Meet Sister Gwen

"My joy is to bring these stories each night to the God who enjoys them even more than I do!"

Sister Gwen Smith CSJ

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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