Bending Toward Justice

Bending Toward Justice: Sr. Kate Kuenstler and the Struggle for Parish Rights

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Presenter and author: Sr. Christine Schenk, CSJ 

Facilitators: Carole Sargent, Director, Office of Scholarly Publications at Georgetown University and 
James Howell, Chief Advancement Office with the National Catholic Reporter

At the invitation of Dr. Carole Sargent, Director of the Office of Scholarly Publications at Georgetown University, Sr Christine Schenk, CSJ presented her latest book, "Bending Toward Justice: Sr. Kate Kuenstler and the Struggle for Parish Rights" at Georgetown University's Murray Library on 30 April 2025. Our thanks to our friends at Georgetown who graciously invited NCR Forward members to participate. 

Referenced by Sr. Chris during the presentation:

• Save Our Parish Community - helpful documents published by FutureChurch
• Book review by Yolanda Chávez of "Bending Toward Justice: Sr. Kate Kuenstler and the Struggle for Parish Rights" published by the National Catholic Reporter
• Good news for smaller parishes? Vatican upholds three merger appeals from St. Louis Catholics - an article by Sr. Christine Schenk, published in Global Sisters Report
• Q & A with Sr. Kate Kuenstler, advising the laity when their parishes face closure - an article by  NCR contributor Rhonda Miska, published in Global Sisters Report

Discount offer:

Sr. Christine’s publisher has extended a 30% discount for those who wish to purchase "Bending Toward Justice: Sr. Kate Kuenstler and the Struggle for Parish Rights." Digital and print copies may be purchased at Rowman.com. Use the code RLFANDF30 at checkout to receive your discount. The book is also available at Amazon.

Book overview:

"This is the story of a brave and brilliant woman who's pastoral skill and pioneering expertise in canon law, helped ordinary Catholics, save their beloved church homes." 

So begins Bending Toward Justice: Sr. Kate Kuenstler and the Struggle for Parish Rights.

Bending Toward Justice documents the courageous canonical advocacy of Sr. Kate Kuenstler and thousands of ordinary Catholics whose persistence charted a new course in canon law. On March 7, 2012, Rome ordered Cleveland’s Bishop Richard Lennon to re-establish 12 parishes he had wrongly closed and reopen their churches. It was an unprecedented victory. Because of Kuenstler’s creative canonical acumen, Catholics would eventually win 47 canonical appeals in 16 dioceses in the US and abroad, thereby successfully keeping their churches open.  

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