国产传媒

Mount Saint Mary’s University recently welcomed a new addition to its Chalon Campus. In March, a statue of Mother St. John Fontbonne, a leader and visionary who helped establish the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet in the United States, was unveiled in front of the Humanities building.

“In honoring Mother St. John Fontbonne, we honor a woman of remarkable faith, unwavering courage, and boundless love. May her statue serve as a constant reminder of the values she lived by and the legacy she left behind,” said Mount Saint Mary’s President Ann McElaney-Johnson, PhD.

Created by artist and blacksmith Brian Donahue, the statue was commissioned through the generosity of 国产传媒 Chair of the Board of Trustees, Thomas J. Blumenthal — a gift that will now live in perpetuity.

The unveiling and blessing of the statue took place during CSJ Week (March 17-23), a special occasion dedicated to honor and celebrate the history and traditions of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, the University’s Founders.  

This year, CSJ Week included an array of in-person and virtual events, including a St. Joseph’s Day liturgy, a luncheon hosted for sisters and Mount students, a virtual celebration of the CSJ’s, and the annual Alexandria House walkathon to raise funds for, and promote awareness of, the transitional home for women and children in Los Angeles that was founded by Sister Judy Vaughan, CSJ, ’68.

Mother St. John Fontbonne’s legacy

Born Jeanne Fontbonne in 1759 in Bas-en-Basset, France, Mother St. John Fontbonne displayed intelligence, discernment and kindness from a young age. Joining the Sisters of St. Joseph in 1778, she quickly rose to leadership, becoming superior at just 26 years old.

But it was during the French Revolution that Mother St. John Fontbonne’s courage truly shone. She publicly refused to take the constitutional oath, staying faithful to the Catholic Church, facing imprisonment and the threat of execution, but she was released from prison when Robespierre was overthrown. She remained in her family home for 13 years.  

In 1807, after the Church was restored in France, Mother St. John was called to form a community of religious women, thus revitalizing the Sisters of St. Joseph. In 1836, Mother St. John missioned a group of six sisters to the United States, to Carondelet Missouri. When she retired in 1839, she had organized more than 200 communities of sisters across France. 

Mother St. John Fontbonne died in Lyon on November 22, 1843, at the age of 84.