Connections Fall/Winter 2010 (PDF) - Sisters of St. Joseph of ...

Above, Sister Donna Gunn, CSJ visits with Jessie Hampton (right) whose home is in
need of significant repair. “Sometimes it’s a thin line of what is a good use of our
money and resources, but we’ve got to do it so these people can live and die with
dignity.” At left, Paul Conway works on his budget with Gunn as part of the Individual
Development Account savings program, which matches participants’ savings to be
used for needs such as post-secondary education or job training. Conway is working
on a master’s degree in physical education. “With the Lord’s help and with people
like Sister Donna behind you there’s nothing impossible to do!” he exclaims.
“I think part of this is a way to evangelize.
Sacred Heart is the Catholic presence here
although the people may not be Catholic in
faith. They know that Catholics have heart.”
~Sister Donna Gunn, CSJ
Gunn’s gifts are plentiful and her
knowledge extensive, but her experience
in Camden has given her a new perspective
on ministry. “We could come down
here saying to the people, ‘This is what
you should do.’ I have come to realize
I have so much to learn and these
people have so much to share with me. I
am daily blessed by what they teach me.”
The outreach programs combined
with the dynamic liturgies rooted in the
African-American tradition have drawn
people of all faiths to Sacred Heart.
With the pews overflowing, Gunn is
grateful for the opportunity to witness
the good news about the
work of the church to a
population that is only
2 percent Catholic.
“I think part of this is a way to
evangelize. Sacred Heart is the Catholic
presence here although the people may
not be Catholic in faith. They know that
Catholics have heart. They know that
we are willing to reach out and touch
the people.”
As the community continues to
flourish, Gunn’s relationships with the
people continue to blossom as well.
“I’ve learned that one of the blessings
of my being here is the trust level is
growing…the trust level in me, the trust
level in the Sisters of St. Joseph.”
She has also learned that her
connection to the people there began
way before she ever set foot in Camden.
Not long after she arrived, Gunn read
the diary of Sacred Heart’s very first
pastor. To her surprise, she found herself
reading about the Sisters of St. Joseph
of Carondelet. She soon discovered that
in 1854, in what was formerly known as
“Sulphur Spring,” her very own St. Louis
sisters had opened the first school there.
“I felt such a unity with them,” she
shares. “I still feel their presence today
and I just know I am here to carry on
their work.”
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Sisters o f St. Jo s e p h o f Carondelet