Siervas de San Jose

The "Siervas de San Jose" is a religious congregation founded by Francisco Javier Butiña Hospital, S.J. and Bonifacia Rodriguez Castro, in Salamanca, Spain on January 7, 1874 and approved by Leo XIII on July 2, 1901.

The genesis of the Siervas de San Jose in the Church came at a propitious moment when Mother Church needed to incarnate an evangelically based response to the increasing needs and rising expectations of the working class and the plight of young women.

The Josephine charism of perpetuating the way of life of Jesus who, with his own hands and with the sweat of his face, worked and prayed with Mary and Joseph in Nazareth, manifests itself concretely in the day to day sanctification of whatever task or commission Sisters accomplish in an atmosphere imbued with the divine presence as they seek to create a deep level harmony between prayer and work in their life and in the life of those they work with an endeavor to evangelize or assist in the process of their integral development.

Hence, the spirituality of the SSJ is centered on the mystery of the hidden life of Jesus who prayed and worked in Nazareth in simplicity, humility, poverty and charity. The SSJ Nazareth Communities are found in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Italy, Philippines, Papua New Guinea and Vietnam.

Immersed in the poor working world, they fulfill their mission by means of different apostolic tasks namely:

• MANUAL WORK
            Worker Religious
            Shops - Talleres
            Domestic Chores
            Cooperatives
• EDUCATION
            Convivence/Sheltering
            Teaching
            Vocational Schools
• MISSIONARY WORK
• WITH NO DIRECT APOSTOLIC ACTIVITY
• OTHER ACTIVITIES WHICH CONTRIBUTE TO THE ATTAINMENT OF THEIR SPECIFIC GOAL
            Social Assistance
            Fulltime Pastoral Work
            Health Assistance

The SSJ came to the Philippines in May 1932 upon the invitation of Mons. James McCloskey, Bishop of Jaro, Iloilo. They established their first foundation in San Jose Antique and after a year moved to Silay, Negros Occidental. The Siervas experienced difficulties and hardships during the early years of their foundation up to the time of World War II. However, God willed that this congregation continue its mission here in the Philippines. Today the SSJ Philippine Province of the Holy Family has different communities in the Visayas and Luzon, Papua New Guinea and Vietnam.