Meet Sister Marya Gratwohl, author of This Wheel of Rocks

Meet author Sister Marya Gratwohl as we introduce her book, This Wheel of Rocks, a memoir of her spiritual journey as a Catholic nun, that explores the deep connections between faith and the natural world.

Marya Grathwohl grew up in Cincinnati, OH and as a Sister of St. Francis since 1963, served African American, Crow and Northern Cheyenne communities as an elementary school teacher and principal, and adult lay ministry/leadership educator. Elected to her congregation’s Leadership Team 1986-1994, she supported Sisters in discerning Social Justice, Peace, cross-cultural, and environmental ministries in the USA, Mexico and Kenya, and launched the revitalization of the Sisters’ Indiana farm using natural, sustainable agricultural practices.

As founding director of Earth Hope, 1998 to present, Marya has worked as consultant for renewable energy, ground-source heating and cooling, a solar greenhouse and native prairie restoration for a Native American women’s center, developed a cosmology program for use in jails and prisons, and offers retreats, workshops and lectures that enliven peoples’ commitments to care for Earth, our common home.

Her book, This Wheel of Rocks: An Unexpected Spiritual Journey, was released by Penguin Random House in November 2023. Marya lives in Billings, MT and enjoys hiking, bird watching, and visiting wildflower meadows: all with friends, visitors and neighbors.