The "Center" podcast

Welcome to The "Center”, a twice-monthly podcast series created and produced by the Franciscan Peace Center - a ministry of the Sisters of St. Francis, Clinton, IA.

 

The podcast is focused on the joint mission of both organizations to promote peace and active nonviolence within our local, national, and global communities. Join host Marsha Thrall on the second and fourth Thursday of each month as we explore how active nonviolence and peacemaking are necessary and transformative practices within everyday life.

Please note: The views expressed here are individual views that do not necessarily reflect the views of the Sisters of St. Francis, Clinton, Iowa.

28 Mar 2024
Celebrating Women Making a Difference - An Interview with Leenah Safi
We are joined by Leenah Safi. Ms. Safi is the daughter of Syrian immigrants and is currently completing Ph.D. work at Chicago Theological Seminary. As a Muslim woman, Leenah has immersed herself in full-time community work as a college chaplain with a Muslim nonprofit working with adolescents.
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14 Mar 2024
Celebrating Women from Diverse Backgrounds - An Interview with Sister Maria Zeimen and Friend
On today’s episode, we are joined by Sister Maria Zeimen, OSF and her friend Nancy from Garden Center Services. Garden Center Services is located in Burbank, IL, and provides housing services, day programming, and supportive employment services to people with intellectual and physical disabilities.
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08 Feb 2024
St. Ann’s Baltimore: One-year update
On today’s episode of The “Center”, we’ll receive a one-year update from members of the Social Justice Committee at St. Ann’s Catholic Church in Baltimore, MD on the progress made in the campaign for the canonization of the “Saintly Six”.
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25 Jan 2024
January 2024 Human Trafficking Updates
On this week’s episode of The “Center”, we’ll be joined by Deputy Chief James Ballauer, Corporal Josh Winter, and School Resource Officer Chris Robertson of the Clinton, Iowa police department to discuss the landscape of human trafficking in Clinton and neighboring communities.
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11 Jan 2024
Feminism and Active Nonviolence – An Interview with Dr. Theresa Yugar
Dr. Yugar is best known for her research and writing work on the 17th-century Catholic nun Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz, publishing the book "Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz: Feminist Reconstruction of Biography and Text" in 2016.
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28 Dec 2023
Dr. Ryan Hansen
On today’s podcast, Dr. Ryan Hansen and host Marsha Thrall discuss the context and metaphorical nature of the book of Revelation, also known as The Revelation of John.
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14 Dec 2023
The Stories of Migrant Women - An Interview with Anne Hoiberg
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09 Nov 2023
Community Initiatives to Alleviate Homelessness
Today we are joined by Shannon Sander-Welzien, Executive Director of the YWCA in Clinton Iowa, and Michelle Plasschaert, the YWCA’s Empowerment Center Director for a discussion about the proposed Supportive Housing program that the team at the YWCA has developed for Clinton, IA.
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26 Oct 2023
The Impact of the Prison Industrial Complex on Our Communities
On today’s episode of The “Center,” we are joined by Dr. Christophe Ringer, associate professor of Theological Ethics, and Society at Chicago Theological Seminary.
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12 Oct 2023
Nonviolent Approaches to Community Policing
On today’s episode of The “Center” host Marsha Thrall is joined by Clinton’s Deputy Chief of Police, James Ballauer, who will be talking about alternative policing tactics currently being used in Clinton, Iowa.
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