Drawing on the story of her own monastic community, a best-selling author shows how to redefine the essentials of faith in a time when old ways and formulas no longer serve.

"Many approach Joan Chittister's books expecting both inspiration and insight. The Way We Were does not disappoint. Chittister explains how one group, her own Erie Benedictine Sisters, struggled through the renewal of religious life mandated by Vatican II. . . . The process they followed is applicable to any group seeking radical change." —Emmanuel

"Here is a story of resistance, confusion, and fear that sometimes teeters on the verge of collective despair; a narrative of struggle, groping in the dark, and grasping at straws; but from the beginning an epic endowed with courage, vision, relentless exploration and significant breakthroughs. . . . all of us can draw hope and inspiration from this remarkable story."
—Diarmuid O'Murchu