For The Catholic Messenger
Jennifer Kryszak is the new director of strategic planning for the Franciscan Peace Center, a ministry of the Clinton Franciscans whose mission is living and promoting active nonviolence and peacemaking.
Kryszak will facilitate the evolution of the center and creation of a long-term direction for it. She joins a three-person team with Laura Anderson, director of digital outreach and advocacy, and the director of programming to be hired.
“The commitment of Catholic sisters has greatly impacted movements for justice and peace, including the environment and sustainability,” Kryszak said in a press release. “It is a privilege to join the Clinton Franciscans in their commitment to active nonviolence. I look forward to expanding people’s knowledge of the sisters’ mission so that we, as a society, can create movements for systemic change rooted in peace and justice.”
Amanda Eberhart, director of communications and development for the Sisters of St. Francis, said Kryszak has extensive experience teaching people of a variety of ages and cultural backgrounds. She has thorough knowledge of Catholic Social Teaching and has demonstrated commitment to social justice and systemic change. Kryszak earned an undergraduate degree from Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois; an M.A. in Theology from the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California.; and a Ph.D. in Religion from Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. She has experience teaching religion and theology at the collegiate level and recently served as a tutor at the Huntington Learning Center in Barrington, Illinois. Her upcoming article, “Sustainable Charisms: Religious Communities and the Commitment to Sustainability” focuses on the Sinsinawa Dominicans and the Congregation of St. Joseph.
Eberhart said Kryszak’s appointment will support the Clinton Franciscans’ work on social justice issues, including the corporate stands on the death penalty, nuclear disarmament, immigration reform, human trafficking, care of creation, income inequality and basic human rights.
Sister Jan Cebula, president of the Sisters of St. Francis, said, “Jennifer’s passion for social justice and systemic change make her a valuable addition to the Franciscan Peace Center team. I am confident that with her skills, the center will be able to expand its networks and programs as it moves into the future.”
About the Franciscan Peace Center
The Franciscan Peace Center promotes active nonviolence in society. Integrating Franciscan spirituality with action, the center carries out the corporate public stands taken by the Sisters of St. Francis, Clinton, Iowa, through advocacy and programming. Visit www.clintonfranciscans.com for more information.
