Joanna was raised Catholic, married in the Church, divorced and happily re-married to a Jewish man. When she was no longer welcomed in the Catholic church, she explored everything from Atheism to Zen and continues on her spiritual path with ongoing study of world religions, death and dying, spiritual counseling, prayer, ritual, ethics and more at One Spirit Interfaith Seminary. As an ordained Interfaith Minister, she has an understanding and appreciation for all spiritual practices, paths and beliefs.

She and her husband lived across the street from the World Trade Center. On 9/11 as the towers were collapsing and they were stumbling around in the darkness, people outside were screaming and running toward the Hudson River and the cry out of Joanna’s mouth was “Where are you, God??”

After some angry time, wondering how this could be done in the name of God, she heard about One Spirit Interfaith Seminary and somewhere on their website it was mentioned that with all the killing in the name of religion, finding the common truths underlying the world’s religions was one step toward world peace. Now she is finding the answer to the question “Where are you, God?” in the coming together of two people in a loving, committed relationship, in bringing two families together to form a new one; when a baby is born; at a funeral, in the discovery of a life well lived. 

Her first marriage, a traditional Catholic ceremony joining the families of two cultures, Irish and Italian, lasted for seven years but the family goes on. After all they have an Irish/Italian son.

The painful divorce and loss of being able to practice her birth religion sent her on a spiritual path that has given her peace in her life, a wonderful husband, 2 great Episcopalian kids and beautiful, little “open to anything” grandsons.

She has a special place in her heart for divorced Catholics