Sister Simone Campbell, leader of ‘Nuns on the Bus,’ to speak at CSB

Sister Simone Campbell will present the "The U.S. Economy and 'The Faithful Budget' " at 8 p.m. Wednesday, March 6, in room 204, Gorecki Center, College of Saint Benedict, St. Joseph, Minn.

During her lecture, she will discuss how this budget reflects Catholic social teaching. Rabbi Amy Eilberg and Nahid Khan will offer responses from their Jewish and Muslim perspectives following Campbell's lecture.

Campbell is a member of the Sisters of Social Justice who serves as the executive director of NETWORK, a Washington, D.C.,-based Catholic social justice lobbying group. She was a featured speaker at the 2012 Democratic National Convention and appeared twice on the "Colbert Report." She is also an attorney and poet with extensive focus in public policy and advocacy for systemic change related to immigration reform, health care, peace and economic justice.

Campbell has been a spokesperson for "Priorities for a Faithful Budget," a document that promotes comprehensive and compassionate budget principles for restoring economic opportunity, ensuring resources for the country's fiscal needs, providing security, reducing poverty, caring for the environment, improving access to health care and taking responsibility for future generations.

In summer 2012, she led the "Nuns on the Bus" tour, which traveled through nine states and educated residents about current economic injustices, as well as worked to encourage governmental officials and other citizens to embrace the ideas in "Priorities for a Faithful Budget."

Campbell was awarded the 2012 Defender of Democracy Award by the Parliamentarians for Global Action, an international organization of legislators from 120 parliaments.

This lecture, which is free and open to the public, is presented by the College of Saint Benedict Koch Chair in Catholic Thought and Culture in collaboration with the Jay Phillips Center for Interfaith Learning, a joint enterprise of Saint John's University and the University of St. Thomas also serving the College of Saint Benedict.

In addition to the lecture, related events for students include:

•  A workshop, "Activist Nuns, the U.S. National Budget and Justice," which takes place Tuesday, Feb. 26. The workshop will cover Campbell's lobbying strategies.
•  On Monday, March 4, students will meet with Campbell and discuss "U.S. Politics and Social Justice."

Both events are co-sponsored by the Eugene J. McCarthy Center for Public Policy and Civic Engagement at Saint John's University. Students can reserve spots for either event by contacting Stacy Penk at [email protected]. 

 ***

The College of Saint Benedict Koch Chair in Catholic Thought and Culture was established in 2002 at CSB with a gift from former CSB Board of Trustees member Barbara Gray Koch and her husband, David Koch of Wayzata, Minn.

The intention of the Koch Chair is to provide opportunities for faculty, staff and students at the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University, and the general public, to gain an enriched understanding of the heritage of Catholic thought that has shaped not only the faith tradition of CSB and SJU but also the pursuit of knowledge across disciplines. The Koch Chair sponsors a lecture series and other events aimed at engaging members of the campus community in dialogue on Catholic thought in relationship to a variety of current issues.