Mary Lou Kownacki

oan Chittister, a Benedictine nun, is one of the most popular and prophetic religious voices in the world today. In her many books and countless speeches, she has addressed the burning social issues of our time—justice, peace, the role of women, and the survival of the planet. She has explored the deepest questions of human existence, including love, suffering and death, the quest for happiness, and the meaning of life. She has probed the word of God, the message of the gospel, the call to contemplation, and the challenge of faithful living. To all of these she has brought her characteristic courage, honesty, and above all, passion. This volume, more than any other, captures and distills her spirit and her message for women and men today—including reflections on her own journey, why she remains in the church, and what sustains her faith and hope. - from publisher… (mehr)

Let's start with this: Mary Lou Kownacki is NOT your average nun, or at least, not what I, in my apparent small mindedness, envisioned a nun to be like. In a series of stories, recollections, and simple thoughts arranged in alphabetical groupings, Mary Lou leads the readers on a spiritual journey. Mary Lou is a Benedictine Sister living in Erie, Pennsylvania, attempting to "stretch [her] monk's robe until it embraces the suffering world." She offers insights to a variety of topics from angels to Thomas Merton to zen wisdom and everything in between.

Reading this was actually a lot more fun than I expected. Sister Mary Lou is a bit of radical, at least in my mind. She participates in peace demonstrations and gets thrown in jail. She advocates for better roles for women in the Catholic Church. She surprised me at every turn. Her stories tugged at your heartstrings and made you stop and think. I felt like she made you stop and reconsider your preconceived notions about monastic life and about religion/Christianity in general. An enlightening read.… (mehr)