Kathleen P. Deignan, CND is a theologian, author, and composer and singer of sacred song. A sister of the Congregation of Notre Dame, she is the founder of Schola Ministries, a cooperative venture in service of the contemplative and liturgical arts, which has produced a dozen albums of her music ( www.ScholaMinistries.org ).

Sister Deignan also founded and directs the Iona Spirituality Institute at Iona College in New Rochelle, New York, where she is Professor of Religious Studies. She is the author of Christ Spirit: The Eschatology of Shaker Christianity, and the editor of two books of Thomas Merton’s writings: A Book of Hours and When the Trees Say Nothing: Writings on Nature. Her articles on classical and contemporary spirituality have appeared in numerous religious publications. She is a member of the boards of the International Thomas Merton Society, GreenFaith, and the Giuliani Foundation for Religion and the Arts.

Sister Deignan holds a Masters degree in the History of Christian Spirituality and a Doctorate in Historical Theology from Fordham University, where she recently received the Sapientia et Doctrina award "for service to the renewal of the church."

Dr. Deignan’s scholarly interests focus on classical and contemporary Christian spirituality, with an emphasis on the legacies of spiritual masters Thomas Merton and Thomas Berry. She is among the first class of Green Faith Fellows, a training program for religious environmental leaders, and she has committed her ministry to serving “The Great Work” - the emergence of a new ecological spirituality, ethics, and life practice.

She leads the congregation in worship song at the Benedictine Grange in West Redding, Connecticut, founded by Father John B. Giuliani, her liturgical collaborator for over forty years.

Kathleen was born in London to Irish parents, and her Celtic spirit animates her music and ministry. She was raised in New York City and lives in New Rochelle, New York.

Her music is available on the Schola Ministries website and on iTunes.

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