For this month’s Academy Podcast episode, in honor of March and the celebration of women’s history, we have chosen to highlight the life of Saint Teresa of Avila through the scholarship and spiritual guidance of Sister Kathleen Flood. Sister Kathleen bears witness to the courageous life of St. Teresa, whose devotion to Christ led her to become a reformer of the Carmelite order, a resister against the Christian nationalism of 16^th century Spain and the Spanish inquisitions, and a profound teacher on the life of prayer.

An Illinois native, Kathleen R. Flood, OP, presently resides in Wisconsin. She became a member of the Sinsinawa Dominican Congregation (the Order of Preachers) in 1981, and served as a campus minister in Illinois and Wisconsin. She came to Nashville in 1988, serving for many years as University Catholic Chaplain at Vanderbilt University, as well as providing a ministry of spiritual direction, leading retreats, preaching, and teaching. Sr. Kathleen is a graduate of the Graduate Theological Foundation and holds the Doctor of Ministry Degree in Christian Spirituality. She holds multiple degrees and currently serves as an adjunct faculty member for the Doctor of Ministry program at Drew University in New Jersey and is a long-time faculty for The Academy for Spiritual Formation.

Show notes:

Episode tracks: “Far Side of the Sea,” “Versailles,” and “Fearless” by Amy Stroup, used with permission.

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