The Strange Tale of Sister Thorn
Date of Lecture: November 12, 2014
About the Speaker: Paula M. Kane is associate professor and the John and Lucine O’Brien Marous Chair of Catholic Studies at the University of Pittsburgh. She is the author of “Separatism and Subculture: Boston Catholicism, 1900-1920” (University of North Carolina Press, 1994) and co-editor of “Gender Identities in American Catholicism” (Orbis Books, 2001). She is a member of the Holy Cross Class of 1980 and a former College trustee.
About the Talk: Dr. Kane talks about her 2013 book "Sister Thorn and Catholic Mysticism in Modern America," which traces the life of Margaret Reilly, known as Sister Thorn, a stigmatist and mystic who became a controversial figure among the Sisters of the Good Shepherd in Peekskill, New York in the early 20th century. Kane discusses the concepts of stigmata, suffering and sanctity that frame Sister Thorn's life and legacy.
The lecture is part of the Alexander F. Carson Lecture Series.
Watch the lecture below or download it free on iTunes U.