This much I know: Sr Stanislaus Kennedy, Social Innovator

It is frustrating to me that homelessness is still an issue in Ireland.

Since we set up Focus Ireland, the distance between rich and poor has become much wider. There is a huge need to build up local communities and give people a sense of being a part of something and of knowing that their contribution is valued.

One of my faults is impatience. If something is obvious to me I have great difficulty in understanding why others are not seeing it too.

I grew up on the Dingle Peninsula. One of my first memories is being aware of the beauty of that world.

I was a good student when I had to be, otherwise I was a happy-go-lucky child.

I don’t know how I formed a social consciousness exactly, it was a gradual kind of thing. When I was young I remember noticing that some people went on to secondary school and some didn’t. Then I realised that those who did were those who could pay — otherwise, you emigrated. That led to me becoming aware of other situations of even greater inequality.

I come from a fairly ordinary farming family. We got a great sense of discipline from growing up on a farm: we all had our little jobs to do. There was a natural order to everything: the seasons, the days — even our meals — had an order to them.

My mother was very interested in education. She believed that if we studied and did well in our exams, then we would get good jobs.

I was the fourth girl in the family and when I left school I thought I might do nursing, but deep down I knew I wanted to do something that had more direct contact with the poor. I heard about the Sisters of Charity — someone told me they were an Order who worked with the poor — and that’s how I found a way into doing social work.

Was God luring me into a spiritual way of life? I’m not sure if I’d have gone there directly although I was from a traditionally religious kind of a family with a very strong faith.

I rise at 5.45am, meditate for an hour, go to mass and walk the dog — that’s all done by 8.30am. I make space for prayer and meditation again in the middle of the day and again at night.

I believe in the power of meditation and in its capacity to help us to become aware, to become present in the world and with nature. And to be present with suffering without being overwhelmed by it. I discovered mindfulness in the 1990s. I read up on it properly and then I started to practice it myself.

That’s when I set up The Sanctuary in Dublin, which has become a big part of my life. We do meditation — we even offer it to children — as well as many other activities such as tai chi and pilates.

My advice to anyone new to meditation is to start with ten, or even five minutes, and build it up. If you say you will do it, do it. Stay at it and you will grow into it.

As I’ve got older, I’ve pulled back from my work in Focus and other organisations. I’m fortunate in that I’m still involved with several of them, but I’m not in an executive position with any of them. Not everybody can do that — they have to retire. I feel I’m blessed.

I love reading and music and theatre and cinema and I now have more time to enjoy those pursuits.

Sister Stan’s new book Day by Day — A treasury of meditations on mindfulness to comfort and inspire is out now. Published by Transworld Ireland priced £12.99

by Hilary Fennell