Mission and History

NY High School for Girls

Mission

Fontbonne Hall, a college preparatory school for young women, offers a superior educational program to form and empower women of confidence and compassion rooted in the charism of the Sisters of St. Joseph--unity, reconciliation and inclusive love that embraces all of creation. The Sisters of St. Joseph believe in “a world of justice and union with God and one another.” In line with the Gospel teachings of Jesus Christ and the social teachings of the Catholic Church, this mission evolves to meet the needs of the time, and it imbues every aspect of our school life.

history

The Congregation of The Sisters of St. Joseph founded Fontbonne Hall Academy in 1937 as an all-girls Catholic secondary school.  The school is named for Mother St. John Fontbonne, a French nun who led the reconvening of the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph after it was disbanded during the French Revolution.

Throughout their history in the United States, the Sisters of St. Joseph answered the vocational needs of the time, including a legacy of educational excellence and a variety of social justice initiatives. 

Today

The Sisters of St. Joseph affirm the following in the 2021 Chapter Direction statement: 

As the Congregation of the Great Love of God, we believe our loving God is intimately present in all creation and desires its flourishing. Our rootedness in the Gospel of Jesus calls us to deepen our awareness of the grave systemic injustices of our times. We commit ourselves to the risk and cost of fostering right and just relationships among all our sisters and brothers and Earth, our common home. We acknowledge the culpability of our own biases and our participation in oppressive social, political and religious policies and practices. In response to the sin of racism and other evils, we pledge ourselves to undergo personal and communal transformation. We commit ourselves to sharing our spiritual and material resources, to networking and partnering, and to creating ongoing formation and educational opportunities to address racism, restorative justice, immigration reform, human trafficking, LGBTQIA biases, gender inequality, climate change, and other emerging issues. In this way, we work toward the transformation of ourselves, our Congregation, the diverse communities in which we live and work, and our world.

At Fontbonne, we work to bring this mission to life in every aspect of our school life.

  • Religion curriculum: Four year religion curriculum including a year-long junior class on Social Justice and Catholic Social Teaching. 
  • Campus ministry: Retreats, morning prayer, service, and service reflection.
  • Professional development of staff: Spirit Alive and ongoing formation by the CSJ Educators Committee.

Partnering with other CSJ ministries: Hour Children and the Providence House.


To learn more about the core commitments of the Sisters of St. Joseph, click here.

Catholic High School for Girls NYC