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.

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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

Good Neighbours Day

Who is my neighbour?  That is a question straight from the bible and in today’s confused society can have many interpretations.  Is the neighbour someone like me? Is my response coloured by moral judgement, feelings of pity, fear or indifference or by love, the right thing to do?

What is stirring in your heart as you look at the innumerable social needs demanding attention. Yes, the needs can be overwhelming and can shut you down but they can also stir you to action.  The choice is personal.

Image: Jon Tyson @jontyson/ Unsplash

I chose to get involved and started to volunteer one morning a week at St. Joe’s Café, our hospitality centre here in downtown London, where the guests who come each morning for breakfast became familiar and I could put names to faces.

Some of the guests come sick and struggling with addictions or homelessness, poverty, or loneliness, and some come for the social contact and the delicious food. The staff and volunteers welcome each person with dignity, kindness and words of understanding and support. As I sat thinking about my experience at the café, I received a call from a friend, a new Canadian, who was asking for advice on how to help two undocumented coworkers who were let go from their workplace. They contacted her in great need. She said to me,

I love Canada, and I want to pay forward the help I was given when I was lost and needed hope to face the future. 

The answer to ‘who is my neighbour’ is revealed each time I step out of my comfort zone to extend kindness, a listening ear, or comfort to a brother or sister in need.

-Sister Ann Marshall, csj