Sister Joan Chittister, a Roman Catholic nun and outspoken social advocate, has written nearly 50 books, countless essays and numerous articles on topics ranging from justice and peace to feminism in the Bible. She has become one of today's leading spiritual voices, bringing her energy and fiery spirit to everything she does, including her writing.
Sister Joan says that she found her passion for writing more than 60 years ago, at age 14. It was the first week of school, and Joan had just written an essay for class. She didn't think much of it after submitting it, but that one assignment attracted the attention of her teacher.
"She called me out of algebra and held this thing up, and she said, 'Are you Joan Chittister?'" Sister Joan recalls. "She said, 'Where did this come from, Joan?' I said, 'Well, it's mine.' ... She said, 'Well, why did you write it?' I said, 'Because you assigned it. You wanted it, so I wrote it!'"
What the nun did next sparked this prolific author's writing career. Watch as she describes the memorable experience. Also in the video above, Sister Joan reveals her candid thoughts about Pope Francis.
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