I Am The Dear Neighbour, Too.

I was recently blessed to be in a gathering for someone interested in the CSJ Associate experience and program - a program of lay women and men in ministry alongside the Sisters of St. Joseph. We began with singing along with a prayerful song with the words, ’Take this bread, bless it, break it, and give this to all we meet today’. This was followed by a Maxim (100 wisdoms from 17th century Father Medaille in living one’s faith) that centred on humility. It may be helpful to note that the CSJ charism is unifying love, and it calls Sisters and Associates to serve the “dear neighbour” without distinction. My reflection touched on humility. I shared a realization I had had early on as an Associate that,  I am the dear neighbour too.  In the awareness that I too am the dear neighbour, there is humility and reciprocity, giving and receiving, diversity and unity - oneness in relationships whether human, in Creation, and beyond. This helps me to keep my heart open in all my encounters. 

As I shared with the small group, I remembered an experience on unity and oneness in community that I had while on a tour in India. There was a Sikh temple in Delhi we visited that had an accompanying community kitchen. We took off our shoes, covered our heads and entered what seemed to be a very large and long community kitchen. Donations were dropped off daily outside the kitchen and seemed to just appear. The meal was prepared by many with people coming for a short time to help or full-time to prepare, serve, enjoy and clean up. We helped make flat bread during our time in the kitchen. 

I would have loved to be able to stay for a community meal experience. Our guide shared that everyone eats together, sitting on the floor, side by side… A community meal prepared and shared by community ‘without distinction’. The experience resonated for me with our opening prayer in song, ‘Take this bread, bless it, break it, and give this to all we meet today’. Then some folks clean the trays for the next sitting. 

There are several seatings, every day, hundreds and up to a thousand people receive a free simple meal together, regardless of background, religion, or social status. Giving and receiving, breaking bread and blessing one another, without distinction… Amen. 

-Sandy Bell-Cameron, CSJ Associate

The Sisters of St. Joseph currently lead a similar ministry serving those most in need in our community, detailed below.

A Living Expression of "The Dear Neighbour"

The mission of the Sisters of St. Joseph is not simply a legacy of the past—it is a living invitation to respond to the needs of our time. Downtown in London, Ontario, that mission is embodied through St. Joe's Café, a ministry that welcomes and nourishes those who are most in need in our community.

The Sisters over the years - St Joseph’s Hospitality Centre to the recent St. Joe’s Cafe. A ministry of love for the dear neighbour.

Guided by the CSJ charism of responding to the "dear neighbour" without distinction, St. Joe's Café is more than a place where meals are served. It is a place of encounter, dignity, and belonging, where every person is welcomed with compassion and respect. In sharing food, conversation, and hospitality, the ministry reflects the Gospel call to love our neighbour and to recognize the presence of God in one another.

“You pray for the hungry, then you feed them. That’s how prayer works.”
— Pope Francis

The Sisters of St. Joseph have long understood that transforming the world begins with relationships rooted in love, justice, and service. St. Joe's Café continues that tradition each day, reminding us that welcoming the dear neighbour means meeting people where they are, accompanying them with compassion, and building a community where everyone has a place at the table.

If this ministry speaks to your heart, we invite you to consider becoming part of it. Whether through volunteering your time, sharing your gifts, or making a financial contribution, your support helps ensure that St. Joe's Café remains a place of welcome, nourishment, and hope for our dear neighbours. Together, we can continue the mission of serving Christ in one another and extending compassionate hospitality to all.

Interested? Please contact our Cafe Administrator, Tracey at St. Joe’s Café, 101-602 Queens Ave | London, ON | tel: 519.432.0660 | email: stjosephshospitalitycentre@csjcanada.org

From July 1 to July 4: Neighbors in Freedom

Celebrating birthdays offers the opportunity to reflect on the past and to look forward to the future. In the United States we are celebrating our 250th birthday. Looking back, we have many reasons to give thanks for how we have formed ourselves into a nation built upon the values that all are created equal and given rights and responsibilities.

When I celebrated the 200th birthday of America I was a student at Aquinas Institute of Religious Studies in Grand Rapids, Michigan. It was there I had the privilege of meeting and becoming friends with members of the CSJ community. There I learned that July 1st, Canada Day, parallels our July 4th. It was then I sang for the first time, O Canada. It felt so familiar, so in tune with a sense of shared values. The friendships were built on shared faith and values as well.

We share our values learned from faith, family, and our country. In the Declaration of Independence, we read “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.” The Canadian fundamental core values are given a more specific enumeration in The Charter of Freedoms and Rights: Freedom and Individual Rights, Inclusion and Diversity, Fairness and Equality, Compassion and Public Safety. As our societies become increasingly more complex defining and living these values also becomes more complex.

As I look to the future with hope, birthdays provide a meaningful opportunity to reflect on where we have been and how we wish to move forward. While our world faces many challenges, there is reason for optimism when we build upon the shared values that foster unity, cooperation, and care for one another. Those of us who enjoy the blessings of freedom are called to nurture and protect it by living with compassion, responsibility, and commitment to the values that help freedom flourish for all.

On the fourth of July as I sing America the Beautiful, I will pay special attention to the second verse which asks God to “mend thy every flaw, conserve thy soul in self-control, thy liberty in law.”  And I will continue to cherish the friendships I have with “the True North, strong and free!”   

-Mary Muehle, Guest Blogger     

Image: Hudson Thomas/Will Goodman | Unsplash