If Nuns Ruled the World: Ten Sisters on a Mission

by Jo Piazza

Overview

“Fascinating profiles” of remarkable nuns, from an eighty-three-year-old Ironman champion to a crusader against human trafficking (Daily News [New York]).

“In an age of villainy, war and inequality, it makes sense that we need superheroes,” writes Nicholas Kristof of The New York Times. “And after trying Superman, Batman and Spider-Man, we may have found the best superheroes yet: Nuns.”

In If Nuns Ruled the World, veteran reporter Jo Piazza overthrows the popular perception of nuns as killjoy schoolmarms,  instead revealing them as the most vigorous catalysts of change in an otherwise repressive society.

Meet Sister Simone Campbell, who traversed the United States challenging a Congressional budget that threatened to severely undermine the well-being of poor Americans; Sister Megan Rice, who is willing to spend the rest of her life in prison if it helps eliminate nuclear weapons; and the inimitable Sister Jeannine Gramick, who is fighting for acceptance of gays and lesbians in the Catholic Church.

During a time when American nuns are often under attack from the very institution to which they devote their lives—and the values of the institution itself are hotly debated—these sisters offer thought-provoking and inspiring stories. As the Daily Beast put it, “Anybody looking to argue there is a place for Catholicism in the modern world should just stand on a street corner handing out Piazza’s book.”

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781497601901
Publisher:	Open Road Integrated Media, Inc.
Publication date:	09/02/2014
Pages:	272
Sales rank:	388,777
Product dimensions:	5.20(w) x 7.90(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Jo Piazza is the author of the acclaimed Celebrity, Inc.: How Famous People Make Money and a novel, Love Rehab. She is a regular contributor to the Wall Street Journal and her work has appeared in the New York Times, New York magazine, Glamour, Gotham, the Daily Beast, and Slate. She has also appeared as a commentator on CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, and NPR.

Piazza holds an undergraduate degree in economics from the University of Pennsylvania, a master’s in journalism from Columbia University, and a master’s in religious studies from New York University. She lives in New York City with her giant dog.

Table of Contents

Author's Note ix

Introduction 5

1 Weapons Are Made Like Gods 23

2 The Nun on the Bus 49

3 It Isn't About Being Gay; It's About Being in Love 77

4 Racing Against Time, Outliving the Competition 107

5 An Underground Railroad for Modern-Day Slaves 131

6 Keeping an Eye on Corporate America 150

7 The Act of Survival Is Worse Than the Torture Itself 167

8 I Want to Run a Laundromat Before I Die 188

9 Jesus Treated Men and Women Equally 207

10 We Are All Sisters 228

Epilogue 241

Sources 251

Acknowledgments 257

About the Author 259

Interviews

• Women of all ages
• People in public service
• Catholic/Christian readers

Editorial Reviews

Praise for If Nuns Ruled the World

“In an age of villainy, war and inequality, it makes sense that we need superheroes. And after trying Superman, Batman and Spider-Man, we may have found the best superheroes yet: Nuns.” —Nicholas Kristof, The New York Times

“Piazza writes vividly about hardworking women who devote their time and energy to making other people’s lives better. The result is a readable, informative look at how nuns, as flawed and human and real as they may be, also have a calling and a faith, and they use that to create change in the world. . . . If Nuns Ruled the World is a little bit of a crowd pleaser and a little bit subversive, and it opened up my eyes to the everyday heroism of some amazing women.” —Flavorwire

“Anybody looking to argue there is a place for Catholicism in the modern world should just stand on a street corner handing out Piazza’s book. By sharing the chills-inducing tales of the women toiling in ways most of us could never fathom, she has given oxygen to that flickering flame that is the Church's reputation in the U.S.” —The Daily Beast

“Fascinating profiles of 10 women determined to make a difference. Piazza successfully updates the image of black-garbed brides of Christ to strong, proactive and, yes, devout women intent on addressing social ills and tending to souls the Catholic church seems to shun, like gays and lesbians. Piazza delivers a controversial and important book.” —Daily News (New York)

“This affecting collection of journalistic pieces by Piazza . . . goes a very long way toward dispelling any notion of nuns as conformist knuckle-whackers. . . . Accessibly written, these ten portraits should speak to many students and church groups.” —Library Journal

From the Publisher

12/01/2014
These are trying times for Roman Catholic nuns, especially in the United States. After a sharp reproof from church authorities in 2012, relations between these women of faith and the Church have only scarcely warmed under the papacy of Francis. This affecting collection of journalistic pieces by Piazza (Love Rehab: A Novel in Twelve Steps) goes a very long way toward dispelling any notion of nuns as conformist knuckle-whackers. The author demonstrates that these women are our society's truest liberal activists—informed, dauntless, and determined—as they fight for gay and lesbian inclusiveness in the Roman Catholic Church, rescue girls from human trafficking, serve poverty-stricken communities, and even help eliminate nuclear weapons. Piazza describes their devotion, not just to their faith, but to their chosen causes. VERDICT Accessibly written, these ten portraits should speak to many students and church groups.

Library Journal

2014-07-16
How a group of sisters is making changes in the world. If the word nun brings to mind an elderly woman in a black habit, Wall Street Journal contributor Piazza's (Love Rehab: A Novel in Twelve Steps, 2013, etc.) essays on the ten sisters she interviewed will definitely create a new image. Dynamic, vivacious, determined, peaceful and loving are just a few descriptors that could be applied to these women who have devoted their lives to God and to some of the most difficult causes in America. Sister Simone spent weeks at a time on a bus traveling across the country to protest the Republican budget that would have denied health care to the poor; Sister Megan, 82, broke into a high-security nuclear facility to protest nuclear weapons and warfare; Sister Jeannine risked the wrath of the Catholic Church to bring religious teachings to gay and lesbian Catholics. Other nuns work on saving women and children from the massive sex-trafficking market both in the U.S. and around the world. Another sister brings hope to women in prison, provides a home for their children until they're released, and continues to support the ex-cons after prison by giving them a home, food, clothing and an education. Piazza questioned each woman's motives and decision to become a nun, and many responded that they felt it as a deep calling at a young age and was the right thing to do, despite the challenges of being a nun in today's world. The women use prayer, meditation, exercise and a good diet to help them fight the negativity and stress they encounter on a regular basis, even from the church they belong to and devote their lives to supporting. Reading these stories may not convert anyone, but they should challenge plenty of stereotypes. Entertaining essays on the inspiring work various sisters are accomplishing in the world.

Kirkus Reviews