Gem: The life and work of Sister Mac, Geraldine MacNamara (Out of the ordinary)

In a culture that seemed to have given up on Native youth, a petite Winnipeg nun founded a drop-in centre that soon became a beacon of hope for Native youth in the city's poorest neighbourhood. Twenty-five years later, Rossbrook House remains a thriving school, training centre and a place for young people to socialize safely. Guided by Sister Mac's conviction that "no child who does not want to be alone should ever have to be," Rossbrook House remains a Winnipeg success story that other communities can learn from. Sister Geraldine MacNamara (1938-1984) was a woman of strong opinions and strong convictions who found her vocation in fighting for the poor. She became a well-known local and national advocate for the rights of the disenfranchised, especially the young urban poor. This book is a "social-spiritual" biography that explores how MacNamara - a privileged, well-educated religious sister - was changed by the experience of living with and serving the poor, especially Native young people. Her personal journals, her speeches and writings, and interviews with people who knew her reveal both the internal and external person - a woman of idealism and commitment, yet focused on practical results.