Mother Joseph

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Mother Joseph (April 16, 1823 – January 19, 1902) was born Esther Pariseau in Saint-Elzéar, Quebec, Canada. At the age of 20, when she entered the convent of the Sisters of Charity of Providence (now Sisters of Providence) in Montreal, her carriage-maker father is said to have remarked, "I bring you my daughter, Esther, who wishes to dedicate herself to the religious life. She can read, write, figure accurately, sew, cook, spin and do all manner of housework. She can even do carpentering, handling a hammer and saw as well as her father. She can also plan for others and she succeeds in anything she undertakes. I assure you, Madam, she will make a good superior some day."

In 1856 Mother Joseph was chosen to lead a group of five missionaries to the Pacific Northwest Territories of the United States. There she was responsible for the completion of eleven hospitals, seven academies, five Indian schools,and two orphanages throughout an area that today encompasses Washington, northern Oregon, Idaho, and Montana. An architect and artist, she was responsible for designing some of the buildings, supervising their construction, and fund raising. Each of her "begging tours" into mining camps lasted several months and raised between $2,000 and $5,000 toward the realization of her goal. A stickler for detail, Mother Joseph often inspected rafters and bounced on planks to insure their support.

Mother Joseph died of a brain tumor in 1902, leaving a legacy of humanitarian service. While it is not true (as has been widely reported) that the American Institute of Architects declared Mother Joseph "The First Architect of the Pacific Northwest," she did plan and build some of the region's first permanent institutions of learning and medical care. In 1980, the state of Washington recognized her many talents and contributions by naming her as one of the state's two representatives to the U.S. Capitol's National Statuary Hall Collection. The bronze statue of Mother Joseph in Statuary Hall was created by Felix W. de Weldon, sculptor of the USMC War Memorial commemorating the raising of the flag at Iwo Jima. She is also a member of the National Cowgirl Hall of Fame.[1]