue to be very active in public causes as advocates of social justice. They remain outspoken on such issues as immigration, human trafficking, climate change, and corporate social responsibility, among others.