The "Center": Recent Episodes
Marsha Thrall
A discussion on the history and methods of active nonviolence and peacemaking. Brought to you by the Franciscan Peace Center, of the Sisters of St. Francis, Clinton, Iowa.
In recognition of Women’s History Month, on today’s episode of The “Center” we are joined by Leenah Safi. Ms. Safi is the daughter of Syrian immigrants and is currently completing PhD work at Chicago Theological Seminary. As a Muslim woman, Leenah has immersed herself in full time community work as a college chaplain with a Muslim nonprofit called the Felicity Foundation. Inspired and deeply challenged by the necessary work of supporting adolescents navigating educational and community belonging, she transitioned to doctoral studies to further identify the gaps in identity formation of young Muslims and is actively learning and teaching in the fields of pastoral care, theology, and religious education. Thank you for joining us for this important conversation on the importance of women's voices within all faith traditions.
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On today’s episode of the “Center” we are joined by Sister Maria Zeimen, OSF and her friend Nancy from Garden Center Services. Garden Center Services is located in Burbank, IL, and provides housing services, day programming, and supportive employment services to people with intellectual and physical disabilities. According to their website, Garden Center Services was established in 1956 as a grassroots movement intended to serve children with developmental disabilities and their families and caregivers. Garden Center Services currently serves more than 150 individuals within their wider community.
A goal of active nonviolence, according to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., is to create “Beloved Community” – or space where unconditional love holds the power to transform the lives of all. As a mode of this transformative, unconditional love, today’s episode of The “Center” holds space for a member of the community at Garden Center Services to share their interests, favorite things, and to help us to understand the important value of love and friendship.
Thank you for joining us today for this very important episode. I hope you enjoy listening as much as we enjoyed recording it for you.
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On today’s episode of The “Center”, we’ll receive a one year update from members of the Social Justice Committee at St. Ann’s Catholic church in Baltimore, MD on the progress made in the campaign for canonization of the “Saintly Six”. As our regular listeners may recall, the cause of the “Saintly Six” is a movement lead by Black Catholics throughout the United States to have six African American Catholics granted sainthood within the Catholic church through the “Santo Subito” or “declare Sainthood now!” process. The candidates in this process include Mother Mary Lange, Father Augustus Tolton, Mother Henriette Delille, Venerable Pierre Toussaint, Julia Greeley, and Sister Thea Bowman.
During this podcast, we’ll be reminded about how the process of canonization works within the Catholic church, and also the efforts that the Social Justice committee at St. Ann’s Catholic church is making to bring the cause of sainthood for the “Saintly Six” a reality. We’ll also be reminded about the importance of Black representation within the Catholic church.
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On this week’s episode of The “Center”, we’ll be joined by Deputy Chief James Ballauer, Corporal Josh Winter, and School Resource Officer Chris Robertson of the Clinton, Iowa police department to discuss the landscape of human trafficking in Clinton and neighboring communities. The conversation will include information about initiatives and partnerships that the Clinton PD is currently engaged in aimed at abating various forms of trafficking within Clinton, northeast Iowa, and Illinois. We will focus on proactive measures that can be taken by any person in response to witnessed suspicious activity, and also how parents and caretakers can protect their families from nefarious activity, including unsafe internet activity.
Content warning: This podcast will include mention of sexual abuse, the impact of drug use on communities, and weapons violence. Please take care when listening.
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On today’s episode of The “Center” we’re joined by Latina feminist theologian Dr. Theresa Yugar.
Dr. Yugar is best known for her research and writing work on the 17th century Catholic nun Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz, publishing the book Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz: Feminist Reconstruction of Biography and Text through Wipf and Stock publishers in 2016. In 2019, Dr. Yugar was invited to co-create the production of “History’s Worst Nun” an animated TedEd short film that summarizes the life of Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz. Dr. Yugar’s other notable work includes Valuing Lives, Healing Earth: Religion, Gender, and Life on Earth, a festschrift honoring the life, work, and influence of Catholic feminist theologian Dr. Rosemary Radford Ruether.
Dr. Yugar earned a Master of Divinity from Harvard Divinity School in 1997, and later completed a PhD from Claremont Graduate University in 2013. Her areas of expertise include ecofeminist theory and praxis and gender in colonial Latin American history. She is the recipient of a Fulbright and Hispanic Theological Initiative Fellowship, and Scholar for the Chancellor’s Doctoral Incentive Program.
Yugar teaches in the Chicana(o) and Latina(o) Studies and the Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies departments at California State University in Los Angeles.
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On this episode of The “Center”, we are joined by Dr. Ryan Hansen. Dr. Hansen is an ordained minister in the Church of the Nazarene, having served churches in Chicago, Nashville, and northeastern Wisconsin. Ryan also serves as the Minister of Visitation at a Presbyterian church in Manitowoc, Wisconsin. Ryan has received a PhD from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary, and his dissertation focuses on images of cosmic upheaval and worship in the Book of Revelation. That work has been published from Fortress Press as Silence and Praise: Rhetorical Cosmology and Political Theology in the Book of Revelation. Dr. Hansen teaches online at several universities and seminaries around the US.
On today’s podcast, Ryan and I will be discussing the context and metaphorical nature of the book of Revelation, also known as The Revelation of John. Revelation was written in the late 1st or early 2nd century, CE and uses metaphors to illuminate the violence of the Roman Empire at the time, while also asserting that following the nonviolent ways of Jesus is the most effective tool to overcome the violence of empire.
Please note: The views expressed here are individual views that do not necessarily reflect the views of the Sisters of St. Francis, Clinton, Iowa.
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On Today’s episode of The “Center”, we’re joined by Anne Hoiberg, author of the book Tears of War: Stories of Refugee Women.
According to the Institute for Women’s Policy Research “Status of Women in the States Report, nearly 21 million female immigrants currently live in the United States, making up more than 13% of the entire female population in the US. These women take on multiple roles, including roles as students, teachers, many kinds of professional positions, and also are spouses, parents, and caregivers within their families.
During her 25-year career as a Research Psychologist with the United States government, Anne Hoiberg published two books and more than 130 scientific articles, book chapters, reports, and presentations. She currently serves as the President of the International Museum of Human Rights at San Diego, Bilateral Safety Corridor Coalition, and La Jolla Pen Women as well as Co-President of the American Association of University Women (San Diego branch), Chairwoman of the Nile Sisters Development Initiative, and Secretary of the Peace Resource Center. She is a past president of the League of Women Voters of San Diego, the Women’s Museum of California, the United Nations Association of San Diego, and National Women’s Political Caucus. Anne volunteered as an election supervisor in “emerging” countries (eight missions) and has organized local, national, and international conferences. In 2012, she was inducted into the San Diego County Women’s Hall of Fame. Her book Tears of War: Stories of Refugee Women, was published by Montezuma Publishing in December2022.
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On today’s episode of The “Center”, we will be joined by Shannon Sander-Welzien, Executive Director of the YWCA in Clinton Iowa, and Michelle Plasschaert, the YWCA’s Empowerment Center Director for a discussion about the proposed Supportive Housing program that the team at the YWCA has developed for Clinton, Iowa.
Permanent Supportive Housing is an evidence-based housing intervention that significantly reduces returns to jail and homelessness, reliance on emergency health services, and improves overall quality of life for those who participate in this type of program. According to the YWCA, in Clinton County, 1 in 3 people are at risk of homelessness due to poverty, and this has only increased with the impact of COVID-19. YWCA Clinton operates under the Housing First Model. Housing First is an evidence-based homeless assistance approach that prioritizes providing permanent housing to people experiencing homelessness, thus ending their homelessness, and serving as a platform from which they can pursue personal goals and improve their quality of life. The Supportive Housing Initiative proposed by the YWCA will provide a wider breadth of opportunity for the YWCA to provide solutions for vulnerable populations within Clinton and Jackson counties; complementing the services that the YWCA already provides to our neighbors facing homelessness.
This week’s podcast will focus on some of the talking points for the Clinton YWCA’s Supportive Housing Project, including information about the updated location for the proposed project, who the project will serve, the importance of the grant and other funding that has been received for this project, and the long-term benefits that this project will provide to the community of Clinton, IA.
After listening, if you’re interested in supporting the YWCA’s Supportive Housing Project, there are two ways that you can help out. The first is to contact your city council person to express your support. Also, on November 14th there will be a board meeting for the City Council. At this time the City Council will go into public hearing for the YWCA’s Supportive Housing project, and members of the greater Clinton Community will be able to speak. After all public addresses, Clinton’s City Council will vote on the new proposed site for this Supportive Housing Project. Our listeners are encouraged to make a statement in support of this project; however, if making a statement goes beyond your comfort level, you are invited to stand in support of this project by being present at this meeting.
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On today’s episode of The “Center” we are joined by Dr. Christophe Ringer, associate professor of Theological Ethics, and Society at Chicago Theological Seminary.
Professor Ringer’s research interests include theological and social ethics, African American religion, public theology, religion and social sciences, religion and politics, critical theory and African American religion, and cultural studies. He is particularly interested in African American religion as a site for understanding the relationship of self, society and the sacred as it concerns human flourishing. Ringer’s research currently focuses on the religious and cultural meanings that sustain and rationalize mass incarceration and other forms of social death in American public life.
Please note: The views expressed here are individual views that do not necessarily reflect the views of the Sisters of St. Francis, Clinton, Iowa.
"Sweet Times" is by All Bets Off, and is provided by Adobe Stock.
On Today’s episode of “The Center” we’ll be joined by Clinton’s Deputy Chief of Police, James Ballauer, who will be talking about alternative policing tactics currently being used in Clinton, Iowa.
According to the US Department of Justice, community policing is a philosophy that promotes organizational strategies that support the systematic use of partnerships and problem-solving techniques to proactively address the immediate conditions that give rise to public safety issues such as crime, social disorder, and fear of crime.
In Clinton, Iowa, community policing includes social workers and psychologists riding with police officers up to three times per week to attend to non-violent calls including mental distress calls, drug use calls, vagrancy calls and other calls that are non-violent in nature so that help, rather than punitive measures can be administered to community members who need help. Please listen as today’s guest talks about the transformative nature of employing non-violent community policing.
The views expressed here are individual views that do not necessarily reflect the views of the Sisters of St. Francis, Clinton, Iowa.
"Sweet Times" is by All Bets Off, and is provided by Adobe Stock.
On today’s episode of The “Center” the staff of the Franciscan Peace Center will be sharing information about the good work that has been accomplished within the past year, events that are coming up – including the Second Annual Just Living Festival, and plans for future work sponsored by the FPC.
Listen in as host Marsha Thrall, Director of Programming, Jennifer Kryszak, Director of Strategic Planning, and Laura Anderson, Director of Digital Outreach and Advocacy for the Franciscan Peace Center share the good news of active nonviolence and peacemaking work, and how it takes shape within their local community and beyond.
"Sweet Times" is by All Bets Off, and is provided by Adobe Stock.
On Today’s podcast, we will be joined by Sister Janet Ryan, OSF.
Sister Janet has been a Franciscan sister of Clinton, Iowa since 2005, and is originally from Boston. She has been ministering at Precious Blood Ministry of Reconciliation since 2014 and assists adults in earning their high school diploma, offers peace circles in the community and circle trainings at PBMR. Sr. Janet has a Communications degree from UConn and a Master's in Pastoral Ministry from St. John's Seminary in Boston. She is passionate about living and promoting Nonviolence and Restorative Justice.
Today’s conversation will focus on the ways in which Sr. Janet’s community at Precious Blood Ministries of Reconciliation will be celebrating both Campaign Non-Violence from September 21, 2023 to October 2, 2023, and also how Precious Blood Ministries will be celebrating the International Day of Peace on September 21, 2023.
Welcome Sister Janet!
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Today’s special edition of The “Center” is a conversation with Sister LaVern Olberding, OSF. Sister LaVern has been a member of The Sisters of St. Francis, Clinton, Iowa since 1961. During her time as part of the Clinton Franciscan family, Sister LaVern has served as a grade school teacher, a high school teacher, in faith formation and campus ministry, and as the operations coordinator for the oldest solid surface company in Southern California. Sister LaVern’s current project is founding and serving as the president of the Franciscan Peace Connection in San Diego.
On today’s episode, join host Marsha Thrall, and Sister LaVern as they talk about the events that The Franciscan Peace Connection has planned to celebrate the International Day of Peace with their neighbors in the San Diego area.
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Did you know that Iowa was once 80% covered in tall grass prairie land?
But, currently, the amount of tall grass prairie land in Iowa is less than .1%.
On today’s episode of The “Center”, we’ll be joined by Kurt Kreiter and Todd Seifert from Our Lady of the Prairie Retreat Center in Wheatland, Iowa, and also Sister Marie Cigrand from the Sisters of St. Francis in Dubuque, Iowa for a meaningful and informative conversation about the importance of prairie land in the state of Iowa. Join us as we talk about the importance of the prairie for our overall ecosystem, the beautiful habitat that the prairie provides for our brothers and sisters who call it home and appreciate some prairie wisdom from those who are stewards of some of the prairie lands that are left to be cared for here in Iowa.
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On today’s podcast, host Marsha Thrall will be sharing with our listeners information about what human trafficking looks like in the state of Iowa, how local communities are working to squash the various problems that are systemic contributors to human trafficking, what work still needs our attention, and how we can work together as a community to bring positive change to the landscape of human trafficking in Iowa.
Content warning: There are brief mentions of rape and sexual assault in this episode. Please be careful while listening.
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On today’s episode of The “Center”, host Marsha Thrall is joined by Sisters Ida Green, and Jeanne d’Arc Untz of the Sisters of St. Francis, Clinton, Iowa to talk about the work that they have done to alleviate the problem of human trafficking within the community of Clinton.
This conversation will focus on what motivates these sisters to do anti-trafficking work, the impact that their work has had on their communities, and their hopes for a community liberated from the problem of human trafficking.
Content Warning: This episode contains brief mention of sexual assault.
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On today’s episode of The “Center”, host Marsha Thrall is joined by Tamra Jetter, Director of the Vince Jetter Community Center in Clinton, Iowa. Marsha and Tamra will talk about the Vince Jetter Community Center’s origins, and how the Jetter Center is currently working on beautification and community garden education projects intended to revitalize the neighborhoods surrounding the Vince Jetter Community Center.
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In today’s episode of The “Center”, host Marsha Thrall talks about both the restorative and nonviolent nature of both home gardening and community gardening.
Within the conversation, she will be joined by Donna Santiago, who oversees programming and enrichment for the Pathways Living Center in Clinton, Iowa. Pathways Living Center provides housing and care for adults living with mental and emotional challenges, and Pathways is one of this year’s recipients of a no-cost garden plot at the Clinton Community Garden.
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On today’s episode of The "Center" host Marsha Thrall is joined by Dr. Adrienne Krone. Dr. Krone is the Assistant Professor of Environmental Science & Sustainability and Religious Studies at Allegheny College in Meadville, PA. Dr. Krone’s area of academic specialty focuses on Agriculture and Food, Food Justice, Religion and Food, Religion and the Environment, Religion and Animals, Religious Studies, and Jewish Studies. Her research has focused on a historical and ethnographic study of the contemporary Jewish Community Farming movement in North America. Welcome Dr. Krone!
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This week on The “Center”, host Marsha Thrall is joined by Carmelite Sister JonFe de Torres, as well as Sisters Theresa Judge and Joan Theiss of the Sisters of St. Francis, Clinton, Iowa. Today’s conversation focuses on the experiences and expertise that these three women have in growing gardens for both food, and as creative expression. The topic of gardening as an act of nonviolence is explored, including insight on how growing one’s own food is a radical act of self-care.
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Today's guest on The "Center" is Dr. Joanne Marie Terrell.
Dr. Terrell is the Kenneth B. Smith Chair of Public Ministry and Associate Professor of Theology, Ethics, and The Arts at Chicago Theological Seminary. Dr. Terrell had the distinct honor of being mentored by Dr. James Cone while she completed both her MDiv and Doctoral degrees at Union Theological Seminary. In her own right, Dr. Terrell is a brilliant scholar, and author of the book Power in the Blood? The Cross in the African American Experience. As part of her ministry, Dr. Terrell utilizes theater, poetry, and clothing design as both pedagogical process, and expressive nonviolence in response to the violence that is present within our communities.
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This episode features two guests: Sister Janet Ryan, a Franciscan sister of Clinton, Iowa, and Olivia Hurst, from Chicago, IL. Sr. Janet has been ministering at Precious Blood Ministry of Reconciliation since 2014, where she assists adults in earning their high school diploma, offers peace circles in the community, and circle trainings at PBMR. Olivia Hurst has been actively engaged with the programming at Precious Blood Ministry of Reconciliation for several years, and considers PBMR to be a “home away from home”. During this conversation, we will be talking about how an ethic of nonviolence and peacemaking has a positive impact on the lives of folks who participate in programs like those offered at Precious Blood Ministry of Reconciliation
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Integrating Franciscan spirituality with action, the Franciscan Peace Center carries out the advocacy work of the corporate public stands taken by the Clinton Franciscans. That work can take many forms: influencing lawmakers, prayer, educating individuals, mobilizing citizens to participate in the democratic process, and giving a voice to impoverished and marginalized people. In 2021, the Clinton Franciscans committed to a plan based on the Laudato Si’ Action Platform (LSAP) – a call from the Vatican to work toward a more sustainable and just world. This episode of The “Center” is a conversation with the staff of the Franciscan Peace Center: Director of Strategic Planning, Jennifer Kryszak; Director of Digital Advocacy and Outreach, Laura Anderson; and Director of Programming, Marsha Thrall. Join us as we discuss how we approach the mission of active nonviolence and peacemaking and how the LSAP provides a framework for our efforts.
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Today's podcast is part two of the two part conversation with members of the Social Justice Committee at St. Ann's Catholic Church in Baltimore, Maryland.
Join host Marsha Thrall, and guests Delores Moore, Ralph Moore, and Mary Sewell as they discuss St. Ann's initiative of Santo Subito (or "Saint right away") canonization for six African American candidates for sainthood.
This initiative has received national attention, and has been the focus of a November 2021 Washington Post article.
To learn more about the six Santo Subito candidates, and to read and sign a copy of the letter that St. Ann's has composed to Pope Francis, please visit:
https://clintonfranciscans.com/the-center-podcast
"Sweet Times" is by All Bets Off, and is provided by Adobe Stock.
"Sweet Times" is by All Bets Off, and is provided by Adobe Stock.
Today's podcast is part one of a two part conversation with members of the Social Justice Committee at St. Ann's Catholic Church in Baltimore, Maryland.
Join host Marsha Thrall, and guests Delores Moore, Ralph Moore, and Mary Sewell as they discuss St. Ann's initiative of Santo Subito (or "Saint right away") canonization for six African American candidates for sainthood.
This initiative has received national attention, and has been the focus of a November 2021 Washington Post article.
To learn more about the six Santo Subito candidates, and to read and sign a copy of the letter that St. Ann's has composed to Pope Francis, please visit:
https://clintonfranciscans.com/the-center-podcast
"Sweet Times" is by All Bets Off, and is provided by Adobe Stock.
For the January 26, 2023 episode, host Marsha Thrall continues the "origin story" conversation with Sister Jan Cebula, Sister LaVern Olberding, and Sister Maria Zeimen.
During the conversation, the Sisters share personal stories about their journey towards embracing an ethic of active nonviolence and peacemaking. And also, the Sisters share sources and resources to aid listeners in seeking out ways to explore a "centered" approach to active nonviolence and peacemaking.
Please visit our website to learn more about these resources.
"Sweet Times" is by All Bets Off, and is provided by Adobe Stock.
In our pilot episode, host Marsha Thrall takes a look into the origin story of "The Center" with Sister Jan Cebula, Sister LaVern Olberding, and Sister Maria Zeimen.
Conversations about desert experiences, learning about and embracing Active Nonviolence and Peacemaking as a charism, and learning how to find "The Center" in one's personal journey towards an ethos of active nonviolence and peacemaking will be explored.
Join us for the launching of "The Center's" journey towards discovering the communal value of living life nonviolently.
"Sweet Times" is by All Bets Off, and is provided by Adobe Stock.