For Love of the Broken Body - A Spiritual Memoir

"A questioning novice nun's coming-of-age story. Readers will be moved to reflect on the universal human experiences of being broken and the pull to be part of something bigger than themselves. At the age of 25, just a month into her novitiate as a Franciscan Sister, Julia Walsh fell from a cliff and became disfigured. While working toward healing, she felt pulled to religious community life, but also toward unresolved feelings regarding her own sexuality, identity, and injustice. For Love of the Broken Body is a story of pain, questioning, recovery, and discovery. What does it mean to exist as a broken body? Why would a young woman dedicate herself to the Catholic Church-to a life as a Franciscan Sister-while others are leaving churches in droves? The number of women choosing to enter religious life across the U.S. is shrinking rapidly, so Walsh encounters a lot of curiosity about her choice. In this memoir, she writes honestly about feeling drawn to men and to sex, as well as what it means, in this age of self-discovery and hook-ups, for a young woman-physically broken and still very much attracted to the world-to join a celibate, religious community"--

List of contents

Part One: Shattered
Part Two: Repaired
Part Three: Held
Acknowledgements
Permissions
Glossary
About the Author

About the author

Julia Walsh is a Franciscan Sister of Perpetual Adoration and part of her congregation’s formation team, serving women who are discerning their vocation. She co-founded The Fireplace, an intentional community and house of hospitality on Chicago’s southside that offers spiritual support to seekers, artists, and activists. She has a MA in Pastoral Studies from Catholic Theological Union and is a spiritual director and secondary teacher. As a creative writer, educator, and retreat presenter she is passionate about exploring the intersection of creativity, spirituality, activism, and community life. Sister Julia’s work can be found in publications such as America, Living Faith Catholic Devotional, National Catholic Reporter, Living City, The Christian Century, Chicago Sun-Times, and St. Anthony Messenger. She hosts the Messy Jesus Business blog and podcast and is on Twitter and Instagram as @JuliaFSPA. A lover of the outdoors, she sometimes can be found studying wildflowers near Elgin, Iowa, her hometown.

Summary

“Julia Walsh gives me hope for a future with religious women changing the world. She tells a story all her own, but I felt her doubts, questions, and passion each step of the way. Highly recommended.” —Sister Helen Prejean, author of Dead Man Walking and River of Fire

A questioning novice nun’s coming-of-age story. Readers will be moved to reflect on the universal human experiences of being broken and the pull to be part of something bigger than themselves.

At the age of 25, just a month into her novitiate as a Franciscan Sister, Julia Walsh fell from a cliff and became disfigured. While working toward healing, she felt pulled to religious community life, but also toward unresolved feelings regarding her own sexuality, identity, and injustice.

For Love of the Broken Body is a story of pain, questioning, recovery, and discovery. What does it mean to exist as a broken body? Why would a young woman dedicate herself to the Catholic Church—to a life as a Franciscan Sister—while others are leaving churches in droves?

The number of women choosing to enter religious life across the U.S. is shrinking rapidly, so Walsh encounters a lot of curiosity about her choice. In this memoir, she writes honestly about feeling drawn to men and to sex, as well as what it means, in this age of self-discovery and hook-ups, for a young woman—physically broken and still very much attracted to the world—to join a celibate, religious community.

Foreword

• Strong social media campaign. We’ll launch with a Facebook Live event—asking James Martin, SJ if he is willing to be the interviewer of Julia Walsh.
• In-person launch event at The Fireplace, the community organization run by the author in Hyde Park, Chicago.
• Excerpt in America magazine.
• Extended galley mailing.
• Publicity campaign to offer a behind-the-scenes look into life in a modern convent.
• Goodreads giveaway—appealing to Spiritual-But-Not-Religious/“Nones” who are fascinated by those who are unapologetically religious.
  
• IndieBound Advance Access.
• There will be many author speaking events, appealing to Catholics and other Christians struggling with remaining associated with an institutional Church shaken by scandal.
• Book will be used by author’s religious order of Franciscan Sisters, gifting it to young women who are discerning Catholic religious life.

Product details

• Authors: Julia Walsh
• Publisher: Ingram Publishers Services
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 26.03.2024
• EAN: 9781958972274
• ISBN: 978-1-958972-27-4
• No. of pages: 256
• Subjects: Fiction > Narrative literature > Letters, diaries; Non-fiction book > Philosophy, religion > Biographies, autobiographies; RELIGION / Christianity / Catholic, BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY / Women