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Heritage Rooms

Heritage Rooms

We welcome you to the Sisters of Saint Joseph Heritage Rooms, which are located in an original section of Monticello, the home we Sisters of Saint Joseph purchased from Joseph Middleton in 1858.

The Heritage Room
A large wall mural highlights our Congregation’s beginnings in LePuy and Lyons France, Saint Louis, Philadelphia, McSherrystown, and Chestnut Hill. This brief overview of Congregational history is complemented by archival records and artifacts displayed in wall and floor cases.

Neumann Room
Saint John Neumann, CSSR, Bishop of Philadelphia from 1852 to 1860, was a friend and benefactor of the Sisters of Saint Joseph. He recommended the Chestnut Hill site to Mother Saint John Fournier and celebrated the first Mass on the table to the right in the front parlor, now the Neumann Room, on August 21, 1858. 

Mount Saint Joseph Academy Room
Mount Saint Joseph Academy was established by our sisters six weeks after their arrival on August 16, 1858. This outstanding educational institution has evolved from its modest beginnings in the parlors of Monticello to its present Flourtown, PA site. 

Fontbonne Room
After the French Revolution, Mother Saint John Fontbonne, re-founded the Lyon branch of the Sisters of Saint Joseph and sent sister-missionaries to the United States in 1836. The first foundation in the United States was at Carondelet, St. Louis, Missouri. The Fontbonne Room is dedicated to the memory of this courageous woman.

VIRTUAL TOUR

A large wall mural highlights our Congregation’s beginnings in LePuy and France, Saint Louis, Philadelphia, McSherrystown, and Chestnut Hill. This brief overview of Congregational history is complemented by archival records and artifacts displayed in wall and floor cases.

A Tour of the SSJ Heritage Rooms

Visit the Heritage Museum’s Heritage Rooms by booking in advance. You can book by calling emailing rlaurich@ssjphila.org.