In a November 2024 episode of the All Kinds of Catholic podcast, Sue Sanderson, CSJP-A, sat down with host Theresa Alessandro to discuss her faith journey and what it means to live a life dedicated to peace through justice.
This article features edited excerpts from that discussion. The podcast series explores the many ways people live out their faith today, inspired by Pope Francis’ image of a caravan, a diverse group traveling a chaotic journey together.
Note: The transcript has been modified from the original recording for readability. To listen to the entire conversation, visit All Kind of Catholic podcast.
Faith, Justice, and Peace Take Root
Sue Sanderson, CSJP-A.
I've always been interested in justice and peace, but I probably wouldn't have called it 'justice and peace' at the beginning, Sue Sanderson, CSJP-A, notes at the start of her conversation with podcaster Theresa Allesando. When I was at university, I became involved in the SVP (Society of St. Vincent DePaul) visiting elderly people and just chatting with them, having a cup of tea. And then, of course, life takes a different turn. You just don't have the time for what you would like to do.
Sanderson later married and began raising a family. Then, in 1991, a simple request from her parish for volunteers to start a justice and peace group sparked her interest.
Sanderson explained: Our parish was starting a justice and peace group. And I thought that's what I'm interested in -- I'll do that! And so, I went along, and there were three parishes coming together, and quite a lot of people there.
It was also during the time of the first Gulf War, I think. We continued for a bit as a group, and then it dwindled, dropping down to three people. And that's been the thing with justice and peace in Lincoln. It comes and it goes. You have to be somebody with stamina. But because of my involvement in that group, I then became more active. My children were growing up, and I became part of the justice and peace commission. I did apply for a justice and peace worker’s job, but I didn't get it, which is a blessing really. One of the people on the interview panel was from CAFOD [Catholic Agency for Overseas Development]. And that's how I got involved in CAFOD as a campaign volunteer.
On the topic of “stamina,” Alessandro paused to acknowledge Rosemary Read, a long-serving Justice and Peace fieldworker for the Diocese of Nottingham and a key figure in the National Justice & Peace Network. When asked for her reflections, Sanderson replied simply: “I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for Rosemary.”
The issues are so great that you do feel overwhelmed sometimes. You don't feel that you're making any progress. I remember spending a lot of time with an ecumenical group. It would have been around the millennium. We had this huge initiative running, we’d hoped for big things, and all of four people turned up.
I think you have to have stamina to carry on and not be put off. And your faith keeps you going because you know that something is going to come along. Just might take longer than you hoped for it, but it will.
During that time, we traveled to various places across the diocese to give talks and get people involved in our campaigns. It went on for quite a while. The only reason it stopped, really, was because I accepted a job as a school chaplain. That curtailed my volunteering during the day.
From School Chaplain to The Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace
Alessandro steered the conversation toward the unique role of a school chaplain, noting that it is less about instructing and more about "walking alongside" young people.
One of the things a chaplain does is listen, said Sanderson. A lot of people would come and say, is this so? Is this, you know, is this right? What does this mean? And you say, well, I don't know all the answers. And they would think that I did. I had to explain that nobody knows all the answers. You come to it gradually through your own experiences and your faith.
I was a school chaplain for eight years and thoroughly enjoyed it. It was really good to accompany children. When I started my work, the previous chaplain was a Sister of Saint Joseph of Peace -- Sister Elizabeth Kenny, affectionately known as Sister Liz. I got to know the sisters extremely well. I worked alongside them and as I was coming along in my faith journey, I felt I wasn't being "fed" in my parish.
I was looking for something deeper. Getting to know the sisters, just talking to them about their spirituality, drew me in. And then I discovered that you could become an Associate of the Congregation. I started going down that route and attending their assembly days for associates. I was fed all this wonderful spirituality, and I've carried on with it.
After struggling to find a sense of belonging, Sanderson found a spiritual home with the sisters and traveled to the United States to attend Chapter. While there, she connected with the Land Ethic Committee and contributed to the development of the Congregation's Land Ethic. Sanderson's spiritual journey deepened after hearing Franciscan priest Richard Rohr speak at a diocesan event. Captivated by his books and scriptural insights, Sanderson discovered the Center for Action and Contemplation, drawing deep inspiration from Rohr's homilies emphasizing the interdependence of prayer and action in the work of peace and justice.
To be honest, if I hadn't found them, I don't know where I would be because, as I said, there wasn't anything else out there. I've had to search for things, but I’ve been lucky. With the sisters, I found exactly where I wanted to be.
WHO ARE ASSOCIATES?
Associates of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace are individuals who live out the spirit and mission of the CSJPs in their daily lives. Visit csjp.org/join-us to learn more.
This article appeared in the Autumn 2026 issue of Living Peace.