Elizabeth Prout

Servant of God Sister Elizabeth Prout, known as Mother Mary Joseph of Jesus, (September 2, 1820 - January 11, 1864) was the founder of the Roman Catholic religious institute originally called the Institute of the Holy Family, but known later as the Passionist Sisters or the Sisters of the Cross and Passion.

Elizabeth Prout was born in Coleham, Shrewsbury on September 2, 1820. Little is known of her early life, save that she was born to an Anglican mother and a father who was a lapsed Catholic. Elizabeth was baptised and brought up in the Anglican tradition. Her parents relocated the family to seek work at Stone, Staffordshire, where her father worked as a journeyman cooper in Joule’s Brewery. In her early twenties she converted to Catholicism under the influence of the Passionist missionary to England, Blessed Dominic Barberi, as well as another Passionist, Father Gaudentius Rossi. Her conversion was met with great negativity by her parents (both of whom were later converted to Catholicism). Elizabeth began to feel a strong attraction to the religious life and Father Gaudentius advised her to join the Sisters of the Infant Jesus in Northampton. In 1848 Elizabeth joined this community where she initially found great happiness, her health however was poor and the sisters did not think her strong enough for their work. After spending some time with her parents, Elizabeth again appealed to Father Gaudentius for advice. At that time the Passionist was giving a parish mission at St Chad’s in Cheetham Hill, Manchester and it was there that Father Gaudentius advised Elizabeth to make her home, teaching in the parish school.

On arriving in Manchester, Elizabeth was met with the squalid conditions that the people lived in. She soon established herself in the parish by visiting the sick and poor in some of the poorest areas of Manchester, teaching workers in the cotton mills and Irish immigrants fleeing the potato famine.

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