Blessed Anne Marie Javouhey – Foundress of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Cluny
Anne Marie Javouhey, the founder of the religious institute, was born in a remote village in Burgundy, France, on November 10, 1779 and died on the July 15, 1851.
Javouhey grew up at a time when the country was in the grip of the French Revolution. Churches and schools were closed and priests were persecuted. She, along with her parents, helped save the lives of priests who would not swear an oath of allegiance to the State. Not long after she turned 20, Anne Marie chose to become a nun, but for her it was not an easy process. She made several attempts to enter religious life and ended up leaving several institutes, before deciding to begin one of her own.
Two years later, on 12 May 1807, Bishop Imberties of Autun officially bestowed religious habits upon Anne Marie and eight other women, including three of her sisters. This act officially founded the Society of St. Joseph of Cluny in Cluny, France. The congregation became known as the Sisters of St. Joseph of Cluny.
In January 1822, Javouhey traveled to Senegal to work among the local population. In 1823, at the invitation of Charles MacCarthy, British governor of Sierra Leone opened a house there, and, soon after, in Gambia. At the death of Anne Marie on 15 July 1851, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Cluny numbered about 1,000 and houses.
were located on five continents around the world. She was beatified on October 15, 1950.
Cluny Sisters Worldwide
The congregation of the Sisters of Saint Joseph of Cluny is an apostolic religious congregation of Pontifical Right. The congregation has approximately 2400 sisters in 57 countries, 30 provinces, 401 communities across 5 continents, working in education, health, evangelization and social action. The presence of the congregation is seen in Africa, Europe, Asia, America and Australia.
The Sisters of Saint Joseph of Cluny originate from approximately 60 nations or regions. With a wide variety of languages, cultures and formation, and with a wide range of apostolic commitments that evolve according to the needs of today, the unity of the congregation is maintained by the will of every sister to live as a follower of Christ and according the spirit of the foundress.
Cluny Sisters in Ghana
The Sisters of St Joseph of Cluny first came to Ghana in 1990 upon the invitation of the Archbishop Peter Kwasi Sarpong the Bishop of the then Diocese of Kumasi. Four sisters first settled in Kunsu Domeabra and later at Ahinsan-Kumasi. They are involved in teaching and the provision of health care as well as pastoral work.
In 1994 they took over the management of Good Shepherd Preparatory School and have transformed it into a first class school. The congregation now has several sisters from Ghana, some of whom are products of Good Shepherd Preparatory School.