Kathleen’s commitment to her Catholic faith was nurtured during her time at Bradley University in Peoria, IL where she was a religious studies and philosophy major. Upon graduation, she dedicated three years as a Maryknoll lay missionary, teaching English in China at Jilin Agricultural College and Jilin Catholic Seminary. Kathleen’s years in China were transformative and confirmed her desire to dedicate her life serving the Church. This experience led her to Chicago, where she obtained a master’s in systematic theology at Catholic Theological Union. She now lives in Berkeley, CA where she works for the Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers in the Mission Formation Department. She is heavily involved in her local parish at Newman-Hall Holy Spirit Parish where she serves as co-chair of the Parish Council. At the parish she is passionate about building bridges amongst parishioners to address polarization and creating spaces where the issue of women’s full participation can be discussed and lived out. She also serves as an Associate Director on the Board of the US-China Catholic Association. On the Board, she dedicates much of her time consulting and promoting the Chinese and American Friendship Ministry which supports campus ministry programs in reaching out to Chinese international students.