Now is the Time: A Celebration of Women's Call to a Renewed Priesthood in the Catholic Church Women's Ordination Worldwide - 1st International Conference
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BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH: Sister Joan D. Chittister, OSB

Joan Chittister, OSB, Erie, Pennsylvania, U.S.A., is a social psychologist, international lecturer, and author of over twenty books. A member of the Benedictine Sisters of Erie she is the executive director of Benetvision: A Resource and Research Center for Contemporary Spirituality. She is a past president of the Conference of American Benedictine Prioresses and the Leadership Conference of Women Religious and has taught on all educational levels.

Sister Joan's most recent published books are

• The Story of Ruth: Twelve Moments in Every Woman's Life; and
• Illuminated Life: Monastic Wisdom for Seekers of Light.

Other major works include

• In Search of Belief (1999)
• Heart of Flesh: A Feminist Spirituality for Women and Men (1998)
• Passion for Life: Fragments of the Face of God (1996)
• There is a Season (1995)
• The Fire in these Ashes: A Spirituality of Contemporary Religious Life (1995)
• The Rule of Benedict: Insights for the Ages (1992)
• Wisdom Distilled from the Daily: Living the Rule of St. Benedict Today (1991)

as well as numerous articles on religious life and contemporary issues,

She attended the Parliament of World's Religions in Cape Town, South Africa in 1999 and the Fourth UN Conference on Women in Beijing in 1995 as a media representative for the National Catholic Reporter. She is a regular columnist for that paper. Sister Joan was a featured speaker at the "God at 2000" Symposium held at Oregon State University in February 2000. She is also an active member of the International Committee of the Peace Council,

Sister Joan holds a doctorate in speech communication theory from Penn State University and has been recognized by both universities and national organizations for her work for justice, peace and equality for women in the church and society. She is an elected fellow of St. Edmund's College, Cambridge University. She has proven along her journey to be a courageous woman, unafraid to challenge established models of God and willing to rethink everything in order to gain a fuller understanding of the sacred. Her refusal to accept easy answers and her persistent pursuit of truth is an inspiring example of the human spirit's relentless search for God.