Center for Dominican Studies Life of the Mind Series Presents Suzanne Noffke, O.P.

April 18 , 2006

COLUMBUS, OH – Suzanne Noffke, O.P., a Racine Dominican Sister, scholar and author, will speak at Ohio Dominican University as part of the University’s Dominican Life of the Mind Series. Her lecture, entitled Catherine of Siena, will be presented on Thursday, April 27, 2006 at 7:30 p.m. in the Colonial Room of Sansbury Hall, located on ODU’s main campus, 1216 Sunbury Road.

Sponsored by ODU’s Center for Dominican Studies, the Dominican Life of the Mind Series provides occasions for the community to gather to reflect upon the ideas and events that shape our culture.

Suzanne Noffke, OP, is a member of the Sisters of Saint Dominic of Racine, Wisconsin. After completing undergraduate studies and teaching for four years at the elementary and secondary levels, she pursued graduate studies in linguistics at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, completing her dissertation research in Jerusalem, Rome, and London under an NDEA-Fulbright-Hayes Fellowship in 1966–1967 and receiving her doctorate from the University of Wisconsin in 1968. She taught at Dominican College in Racine and Holy Redeemer College in Waterford, Wisconsin, and served as her religious congregation’s president from 1970 until 1976.

Since 1976, she has been focused on researching, translating, and interpreting the works of Catherine of Siena. Besides numerous articles, papers, and lectures in this field, her publications include annotated translations of the works of Catherine of Siena: The Dialogue, The Prayers, and to date, four volumes of The Letters as well as a book of essays, Catherine of Siena: Vision Through a Distant Eye. Since 1983, Suzanne has also been engaged in researching, presenting, and writing the history of the Racine Dominicans. The first volume of that history, Embrace the Swelling Wave: The Dominicans of Racine, Wisconsin, was published in 2004. For this work she received an Award of Merit for Distinguished Service to History from the Wisconsin Historical Society.

She currently lives in Racine, Wisconsin, continuing her work on the remaining volume of The Letters of Catherine of Siena and a thematic anthology of Catherine’s writings as well as the second volume of the history of the Racine Dominicans, lecturing, teaching, and conducting retreats based on the life and thought of Catherine of Siena. She is affiliated with the Department of History of the University of Wisconsin–Parkside as a Scholar in Residence.

The lecture is free and open to the public; reservations are not required. For more information, please contact the Director of the Center for Dominican Studies, Sr. Catherine Colby, O.P. at (614) 251-4722.. Free parking is available in the Visitor’s Lot west of Sunbury Road.

ODU’s Center for Dominican Studies was established through a generous gift from the Congregation of Sisters of St. Mary of the Springs. The Center promotes Dominican ideals and education and serves as a public voice of the University and community regarding issues of importance to church, culture and society.