Our History
The Story Behind Accola
For more than 175 years, the Sisters of Saint Joseph of Carondelet have been at work in this community. They built schools, hospitals, and housing. They stood with immigrants, with women, with people on the margins — not as distant benefactors, but as neighbors. Present. Engaged. Willing to be changed by the people they served alongside.
The Sisters are our founders and our largest contributors. More than that, they are our teachers, mentors, and partners — and they remain so today. Sisters serve on our board and committees. From the start, Accola’s Mission Education Committee was chartered to instill the values and culture of the CSJs into the fabric of Accola. The Sisters are invested in Accola’s future not as a legacy project, but as an active expression of their ongoing commitment to this community and shared work.
Why now?
A number of years ago, the Sisters began to wrestle with a question that many long-established religious communities have had to face. Their numbers were declining. The Sisters who had built and sustained these ministries for decades were aging. And yet the needs in our community — for safe housing, for language education, for spaces of spiritual grounding and connection — those needs were as present as ever.
So, in partnership with others who cared deeply about this community, they asked: how do we make sure this work continues — not just for a few more years, but well into the future?
That question led to years of careful discernment and dialogue. And out of that process came the decision to form a new organization — one that could carry these ministries forward, grounded in the Sisters’ values and sustained by a broader community of support.
That organization is Accola.
[ack-oh-la]
Accola
Our name comes from the Latin word for neighbor — companion, one who dwells nearby. It was chosen deliberately. It reflects who we are called to be: present with our neighbors, standing alongside them, sharing the same ground. This purpose has never felt more important.
What is the Sisters’ role in Accola?
The Sisters of St. Joseph remain dedicated to supporting Accola in two main ways. They have provided significant funding for five years to launch the organization. In addition, at least 20% of Accola’s Board of Directors shall be Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, St. Paul Province, and/or individuals with an affiliation with the Province.
Annual Report
Connect with us
This past year, Accola has taken bold steps to grow our impact—expanding access, deepening partnerships, and centering the voices of immigrant communities in the Twin Cities.
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