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Sister Maureen Sweeney
Hamilton, Ontario

“Like Mother Theresa, we educate with the conviction that the world can be changed through the transformation of persons.”
(SSND Constitution 22)

I minister as a Language Resource Teacher at an inner city school. Among the tough realities there are single parents stretched beyond their limit, painful custody battles, non-English speaking parents trying to cope , spiritual, social and material poverty, low self esteem, poor nutrition, substance abuse, etc. These social realities are educational issues.

My ministry to grades 4-7 students involves developing spoken and written literacy skills. I think of it as liberating the Word in each child so that it can be proclaimed and heard.

I am conscious that I reveal God's love through gentleness (sometimes tough gentleness), patience, encouragement, expertise, creativity, the gifts of who I am. I provide an opening to the sacred by creating prayer services that nourish an otherwise liturgically and spiritually impoverished school community. I am available for students and staff as they need to work through difficulties.

I am encouraged by each child's development and how each gifts me with their confidence. I am humbled by staff sharing of life concerns. My own values are confirmed as I work on various school teams. My colleagues' dedication, stance of serving, patience, love for their students, creativity, all provide nourishment for and fuel my energies.

Transformation for me happens slowly, imperceptibly, but surely, over time. It happens secretly, manifesting itself when a child says, “I used to find this hard; now I can do it - no problem!” or when I observe a child growing in confidence and skill; when a colleague says, “You helped me by your supportive listening presence.”

In conclusion, transformation happens in creating the right conditions for another to grow, despite difficulties, into truth of being. To carry transformation beyond this one school, I have prepared a brochure to educate which is now available in more than one city school in Hamilton.