Stepping into Spring Podcast Archives - Dominican Sisters of Hope

Zach Johnson reflects on spring in Minneapolis in 2021, and invites listeners to reflect on their own homes.

Zach Johnson is the executive director of Call to Action. Zach has a long history in the Catholic social justice community. Previously, he was program director at the Salvation Army Harbor Light Center, Minnesota’s largest homeless shelter. Zach also organized and hosted the 2016 national Faith and Resistance Retreat on Racial Equity, and has worked with the Catholic Worker Community, Minnesota Neighborhoods Organizing for Change (NOC) and the Minnesota Harm Reduction Coalition.

Zach is a regular guest speaker on topics of homelessness, social justice, anti-racism, and applied ethics, and is a graduate of Viterbo University in La Crosse, Wisconsin.

The post Episode Seven: Crossing Paths appeared first on Dominican Sisters of Hope.

Eddie Gonzalez invites listeners to go outdoors and reflect on hope.

Eddie Gonzalez has a keen interest in the dance between inner and outer life, the stories we tell ourselves and the stories we tell each other. He is the Associate Director of Civil Conversations and Social Healing at On Being, and  previously worked for a decade around stories and spiritual care, including at StoryCorps, where he worked across the United States and Canada to help individuals and organizations create space for reflective conversations through community-based storytelling and audio recording projects. Before StoryCorps he was a hospice chaplain and received his clinical pastoral education while earning an M.F.A. in creative writing.

Eddie believes deeply in the power of collaboration and in connecting the growing ecosystem of projects, leaders, and listeners as well as developing meaning-making products for the On Being community. He feels most alive when he’s gathering around the table with friends and family, reading and writing, or exploring the outside world on foot. He lives in New York City with his partner, John Henry Greenwood.

Eddie will join us for a Zoom session this Wednesday, April 28th at 1 pm ET. During our time together, you can meet Eddie and ask him about anything you hear on this episode. Sign up for free.

The post Episode Six: Walking with Hope appeared first on Dominican Sisters of Hope.

Claire Deshotels invites listeners to come home to themselves, to immerse their bodies in —and really feel— the beauty of the natural world.

Claire Deshotels is a Master of Divinity student at Loyola University Chicago. She has worked in social justice ministry at a local parish and retreat center, and is active with Call to Action’s Re/Generation program.

Claire will join us for a Zoom session this Thursday, April 22nd at 6 pm ET. During our time together, you can meet Claire and ask her about anything you hear on this episode. Sign up for free.

The post Episode Five: Coming Home to Ourselves, to Beauty appeared first on Dominican Sisters of Hope.

Terry J. Washington invites listeners to take a walk, and offers a meditation on presence.

Terry J. Washington is in the Master of Divinity program at Drew University School of Theology and licensed minister at Bethany Baptist Church in Brooklyn under the Rev. Dr. Adolphus Clarence Lacey, Senior Pastor. Community Minister at Judson Memorial Church, NYC, N.Y. Stephen Minister, and Visual Artist. Terry holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Liberal Arts, The Visual Arts from Sarah Lawrence College 2016. He spent his final year in sub-Sahara Africa, Tanzania, Malawi, and Zimbabwe, studying/researching ecological approaches to child care development, HIV/AIDS, orphans care, and health. I taught the art of collage to make sense of one’s experience and share their stories, enabling the adolescent girls to feel empowered rather than limited, enabling the heart to speak, and as an alternative means of communicating, especially when words are tricky. He was a member of the Marble Collegiate Church. He served in various ministries, GIFTS (Gay In Fellowship Together Tradition and Service), LGBTQIA Ministry, Hospitality Committee, Stephen Minister, and Gospel Choir. He is associated with Parity NYC LGBTQIA empowers and supports queer faith and social justice leaders. Terry is from Long Island, N.Y. He is currently a resident of Midtown Manhattan. I hope to dismantle the oppressive narrative, which has plagued our faith communities for centuries, facilitating the conversation about how the tale of intolerance has resulted in shame, substance abuse, and HIV infection. How do we start the conversation with a congregation which has conservative views on sexuality?

Terry will be joining us for a Zoom session this Thursday, April 15th at 6 pm ET. During our time together, you can meet Terry and ask him about anything you hear on this episode. Sign up for free.

The post Episode Four: the Miracle of Presence appeared first on Dominican Sisters of Hope.

Kimberley Gordy invites listeners to take a walk barefoot, and offers a meditation on interconnectedness.

Kimberley Briana Gordy is the daughter of Eloise, granddaughter of Marigold Kee and Virgie Lee, and great-granddaughter of Lora Parker. From these foremothers, Kimberley inherited the spirit of an educator. Her professional roles in secondary and post-secondary education positioned her to advocate for and empower young people realizing their power as change agents. Kimberley is pursuing a Master of Divinity degree at Union Theological Seminary (NYC) to prepare for Chaplaincy, or wherever being an affirming spiritual caregiver will lead. While at Union, Kimberley has been exploring the integration of somatic techniques into spiritual practice. She earned a B.A. in Biology, played women’s basketball and discovered her gift as a spoken word poet at Goucher College. Kimberley’s identity as an athlete means physical movement facilitates joy. Daily doses of dancing, laughter, imagination and creativity are soul food and she hopes to remind as many women of that as possible.

Kimberley will be joining us for a Zoom session this Thursday, April 8th at 12 pm Eastern time. During our time together you can meet Kimberley and ask her about anything you’re about anything you hear on this episode. Sign up for free.

The post Episode Three: Interconnectedness appeared first on Dominican Sisters of Hope.

Marianna Cardozo invites listeners to take a walk, and offers a meditation on trust.

Marianna Cardozo is a social worker and a certified personal trainer and ACE-certified health coach. She is the coordinator of the Arlington County Healthy Living Program, which provides health and wellness support to individuals living in recovery from mental health and substance use issues. Marianna approaches her practice from the perspective that health and well-being should be self-defined and self-determined, with an emphasis on developing intuitive, compassionate, and trusting relationships with ourselves. Marianna is a member of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Arlington, Virginia, and currently serves on the ministerial intern committee, a role that she finds very rewarding. Marianna views finding and living one’s purpose in life as a deeply spiritual practice, and values every opportunity to learn from and grow in various faith perspectives.

Marianna will be joining us for a Zoom session this Thursday, April 1st at 6 pm Eastern time. During our time together you can meet Marianna and ask her about anything you’re about anything you hear on this episode. Sign up for free.

The post Episode Two: Trust appeared first on Dominican Sisters of Hope.

Gina Ciliberto from the Dominican Sisters of Hope sets the scene for the podcast, invites listeners to take a walk, and offers a brief meditation on light.

The post Episode One: Intro + Lux appeared first on Dominican Sisters of Hope.