Naming Our Truth Stories of Loretto Women Edited by Ann Patrick Ware is a soft cover book of 289 pages in very good condition.

Founded as a Catholic Sisterhood on the Kentucky Frontier in 1812, Loretto is a community of some 650 men and women. Most members are women with traditional vows of poverty, chastity and obedience but an increasing number are men and women, lay religious.

The Sisters of Loretto began as a teaching community and have  a history of a "learning community". Changes were brought about with work in China and Latin America. As missionaries the Sisters had to contend with much while working in China~not the least was language, personal hygiene, armed conflict, bandits, uprisings, torrential rains, floods and life under Communist rule. The book chronicles the community history.

Personal accounts of many sisters add to the value of the contents. One sister writes of changes made in community since her entrance in the 1950's through the Vatican II . Her memories of strict silence and obedience in novitiate to the changes of "expressing" one's opinions in joining demonstrations for justice and a variety of other issues left many confused and longing for the good old days.

Social changes: integration, Vietnam War, Nuclear weapons, gay rights, led many sisters to imprisonment  for participating in behalf of social justice.   After 32 years of serving the church the first notice she ever received from Rome was letter  calling for her dismissal. 

How these women reshaped their culture and their ministry offers inspiration and well earned praise. The book offers history, biography, memoirs and poetry of the amazing women of Loretto.

Very good read...

Shipping and handling $3.75.

I accept check or Paypal.  Thanks for looking in~