A Ministry of the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace | Living Peace
About Us

Our Founders

The prophet does not compel;
She invites each person to see herself,
her world, her God,
in a fresh way.

Mother Clare
A Voice for Reform, Liberation, and Justice

Born in Dublin, Ireland, May 6, 1829, Margaret Anna Cusack (Mother Clare) was raised in the Anglican Church tradition until her conversion to Catholicism in 1858. She entered the Irish Poor Clare Sisters and was among the first group of Sisters sent to found the convent at Kenmare, Co. Kerry.

During the next 21 years, Cusack, now known as Sister Francis Clare, dedicated herself to writing. Lives of the saints, local histories, biographies, books and pamphlets on social issues, letters to the press – all testify to her amazing industry and the wide range of her concerns. As the “Nun of Kenmare” she wrote on behalf of the liberation of women and children who were victims of oppression. Income from her books and from her famine relief fund was distributed throughout Ireland. While doing all she could to feed the hungry, at the same time she campaigned vigorously against the abuse of absentee landlords, lack of education for the poor and against a whole system of laws which degraded and oppressed a section of society. Read many of her books online.

To broaden the scope of her work Cusack moved to Knock, Co. Mayo in 1881 with the idea of expanding the ministry of the Poor Clares. She started an industrial school for young women and evening classes for daytime land-workers. Several women were attracted by this work and in 1884 she decided to found her own community, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace.

Sister Evangelista Gaffney takes the lead

Born in Keadue, County Roscommon in 1853, Honoria Gaffney (later Mother Evangelista) was a 28-year-old teacher when Mother Clare came to Knock. “Her purpose was to establish an institute for the training and betterment of poor girls…This laudable work with its high ideals made a strong appeal to Miss Gaffney, and she associated herself with Mother Clare’s efforts from the very beginning.” (MSS Sr. Ignatius Killian, 1920) The sisters left Knock for Nottingham, England, on January 3, 1884, and were accepted into the Diocese of Nottingham by Bishop Bagshawe. Mother Evangelista and Sr. Rose Kelly, the first sisters of the institute, pronounced their vows in St. Barnabas Cathedral on January 7, 1884.

Mother Francis Clare, Mother Evangelista, and Bishop Bagshawe.

Peace Care History

1891
Our Story Begins
1891

Peace Care began as St. Joseph's School for the Blind and first opened in a rented house in Jersey City, New Jersey by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace.

1921
St. Joseph's Home
1921

Home split into St. Joseph’s School for the Blind and St. Joseph’s Home (Margaret Anna Cusack Center).

1987
St. Ann's Home for the Aged
1987

Sisters purchased St. Ann’s from Sisters of Providence (St. Ann's Home for the Aged)

2016
St. Ann's Home for Aged
2016

Peace Care NJ was founded