Annie Girresch (she/her)
My spiritual roots are in the Catholic tradition. As a young person, I found Life in liturgy and song inside the institutional church. But as a young adult, I found myself in religious spaces that were harmful. My faith led me outside the walls of the church, into nature and my relationship with my own body. With the aid of Spirit and community, I found some healing. After years of a winding journey, I felt called back to the Christian lineage, inspired by the challenge of Thich Nhat Hanh to “find the jewels in my own tradition.”
Today I dance with independent Catholicism. (Yeah, that’s a thing!) I weave my love for Earth with connection to my ancestors, a love for Mary and the Communion of Saints, and a full-bodied love for this wild Life. I currently serve as a hospice chaplain, offering spiritual care at the end of life.
Some lineages and communities that have formed and informed me include: Carolyn Griffeth and the Earth Keeper Wisdom School; Langston Kahn, Christina Pratt and The Last Mask Center for Shamanic Healing; the Ancestral Medicine community; St. John’s Church “The Beloved Community”; Dada Maheshvarananda and the yogan community of Ananda Marga; the catholic worker tradition, among other Catholic movements for peace and social justice; labor organizing with Unite H.E.R.E.; the Franciscan tradition; feminist and womanist thealogies; Eden Theological Seminary and progressive Protestantism.
Specialties
- Spiritual Director/Companion
- End of Life Doula & Hospice Chaplain
Sophia Rising 