River of fire : my spiritual journey / Sister Helen Prejean, C.S.J.
Material type:
TextPublisher: New York : Random House, [2019]Copyright date: ©2019Edition: First editionDescription: xvii, 294 pages ; 22 cmContent type: - text
- unmediated
- volume
- 9781400067305
- 1400067308
| Item type | Home library | Collection | Call number | Materials specified | Status | Date due | Barcode | Item holds | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Adult Book
|
Main Library | Biography | Prejean, H. P924 | Available | 33111009691870 |
Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:
" River of Fire is Sister Helen's story leading up to her acclaimed book Dead Man Walking --it is thought-provoking, informative, and inspiring. Read it and it will set your heart ablaze!"--Mark Shriver, author of Pilgrimage: My Search for the Real Pope Francis
The nation's foremost leader in efforts to abolish the death penalty shares the story of her growth as a spiritual leader, speaks out about the challenges of the Catholic Church, and shows that joy and religion are not mutually exclusive.
Sister Helen Prejean's work as an activist nun, campaigning to educate Americans about the inhumanity of the death penalty, is known to millions worldwide. Less widely known is the evolution of her spiritual journey from praying for God to solve the world's problems to engaging full-tilt in working to transform societal injustices. Sister Helen grew up in a well-off Baton Rouge family that still employed black servants. She joined the Sisters of St. Joseph at the age of eighteen and was in her forties when she had an awakening that her life's work was to immerse herself in the struggle of poor people forced to live on the margins of society.
Sister Helen writes about the relationships with friends, fellow nuns, and mentors who have shaped her over the years. In this honest and fiercely open account, she writes about her close friendship with a priest, intent on marrying her, that challenged her vocation in the "new territory of the heart." The final page of River of Fire ends with the opening page of Dead Man Walking , when she was first invited to correspond with a man on Louisiana's death row.
River of Fire is a book for anyone interested in journeys of faith and spirituality, doubt and belief, and "catching on fire" to purpose and passion. It is a book, written in accessible, luminous prose, about how to live a spiritual life that is wide awake to the sufferings and creative opportunities of our world.
"Prejean chronicles the compelling, sometimes-difficult journey to the heart of her soul and faith with wit, honesty, and intelligence. A refreshingly intimate memoir of a life in faith."-- Kirkus Reviews
Preface -- Introduction -- Part I: Novice. Bride of Christ ; The day I left home ; Origins ; New habits ; Becoming fire -- Part II: Teaching and learning. In the classroom at Cabrini school ; My writing life ; Friendship ; Changes -- Part III: London, Ontario. Opening windows ; A man from the east ; Sparrow song -- Part IV: Becoming an adult church. Cabrini parish ; An evening at the Garveys' ; Jesus at Notre Dame ; A fork in the road -- Part V: River Rapids. Director of novices ; Lightning in Terre Haute ; St. Thomas project -- Afterword -- Appendix: A letter to Pope Francis.
The author of Dead Man Walking, the nation's foremost leader in efforts to abolish the death penalty, shares the story of her growth as a spiritual leader, speaks out about the challenges of the Catholic Church, and shows that joy and religion are not mutually exclusive.