LISLE, IL — This year’s Benedictine Heritage Lecture focuses on the future. Sister Susan Quaintance, a member of the Benedictine Sisters of Chicago, will address the challenges facing the 1500-year-old Benedictine tradition and the radical promise of monasticism in the age of globalization.

Sister Quaintance will speak on “Death, Difference, and Drudgery: The Future of Benedictine Monasticism” on Thursday, February 27, 2020 at 7:00 p.m. on the fifth floor of the Kindlon Hall of Learning.

A former English and theology teacher at St. Scholastica Academy and formation director at St. Scholastica Monastery, Sister Quaintance currently serves as director of the Center for Life and Learning, a learning community for adults at Fourth Presbyterian Church in Chicago. She holds an M.A. in theology from Saint John’s University and is a member of the editorial board for the “American Benedictine Review” as well as past president of the American Benedictine Academy. She is featured in the film “Monasticism for the 21st Century”.

“We are greatly honored to have Sister Susan Quaintance join us for this year’s Benedictine Heritage Lecture,” said Peter Huff, Ph.D., chief mission officer and professor of theology at Benedictine University. “Her experience in spiritual formation and social activism grants us deep insight into the relevance of monastic living for the contemporary world.”

The annual Benedictine Heritage Lecture is part of Benedict and Scholastica Week, a week promoting awareness and appreciation of the Benedictine tradition leading up to Benedictine University’s Founders Day. Previous lecturers in the series have included Judith Simmer-Brown, Ph.D. (Naropa University) and Rosalie Riegle, author of “Crossing the Line: Nonviolent Resisters Speak Out for Peace.”

Sister Quaintance’s appearance at Benedictine is sponsored by the University’s Center for Mission, Ministry, and Inclusion. The lecture is free and open to the public. A reception before the lecture begins at 6:15 p.m. For more information, contact Dr. Huff at 603-829-6664 or phuff@ben.edu.