Who was Elizabeth Prout?
Mother Mary Joseph of Jesus (Elizabeth Prout) was born on September 2, 1820 in England. She converted to the Catholic faith in her twenties and almost immediately became a religious sister, although she was forced to leave her community due to poor health.
In 1851, she opened the first convent of the newly organized religious community which she had founded. The community would eventually come to be known as the Congregation of the Sisters of the Cross and Passion. She had a great love for the poor, and was an educator at heart. Elizabeth Prout and her sisters would visit the homes of the children they taught, as well as those of the sick and neglected. They instructed converts and cared for the forgotten. Mother Mary Joseph died on January 11, 1864.
The memory of Elizabeth Prout continues to live on in the school which bears her name. May we always exemplify the faith, service and learning of our patroness, Elizabeth Prout.
Servant of God Elizabeth Prout, pray for us!