Joan Chittister - A Prophet in her Time touring Australia
American Benedictine nun, Sr. Joan Chittister, is one of the most influential religious and social leaders of our time. Sr Joan will be the guest speaker at a series of events across Australia during May and June 2022.
For fifty years Joan has passionately advocated on behalf of peace, human rights, women’s issues, and church renewal. A much sought-after speaker and counsellor her voice bridges across all religions. She has received many writing awards and honors for her work, and is a noted international lecturer as well as a former fellow at St. Edmund’s College, Cambridge University, England.
A small number of Christian Brothers were able to join the other 1900 people to hear a stirring call to action by Sr Joan Chittister op last Thursday evening. Joan was in full flight and energetic in her encouragement, rather imperative challenge, that we all take up ‘the other half’ of the Jesus project exemplified in the Gospels – the role of Jesus the Prophet. Following on from the example of the Jewish Scripture recollections of the prophets of Israel, Jesus was not timid in confronting greed, self-interest, injustice, arrogance, and outright hypocrisy in both the civil and religious leaders of his time. Jesus seemed not to fall back on the excuses many of the prophets of old had to opt out and leave it to others – too old, too young, too tired, too uneducated, too inexperienced, too busy, too ……. He got on with it.
Now is the time for us, all of us, to take on the role we were given at Baptism, to be prophets in our time. Sr Joan was clear in her detailing of where and why we in our time need to stand up for the planet, the poor, the trafficked, the women, the marginalised, the working poor, the refugees, for any person or place in society or in our church where needed – especially where nobody else is speaking up.
“Time changes nothing – people do!” So the challenge is for us to get on with it to ensure we do not leave our home (Earth), our society, or our church in a state worse than when we inherited them from our ancestors. Clericalism and self-serving politicians and business interests ought not be allowed to be roadblocks on the way to a better church, a better society, and a better world.
"Everything I am I owe to the Benedictine Sisters of Erie. They accepted and formed me; they educated and broadened my vision. They enabled me to take risks and supported me in the most difficult of times. They released me to follow the natural gifts I’d been given. As a result of that trust and support, I grew to fullness in a way I could not have done without them. Most of all, they loved me to life."
~ Sr Joan Chittister
Joan Chittister was an adviser for the groundbreaking report, “A Woman’s Nation,” led by Maria Shriver (2009) and was a member of the TED prize-sponsored “Council of Sages,” an interfaith group that developed a Charter for Compassion (2009) being promulgated worldwide with all faith organisations.
Joan has served as president of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, an organisation of the leaders of Catholic religious women in the US, president of the Conference of American Benedictine Prioresses, and was prioress of the Benedictine Sisters of Erie for 12 years.
She received her doctorate in speech communications from Penn State University, the primary site of her archive collection.
Joan Chittister is a member of the Benedictine Sisters of Erie, Pennsylvania. She is executive director of Benetvision, a resource and research centre for contemporary spirituality and the founder and animator of Monasteries of the Heart, an online community sharing Benedictine spirituality with contemporary seekers.
Joan Chittister in Australia
Joan Chittister osb embodies the voice of wisdom and experience. Joan will be the guest speaker at a series of events across Australia during May and June 2022.
