After a year or so, there was a request for the Marist sisters to help in a poor country area called Jarnosse. It was not far from Coutouvre where the Chavoins had lived. At the time the parish priest was none other than Fr Jean-Philibert Lefranc, the old friend and director of those two young women from the area who years ago had been searching for their path in life .
Mother St Joseph offered to go. Sr Ambrose and some of the other sisters had little interest in the project but thought it might give their former leader something. to do, as she had not been very settled in her new place. They really did not think it would come to much or that it would last long.
God had other plans. Mother St Joseph and a couple of other sisters set out for Jornosse in 1855. There was no school there but there were many poor children needing to be taught. So they set about having a school built.
It was not just a case of anything will do. Mother St Joseph drew up the plans and supervised the building of a good strong structure with plenty of windows for. light and air. She also wrote to Sr Ambrose and asked for sisters who had some training to come and staff the school.
Then the problems began. Mother St Joseph had been led to believe that the parish had the money to pay for the school. She soon learned that Fr Lefranc was unwell and there was nowhere near enough money available. Very soon Fr Lefranc had to leave the parish and she turned to Sr Ambrose for advice. But the sisters were not well off either. What to do? Mother St Joseph could not see the workers left without their just wage. She began to visit people round about to ask them to lend the money until the sisters could repay them. In the mean time classes took place and the reputation of the school grew. School inspectors came and were most impressed.
The people of Jarnosse loved Mother St Joseph and the sisters They were so grateful for all that was being done for their children and for themselves - it was like a new beginning. Mother St Joseph too had been given a new beginning and there was a wonderful relationship of mutual support between sisters and the villagers. However, the financial worries and the effort to go out and borrow money were taking a toll on the health of the foundress who was then over 70 years of age.
After a year or so, there was a request for the Marist sisters to help in a poor country area called Jarnosse. It was not far from Coutouvre where the Chavoins had lived. At the time the parish priest was none other than Fr Jean-Philibert Lefranc, the old friend and director of those two young women from the area who years ago had been searching for their path in life .
