In Our Own Words : Religious Life in a Changing World

Written by a diverse group of younger women religious from North America, In Our Own Words offers a collection of essays on issues central to apostolic religious life today. The thirteen authors represent different congregations, charisms, ministries, and histories. The topics and concerns that shape these chapters emerged naturally through a collaborative process of prayer and conversation. Essays focus on the vows and community life, individual identity and congregational charisms, and leadership among younger members leading into the future. The authors hope these chapters may form a springboard for further conversation on religious life, inviting others to share their experiences of religious life in today’s world.

Juliet Mousseau, RSCJ, entered the Society of the Sacred Heart in 2009 and made her first vows in 2012. She lives in St. Louis, Missouri, and serves as associate professor of church history at the Aquinas Institute of Theology.

Sarah Kohles, OSF, is a Sister of St. Francis of Dubuque, Iowa. She professed final vows in 2011, and currently she is working on her PhD in biblical studies at Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley. She has formerly served on the Giving Voice core team.