This was the origin of the order. The congregation spread quickly throughout Europe, interrupted for a few years by the French Revolution. In 1836, a small group of sisters left France to come to Carondelet, MO. In 1850, four of these women came to Canandaigua, NY. This community grew into today's SSJ of Rochester, with over 350 vowed members, over 100 associates, and countless friends and supporters.
For over 75 years, the Motherhouse and infirmary, located on the campus of Nazareth College, in Pittsford, NY, has been a center for their life and ministries. In 1997, the congregation entered into a strategic planning process, one goal of which was to look at the use of their current properties and to identify their future needs.