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Although those who live on the property of St. Joseph's House do not all share the same last name, they all consider their large household a family.
Many are adopted children, but there are some children who are under the care of John and Donna Kurtz because, in one way or another, their needs were not met in their previous environment. There are also full-time volunteers, many of whom lived previously as children of the family. The family of St. Joseph's House is a family that works hard to serve each other’s needs, bonds together in a loving family environment and in recreation, spends much time benefiting from a challenging, Catholic education, and lives out the faith in a radical way from daily Mass, daily prayer, frequent spiritual discussion, and the building of virtues. |
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Vision of a Catholic Family
"John and Donna Kurtz share a passionate vision to bring the gift of a loving Catholic family to the least of God's children. The children they embrace are often seen as the most difficult to place; children of drug addicted parents, older boys who have been in foster placement for years with developmental delays, children with histories of abuse and those suffering from attachment disorders. These are the types of challenges that this loving and talented couple have embraced. They have been successful in reaching these difficult children with patience, skill and perseverance, love, prayer and the gift of a loving family. John and Donna, through their committed marriage embody the very incarnational covenant of Jesus Christ. They share a vision of the healing power of a faith filled home. They also continue to develop their personal and professional gifts as parent-educators/counselors that informs the structure and activities of their home-schooled family environment." Dr. Theresa Burke Rachel's Vineyard Ministries |
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"Vital, even heroic"
The ministry of St. Joseph’s House provides a vital, even heroic, attempt to serve especially challenged children, and to create a special religious environment for other children as well to be nurtured in faith and healing love. Those who serve this ministry do so without any concern for personal gain. They are sacrificing all for the sake of this ministry. They choose to do this simply to respond to the mandate of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Fr. Domenic A. Rossi
Pastor, St. Norbert’s Catholic Church in Paoli, Pennsylvania
The ministry of St. Joseph’s House provides a vital, even heroic, attempt to serve especially challenged children, and to create a special religious environment for other children as well to be nurtured in faith and healing love. Those who serve this ministry do so without any concern for personal gain. They are sacrificing all for the sake of this ministry. They choose to do this simply to respond to the mandate of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Fr. Domenic A. Rossi
Pastor, St. Norbert’s Catholic Church in Paoli, Pennsylvania
