THE VFA PIONEER HISTORIES PROJECT

Sr. Donna Quinn, OP

July 26, 1937 – July 30, 2021

“A woman cannot have real autonomy unless she has reproductive autonomy. My hope is that one day both Church and society will embrace this justice issue.” – Donna Quinn

Catholic nun and lifelong feminist activist. Author. Founding member of Chicago Catholic Women, 1974. National Coalition of American Nuns (NCAN), 1975. Co-founder of Women-Church Convergence. Joined Sinsinawa Dominican Sisters, age 18. Ministered in education for 24 years. Dedicated 33 years to organizations promoting justice and equal rights. One of the Catholic nuns who signed on to the Catholic Statement on Pluralism and Abortion, 1984. Served as a clinic escort, helping women access their legal right to abortion care. Bachelor’s degree, Education and History, Edgewood College, Madison, WI, 1960. Master’s degrees, History, University of Illinois-Champaign and Administration, UW-Madison.

Photo. Chicago Catholic Women: Its Role in Founding the Catholic Women’s Movement, by Donna Quinn, 2016. Donna Quinn recounts and reflects on 25 years of Chicago Catholic Women (1974-1999), the group’s work advocating for full equality for women in church and society, and its pivotal involvement in the Catholic Women’s Movement.