Sister of St. Joseph of Carondelet Anne Bryan Smollin, a popular counselor, author and humorist from Albany, New York, who delighted Hawaii audiences with her talks at a couple of recent Marianist BILAC conferences on the Saint Louis-Chaminade campus in Honolulu, died Sept. 25. She was 71.
“Sister had the ability to communicate the joy inherent in the call to be Christian,” said Marianist Brother Dennis Schmitz, coordinator of Marianist BILAC.
Sister Anne Bryan gave the Mackey Lecture at Marianist BILAC in 2011 and came back in 2013 as a keynote speaker.
“Her speaking style was that of a stand-up comic from New York, but through that style she was able to share deep spiritual truths,” Brother Schmitz said. “Her rapid fire delivery had people laughing so hard that tears streamed down their faces.”
Sister Anne Bryan entered the convent in 1961, taking her final vows in 1968. She first worked as an elementary school teacher, and then, earning a doctorate in counseling psychology, founded Counseling for Laity, a program of the Diocese of Albany, serving as its executive director for 33 years.
Her books include “God Knows You’re Stressed’’ and “Jiggle Your Heart and Tickle Your Soul.”
“At the end of her talks, people walked out with a lightness of step as they appreciated the joy of the Gospel,” Brother Dennis said, “When talking about joyless Christians she said, ‘You want to tell them to get off their crosses; we need the lumber.’
“It was that kind of one-liner that shone light on a deep spiritual truth,” he said.