The call to serve people in the communities in which they live goes back to the founding of the Sisters of St. Joseph.

In 1650, Father Jean Pierre Medaille told six women who made up the first Sisters of St. Joseph congregation to divide the city. They were to go out into the various districts to discern the needs and serve the people who lived there.

He called these people "the dear neighbor."

Father Medaille urged the sisters to serve their neighbors with the same care and loving concern that St. Joseph had shown in serving Jesus and Mary.

More than 350 years later, the Sisters of St. Joseph continue to minister to people in need.

Through Sisters of St. Joesph Dear Neighbor Ministries, the sisters, staff and volunteers work to transform the lives of poor, abused and neglected people in our community. We provide transitional housing, support services and direct assistance to help people master the skills to become self-sufficient.

Dear Neighbor Ministries is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, listed in the Official Catholic Directory and sponsored by the Congregation of St. Joseph in Wichita, Kansas.