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St. James’ Church

Madison Avenue at 71st Street

Free admission

Book signing to follow

Bio

Joan Chittister is one of the most articulate social analyst and influential religious leader of this age. For over 45 years she has dedicated herself to advocating for universal recognition of the critical questions impacting the global community. Courageous, passionate and charged with energy, she is a much-sought after speaker, commentator, counselor and clear voice across all religions.

A Benedictine Sister of Erie, PA, Sister Joan is an international lecturer and award-winning author of 60 books. She has won 16 Catholic Press Association awards for her books, as well as numerous awards for her work for justice, peace, and equality, especially for women, in church and in society. Her latest book, The Monastic Heart: 50 simple practices for a contemplative and fulfilling life was published by Penguin Random House in 2021. The Time is Now: a call for uncommon courage, also with Random House was released earlier.

Sister Joan is an international lecturer, her latest speaking tour was in Australia in the summer this year. She has appeared with the Dali Lama, on “Meet the Press,” and on “Super Soul Sunday” with Oprah Winfrey in 2015 and 2019. Additionally, she has been an interview guest on countless podcasts, radio talk shows and for magazines and documentaries.

A founding member of The Global Peace Initiative of Women, a partner organization of the UN, she works to develop a worldwide network of women peace builders. As co-chair of this group she has facilitated gatherings of spiritual leaders throughout the Middle East, in Asia, Africa, the Far East and Europe in an effort to spread an interfaith commitment to peace building, equality and justice for all peoples.

She has served as president of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, (LCWR) and was prioress of the Benedictine Sisters of Erie for 12 years.

A regular online columnist for the National Catholic Reporter, she received her masters degree from the University of Notre Dame and her doctorate from Penn State University in Speech Communications Theory. In 1996 she was an elected fellow at St. Edmund’s College, Cambridge University and the Von Huegel lecturer there.

She is the founder and executive director of Benetvision: a resource and research center for contemporary spirituality located in Erie, PA where she lives.

joanchittister.org