Sister Bernie Galvin, CDP: "Sister Warrior" for the homeless
Congregation of Divine Providence

Sister Bernie Galvin, CDP is a conscientious objector to homelessness and known as the "Sister Warrior" in San Francisco. She became a Sister of Divine Providence over 50 years ago and began her ministry teaching and later became a Principal in schools in Texas, Louisiana, and Oklahoma. In the 70s, she began a long-term commitment to social justice issues, particularly as they relate to working people and to poor and homeless people. It was in a little plantation town in South Louisiana that the social/political/economic/religious injustices relating to sugar cane workers drew her to a change in ministryÇ from teaching to community and labor organizing. Sister Bernie followed a renewed callingÇ to stand up for people whom society had disregarded.

"My membership in the religious community of the Sisters of Divine Providence has been a cherished, sacred, and radical part of my life. . . My religious Congregation has made a commitment to stand in solidarity with the poor and with those whom society would exclude. One example of this lived-out commitment is the fact that our CDP community has subsidized my ministry with Religious Witness with Homeless People since 1993. The Sisters of Divine Providence offer this as a gift to the homeless people of San Francisco. For this, I am deeply indebted to my religious family."

"I never feel alone in my ministry with homeless people out here in San Francisco. I am always aware that this is 'our' ministry, the ministry of the Sisters of Divine Providence carried out through one individual; I just happen to be the fortunate individual. I have loved every minute of this work ever since. . . well, almost every minute."

In 1993, she founded Religious Witness with Homeless People, a grassroots interfaith policy advocacy coalition in the San Francisco Bay area whose mission is to promote the human rights and dignity of homeless people, to advocate for just social policies and to nonviolently resist unjust policies, which discriminate against poor people.

In 1999, she initiated Religious Leaders' National Call for Action on Housing, a project of Religious Witness, which collaborates with Housing America to influence the increase of the Federal Housing budget for low-income housing across the nation.

Sister Bernie currently serves as director of Religious Witness for Homeless People and as organizer and coordinator of Religious Leaders' National Call for Action on Housing.