Release Date: Nov.6 , 2019
GAMBIER, Ohio — Rt. Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori broke boundaries in 2006 when she became the first female presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church. She will share her experience in a talk at Kenyon College on Monday, Nov. 11, at 7:30 p.m. The event, free and open to the public, will be held in the Gund Gallery’s Community Foundation Theater, 101 ½ College Drive.
As presiding bishop, Jefferts Schori served as a chief pastor and primate to the Episcopal Church's members in 17 countries, 109 dioceses and three regional areas before retiring in 2015. Her talk at Kenyon, titled “Breaking the Stained-Glass Ceiling: Women's Religious Leadership Around the Globe," is part of a yearlong celebration of the 50th anniversary of coeducation at the College. During her visit to Kenyon, Jefferts Schori will talk about the important role women have in changing the world, and the essential stories and perspectives they bring to the work of transformation.
College Chaplain Rachel Kessler, priest-in-charge of Harcourt Parish, noted the importance of Jefferts Schori’s exemplary role in a space that is traditionally male-dominated.
“She certainly is a trailblazer in terms of being the first woman to lead this major religious denomination in the United States,” Kessler said. “Her global perspective and her time spent with women around the world in different religious leadership roles will make her talk even more interesting.”
In addition to her Monday appearance, Jefferts Schori also will moderate a panel of Kenyon students and staff who will discuss women's religious leadership on campus. The panel, free and open to the public, will be held Tuesday, Nov. 12, at 11:10 a.m. in Storer Hall’s Brandi Recital Hall, 105 College Drive.
Buffy Ireland Hallinan, a 1976 Kenyon graduate and former chair of the College’s Board of Trustees, chaired the Kenyon committee overseeing the September kickoff celebration of 50 years of coeducation. She hopes those in attendance will find the discussion thought-provoking.
“I would encourage students to attend both of these events and join the conversation about the importance of listening to each other, of being willing to encounter each other with love and tolerance,” Hallinan said.
Jefferts Schori’s visit is sponsored by the Kenyon Interfaith Partnership; the Center for Global Engagement; the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion; Canterbury; Harcourt Parish and the Office of Spiritual and Religious Life.