Meet Sister Gwen Smith
My joy is to bring these stories each night to the God
who enjoys them even more than I do!
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Sr. Gwen with a display
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Hello! I'm Sister Gwen Smith, CSJ. In my article for the
newspaper "Catholic New Times" of March 16/03, I
described my past 50 years with the Sisters of St. Joseph
as having morphed into many different shapes and participated
in the following: "media literacy, Youth Corps, prison,
community, Christian Family Peace Weekends, parish ministry,
lay spiritual formation, social justice, refugee advocacy,
protests, St. Francis Table, community kitchens and gardens,
mental heath issues, Cherish the Earth, Celebrate Women as
well as Furniture Bank. My latest transformation is as part
of Mustard Seed discovering how we Sisters and companions
can nurture community in the Queen-Broadview area."
Early sense of community
I come by my sense of community honestly. My childhood home
seemed always full of people. On a Sunday, we would stroll
the boardwalk, sure to have several good visits with friends
and other walkers. To this day, I love group nature hikes.
An ear for a story
Teaching English, I loved to introduce the fascinating lives
in literature to the fascinating students.
I'm blessed to be living now with two other sisters who
enjoy sharing the stories of the people they've met. Sometimes
we're still at the supper table an hour after the meal is
over.
At Mustard Seed, where I minister now, I have the privilege
of sitting at other supper tables and listening to stories
that put the TV "Survivors" to shame. Our Sisters
built two floors above our old clinic to house homeless women
– we call it Fontbonne Place. One evening each week,
the women who live in the apartments gather for a Supper Club.
Another day may find me in the community kitchen with psychiatric
survivors living on their own. My joy is to bring these stories
each night to the God who enjoys them even more than I do!
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