Joseph, Mother (1823-1902), was a Roman Catholic nun and architect. She established, designed, and helped build many schools and hospitals in what are now southwestern Canada and the northwestern United States. Her other projects included shelters for orphans, the aged, and the mentally ill. Mother Joseph designed the buildings, supervised their construction, and raised funds for them. Many of the institutions she founded still exist, but most of the original structures are gone.
Mother Joseph was born on April 16, 1823, in St.-Elzéar, near Montreal, Quebec. Her original name was Esther Pariseau. At the age of 20, she entered the Sisters of Charity of Providence in Montreal. In 1856, she led a group of four nuns to Washington Territory. She established its first hospital in 1858. She died on Jan. 19, 1902. A statue of Mother Joseph represents the state of Washington in the U.S. Capitol.
