A Profile of the Rev. Cynthia Bronson Sweigert
by the Rev. Barbara Mraz
In order for us to truly create and contribute to the world, we have to be able to connect countless dots, to
cross-pollinate ideas from a wealth of disciplines, to combine and recombine these pieces and build new castles.
—Maria Popova, entrepreneur
By the Rev. Barbara Mraz
She has connected many dots and built many coalitions in her 39-year ministry.
The resume, in part: A priest ordained in 1975, only a year after the first ordinations of women; rector of a congregation in the Squirrel Hill area of Pittsburgh for 17 years during an explosive time for that Diocese; dialogue and conference planning work with the National Conference of Christians and Jews; transitional priest associate for eight months at St. Mark’s Cathedral in Minneapolis; former staff person at the Minnesota Council of Churches and current organizer of the Taking Heart “Iftar” dinners joining Muslims and Christians (which have grown to 1500 people and 26 mosques during her five-year-leadership); a deep love for animals that permeates her life.
A native of Stillwater and graduate of the U of M and General Seminary in New York, on Sundays now Cynthia occasionally does supply work, or is with us at St. John’s and has been since March of 2017. When he is able to do so, her husband of 24 years, Dan, joins her. She also serves on the Liturgy and Adult Formation commissions.
During the week, she travels from her home in South Minneapolis to New Richmond, Wisconsin, home of SoulSpace, an animal sanctuary. Here she feeds the animals and hangs out with characters such as Wally the Pig (“the official face of SoulSpace”). More about Wally in a minute…
The Heart of a Vocation
Early on, Cynthia realized that interfaith work was at the heart of her ministry. Even as a student in Minnesota, she remembers being horrified at the anti-Jewishness in ways the New Testament was interpreted, as if all Pharisees were evil, the Jews were responsible for killing Jesus, and Christianity somehow replaced Judaism. Even worse was her realization of the way Christian anti-semitism has treated Jews throughout history.
She set about educating herself at synagogues and later mosques, finding wonderful people wherever she went and noting that “all people feel deeply about their faith.” She remembers that “for several years in Pittsburgh, groups of Russian Jewish emigres met at our parish hall to learn more about their Judaism than they’d been able to learn in their home country.”
Cynthia explains, “I think that the Trinity, as a Community of Persons, is a foundation for interfaith relationships. Likewise, I initially assumed that my passion for animal rights was “something else” added to other interests in my life. But for me that love is a completely natural outgrowth of a kind of love that pays more attention to God’s creation – and hopefully, will play a part in reconciliation with that Creation, as well as its restoration.”
A delightful surprise in her work with Muslims from many different countries has been seeing so many women whom she describes as “gutsy, smart, funny and well-educated,” unlike some traditional stereotypes.
However, Cynthia confesses that she could never leave Christianity. “Jesus,” she says, “is my way of seeing God. He’s my prism.”
One Smart Pig
It started with a basset hound named Mady and a cat named Calvin that found their way into Cynthia’s life and heart. Mady lived to be 16 and Calvin 11. Later Sebastian the Cat took up residence. Before each pet died, there was a hospice vet who came to the rectory and Cynthia led a liturgy. Eventually, Cynthia found her way to SoulSpace where many new relationships awaited. Now she volunteers there as often as she can, after first picking up lettuce and “expired” vegetables at Vincent De Paul Warehouse in Cedar/Riverside. She uses it to help feed the five large pigs, two potbelly pigs, two turkeys, a donkey, a goat, three sheep, and an assortment of chickens and ducks who live here. They have found their way to the sanctuary of Soul Space after being abandoned or lost. The hashtag for Soul Space is #compassionchangeseverything.
Cynthia says that her eating habits had been changing gradually over the years and now she is a vegan, eating no meat, fish, dairy or eggs, and wearing no leather, wool or down. “Becoming vegan reflects my abhorrence of factory farming and animal cruelty of all kinds, including animal testing,” she explains.
What’s the magic of SoulSpace?
“Here I see a glimpse of a recreated order, an almost Biblical vision. It’s kind of like getting back to the Garden, and how things should be. When I look into the eyes of these animals, there is really something in there. I once approached a resident sheep on Iona and he locked me with a look.”
One dramatic story involves Wally the Pig who, within a few miles of the slaughterhouse, broke out of the truck, jumped down to the highway, and made a break for it. A motorist saw the escape artist at work and called an animal protection group who brought the pig to sanctuary at SoulSpace. Wally recently celebrated his second “jumpaversary.”
All of Cynthia’s endeavors – the interfaith activities, her work as a priest in the church, and the deep love of animals – are vocational, marked by a call received and answered with deep commitment and respect for all beings, great and small, and a desire to help them know and appreciate each other.
And Wally’s jumperversary? There was cake. Vegan cake.
Originally published in the July/August 2019 Evangelist.
