Date of Award
10-4-2018
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Department
Rhetoric and Writing
First Advisor
Heidi Harris
Abstract
In 2007, six Sisters of Our Lady of Charity and Refuge in Hot Springs, Arkansas, were excommunicated from the Catholic Church due to their membership in a Canadian-based Marian devotional group called the Army of Mary. Using the style of literary journalism, this thesis tells the nuns’ life stories, from their childhoods and lifetimes of service to the Church through their willful decision to accept excommunication and the status of their lives more than a decade later. It also examines the Army of Mary, its controversial role within the Catholic Church, and the belief by its members that foundress Marie-Paule Giguère is the incarnation of the Virgin Mary.
Recommended Citation
Van Dusen, Susan, "True Believers: How an Unshakeable Faith Led to an Uncommon Future for Six Catholic Nuns" (2018). Theses and Dissertations. 841.
https://research.ualr.edu/etd/841
