Social Justice

Sisters actively work, through legislation and action, to increase awareness of human trafficking and support victims in escaping and restarting their lives.  The Sisters also take part in larger, nationwide actions such as the annual demonstration at the School of the Americas in Fort Benning, GA, to help promote peace and reduce violence in Central and South American nations.

On one Sunday each month, you will find Sisters of Providence united with others in a prayer vigil in downtown Seattle to raise awareness about the problem of human trafficking. Once a year, you will find us engaged in peaceful, nonviolent protest of the School of the Americas in Fort Benning, Ga.

At other times we are at immigration rallies, corresponding and visiting with legislators to discuss vital issues, and taking a stand in corporate boardrooms.


Center for Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation

As part of Sisters of Providence International, Mother Joseph Province is involved in the Center for Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation (CJPIC). It was created in 2005 in Montreal to provide information and support for the sisters and their ministries on global social, environmental and political issues.


Intercommunity Peace & Justice Center

In addition, Sisters of Providence, Mother Joseph Province, is one of seven religious communities that co-sponsor the Intercommunity Peace & Justice Center.

Founded in 1991, the center is a nonprofit organization that networks with a broad range of community and religious groups. IPJC “acts for justice in the church and in the world.”

IPJC’s website includes resources for action on various topics, from awareness to involvement to leadership. Under IPJC’s umbrella is the Northwest Coalition for Responsible Investment (NWCRI), founded in 1994, which welcomes membership of any faith-based institution, religious community or its related organizations located in the Pacific Northwest.

IPJC is “a regional collaborative organization of faith-based institutions committed to using their power as investors to shape a more just world. Members use their rights as shareholders to dialogue with companies about corporate policies and practices in order to promote peace, and economic and environmental justice.”


illustration of woman's hand holding the Earth

Reclaiming Earth

For more on the Sisters of Providence involvement in environmental issues, and specifically water as a justice issue, visit Reclaiming Earth.


Ending the Death Penalty

catholic mobilizing network logo

IPJC’s website resources include a continuum of action to push for an end to the death penalty. The continuum begins with strategies for awareness, then for involvement, and finally for leadership on the issue.

The Catholic Mobilizing Network is a national organization that mobilizes Catholics and all people of goodwill to value life over death, to end the use of the death penalty, to transform the U.S. criminal justice system from punitive to restorative, and to build capacity in U.S. society to engage in restorative practices. 


  • Celebrating 170 Years of Sisters of Providence in Chile
    Sisters from around the world converged on Santiago, Chile, earlier in the summer to celebrate the 170th anniversary of Mother Bernarda Morin’s arrival in that South American nation. Much of the Sisters’ current ministry is in education and students played a major roll in all the events.  A spectacular night of music, skits and traditional … Read more
  • My Ministry in Providence Health System
    Reflection by Sister Susanne Hartung, SP After 20 years in secondary education:  teaching and administration, the leadership of our community asked me to consider going into health care as a mission leader. Not knowing with any certainty of what the role entailed, I took a full year of discernment. In 1987, I began my ministry … Read more
  • Early Years at St. Thomas Set Stage for a Lifetime of Service
    In the early 1940s, Patricia Hillstrom’s parents dropped her off at the St. Thomas Orphanage in Great Falls, Montana, on their way to Seattle to work at Boeing. The Sisters of Providence had founded the home in 1908. They opened more than a home for orphans – it was a school, a boarding house and … Read more
  • Sisters Join with Families to Promote Vocations
    By Sr. Marie-Thérèse Gnamazo We recently participated in an event in Yakima, Washington, called Congreso Católico de Evangelización Familiar (Catholic Family Evangelization Congress). It is one of the largest Catholic Hispanic religious events in the Northwest, combining prayer, Mass, music and inspirational speakers. The event was free, conducted in Spanish and everyone was welcome. We … Read more
  • Forming Tomorrow’s Health Care Leaders in the Providence Mission
    By Sister Rosa Nguyen I have been blessed to be a part of the Mission Leadership Institute, sponsored by Providence St. Joseph Health and Providence University. This program is a transformative, accredited program preparing the next generation of health care leaders to promote and advance our organization’s mission. Our core competencies in the Mission Leadership … Read more