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Diane Smith, CSJ is a native Californian who grew up on a farm, which instilled in her a lifelong care of the Earth. Observing the Braceros who came through to harvest crops, she developed an awareness and empathy for migrants struggling to provide for their families. As a Sister of St. Joseph of Carondelet, she responds to the call of nonviolent advocacy, education and action on issues that affect the dignity of God’s people and the environment.
In the last two weeks, we saw the Olympic values of striving for excellence, encouraging people to be the best they can be, demonstrating respect and celebrating friendship. Through the lens of a Sister of St. Joseph, this is another way to explain the charism. This ministry of serving the dear neighbor is alive and well in Los Angeles.
In a book club comprised of sisters and charism partners, Sister Diane Smith, CSJ reads books that enrich her spirituality and challenge her to the more. Recently, her book club finished Victoria Loorz’s “Church of the Wild: How Nature Invites Us into the Sacred.”
In light of the current Black Lives Matter Movement, many memories flooded back from my experience of the 1965 Watts riots. This was a time of awakening and conversion for me. Until the riots, I did not know what I did not know.
The Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet are a congregation of Catholic sisters. We, and those who share our charism and mission, are motivated in all things by our profound love of God and our dear neighbors. We seek to build communities and bridge divides between people. Since our first sisters gathered in 1650, our members have been called to “do all things of which women are capable.” The first sisters of our congregation arrived in St. Louis, Missouri in 1836, and we now have additional locations in St. Paul, Albany, Los Angeles, Hawaii, Japan and Peru. Today, we commit to respond boldly to injustice and dare to be prophetic.