2025 Trustees Award

Honoring the Sisters of St. Joseph, Brentwood, NY

The Trustees Award represents one of the highest honors bestowed by the St. Joseph’s University, New York Board of Trustees. This prestigious recognition celebrates individuals and organizations who have made extraordinary contributions to the University, society at large or the advancement of academic knowledge. 

The Sisters of St. Joseph, Brentwood, NY are the founders of St. Joseph’s University, New York (then known as St. Joseph’s College for Women). Since opening its doors in 1916, the congregation has created a lasting legacy that has taken our institution from a single building with 12 students in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn, to a university with a global influence, one that is home to over 3,800 students across two campuses and online programs with over 49,000 alumni worldwide.

For over a century, the Sisters of St. Joseph, Brentwood, NY have played a vital role in shaping St. Joseph’s University, New York through diverse academic, social, spiritual, environmental and charitable endeavors, strengthening the student experience and fostering a sense of unity across the campus community.

A commitment to educational leadership is evidenced by three sisters who proudly served as SJNY presidents: S. Vincent Thérèse Tuohy, CSJ (1956-1969), S. George Aquin O’Connor, CSJ (1969-1997) and S. Elizabeth A. Hill, CSJ, J.D. (1997-2014). 

The Sisters’ dedication to SJNY continues today, serving as professors, administrators, committee and board members. Their vision upholds the University’s core mission and reinforces its five pillars of integrity, intellectual rigor, spiritual depth, social responsibility and service.

The Sisters of St. Joseph, Brentwood, NY has grown into one of Long Island’s most influential charitable organizations, continuing to make significant impacts both locally and beyond. Guided by their founder Jean-Pierre Médaille’s core values of unity, reconciliation and healing, they have consistently adapted their mission to meet changing community needs.

Their comprehensive outreach spans multiple dimensions: 

• Education — through their Spirit Alive Institute and sponsored schools including Sacred Heart Academy, The Mary Louis Academy, Fontbonne Hall and Academia María Reina in Puerto Rico.
• Spirituality — through retreats, spiritual direction formation and daily reflections.
• Justice — the Sisters offer immediate community support by assisting migrants at the Long Island Immigration Clinic and refugee resettlement. In 2024, exemplifying their “Dear Neighbor” philosophy, they partnered with Concern Housing to begin the process of transforming the former Academy of St. Joseph into 140 affordable apartments, addressing critical housing needs in Suffolk County.
• Ecology — this year marks the 10th anniversary of the Sisters’ pioneering land ethic statement, which has guided ecological and sustainability practices across their 211-acre Brentwood campus. These sustainability initiatives have created thriving animal habitats, established organic farms serving local communities and developed a vibrant garden ministry.

These are only a few examples of the Sisters of St. Joseph, Brentwood, NY’s contributions, commitment and lasting impact on the SJNY community and the world. For this, St. Joseph’s University, New York is deeply grateful. 

On the 375th anniversary of the founding of their order, and in recognition of their enduring legacy, extraordinary efforts and profound influence in the fields of education, ecology, justice and spirituality, we are proud to present the 2025 Trustees Award to the Sisters of St. Joseph, Brentwood, NY.

As we work to inspire and uplift a new generation, St. Joseph’s University, New York is honored to be a part of your longstanding legacy of kindness, inclusivity and passion.