Sue Mosteller


Sue Mosteller, C.S.J. (born 1933) is a writer and teacher who lives in Toronto, Canada.

Biography

Sue Mosteller

Mosteller is a Sister of St. Joseph of Toronto. She first traveled from Ohio to board with the community and later entered the order after thriving under their supervision.[1] [2] She holds a degree in English from the University of Toronto and taught in schools in British Columbia and Ontario for 15 years.[3][4]

Since 1971, Mosteller has been a member of the L'Arche Daybreak Community which is part of an international network of faith-based communities for those with developmental difficulties. In 1976 Mosteller became L'Arche Daybreak's second Community Leader (Executive Director)[5] and in 1985, she established Dayspring, a centre for spiritual growth, with Henri Nouwen.[6] She lived with the L'Arche Daybreak community for 40 years, leaving in 2011 to live with a small group of Sisters. [5]

Mosteller has also held a leadership role within the wider L'Arche organization. She was the first person elected to hold the role of International Coordinator after Jean Vanier. Holding the position for nine years, Mosteller traveled extensively, assisting with the birth of new L'Arche communities in multiple countries.[3]

Mosteller was a colleague and close friend of Henri Nouwen when he lived at L'Arche Daybreak (1986 - 1996). She was instrumental in bringing Nouwen’s spirituality to a new maturity. As he states in his book The Return of the Prodigal Son, Mosteller "opened up the third phase of my spiritual journey. … Her words struck me like a thunderbolt."[7] When Nouwen died in 1996, he entrusted Mosteller with his estate, making her the literary executrix of his works. She went on to oversee the founding of the Henri J.M. Archives and Research Collection at the John M. Kelly Library, University of St. Michael's College in Toronto.[8]:19

Mosteller works as Trustee for the Henri Nouwen Legacy and continues to be a member of L'Arche Daybreak. Additionally, Mosteller lectures and gives retreats around the world. She currently lives in Toronto, Canada.[9]

On November 5, 2011, Mosteller received an Honorary Doctorate from Tyndale University College and Seminary in Toronto in recognition of her "lifelong commitment to sharing the love of God with many of society's marginalized people and her significant contributions to Christian life and learning over several decades".[3]

Books

Mosteller has written three books. Her first book, My Brother, My Sister, is about Jean Vanier and Mother Teresa. Her second book, Body Broken, Body Blessed, is a collection of stories from L'Arche. Her third book, Light Through the Crack, is her own story and the stories of people she has accompanied over the years. [5]

References

  1. ↑ Lindley, Susan Hill; Stebner, Eleanor J., eds. (2008). The Westminster Handbook to Women in American Religious History. Louisville, Ky.: Westminster John Knox Press. OCLC 191882059. Retrieved December 10, 2014.
  2. ↑ "Sister Sue Mosteller". Sisters of St. Joseph Toronto. Retrieved 2014-06-30.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "Tyndale University College & Seminary Honorary Doctorate 2011: Sister Sue Mosteller, C.S.J." (PDF). Tyndale The Magazine. Spring/Summer. 2012. p. 38. Retrieved December 10, 2014.
  4. ↑ "Meet a Sister: Sister Sue Mosteller, C.S.J.". July 7, 2006. Retrieved January 19, 2015.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 MacMillan, Carl (2012). "Celebrating Sue Mosteller". Retrieved January 19, 2015.
  6. ↑ "Dayspring Chapel". Retrieved January 19, 2015.
  7. ↑ Nouwen, Henri J. M. (1992). The Return of the Prodigal Son. Doubleday ISBN 0-385-41867-1 p. 19
  8. ↑ Earnshaw, Gabrielle (2011). The Henri J.M. Nouwen Archives and Research Collection. John M. Kelly Library, University of St. Michael's College.
  9. ↑ "Sister Sue Mosteller". Sisters of St. Joseph Toronto. Retrieved 2014-06-30.
  10. ↑ "Resevoirs of hope: two books by L'Arche writers". Catholic New Times. 26 November 2006. Retrieved 16 October 2010.

External links