Ex-college president 'transformed' by experiences teaching in Africa

Published: 2007-07-18

BALTIMORE (CNS) -- When Sister Kathleen Feeley was an English professor and president of the College of Notre Dame of Maryland, getting around the leafy Baltimore campus involved little more than a leisurely stroll from the convent. Now that she's a professor at Catholic University College of Ghana in Sunyani, the sprightly 78-year-old School Sister of Notre Dame confidently navigates dirt roads in a large open-back truck for the 30-minute daily round-trip commute to the university. She learned to work the gears soon after arriving in Africa. "The roads are not good," said Sister Kathleen. "When it's the rainy season and you have ruts and water streaming through, it's not easy to drive." While Ghanaian main streets are paved, the side streets are not, she added. Sister Kathleen isn't complaining. She likes a challenge. That's why she's in Africa. In an interview while on a three-month break from her teaching duties overseas, Sister Kathleen told The Catholic Review, Baltimore archdiocesan newspaper, that her view of Catholicism has expanded, and she has been inspired by working with young people who have a tangible thirst for knowledge.

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