{"product_id":"for-love-of-the-broken-body-a-spiritual-memoir-paperback","title":"For Love of the Broken Body: A Spiritual Memoir - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eJulia Walsh\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\"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 \u003ci\u003eDead Man Walking \u003c\/i\u003eand\u003ci\u003e River of Fire\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003eA 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.\u003c\/b\u003eAt 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.\u003ci\u003eFor Love of the Broken Body \u003c\/i\u003eis 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.\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eJulia Walsh \u003c\/strong\u003eis 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 \u003ci\u003eAmerica, Living Faith Catholic Devotional, National Catholic Reporter, Living City, The Christian Century, Chicago Sun-Times, \u003c\/i\u003eand\u003ci\u003e St. Anthony Messenger. \u003c\/i\u003eShe 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 256\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 1.1 x 8.9 x 6 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e March 26, 2024\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Books by splitShops","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51758668349728,"sku":"9781958972274","price":22.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0974\/9764\/5344\/files\/e49fb8572c84efb6af680210911ef64d.webp?v=1780132144","url":"https:\/\/ebocreations.com\/products\/for-love-of-the-broken-body-a-spiritual-memoir-paperback","provider":"The E-Book Oasis LLC","version":"1.0","type":"link"}