By: Camran Bastien, Staff Writer
Parsons is a professor of theology and philosophy here at Immaculata, a respected leader and superior in her local convent of our beloved IHM Sisters, and an academic striking in her dedication to emphasizing the classroom and her rigorous study of the ideas of St. Theresa Benedicta of the Cross. I knew the person who sat across from me was an impressive example of our alumni, and as I listened to her story more, I discovered just how strongly God’s placement of her in our community proved her statement correct.
Parson’s IHM ties run all the way back to the first grade classroom. She recalls being instructed by IHM Sisters herself and being struck by the examples of discipline and grace put in front of her early on. Raised in a devout Catholic family, she says the thought of joining religious life called to her early. I asked what her experience of vocation was like.
“What’s humbling,” she responded, “is to realize that we are all called. That our vocation is something given, not chosen. We are all asked to listen for God’s voice and receive what He is calling us to do.”
Listening to God’s call eventually brought Sister Judith to Immaculata University, where she earne her undergraduate before receiving degrees from both St. Joseph’s and Duquesne Universities. It was during this time she was introduced to Edith Stein – also known by her saintly name, Theresa Benedicta – as a lifelong academic subject Parsons would come to gain expertise in. Stein was the topic of Parson’s dissertation and later academic writings, and Parson eventually became a member of the International Association for the Study of the Philosophy of Edith Stein.
Stein was born Jewish and later converted to the Catholic faith where she would join the Carmelite Sisters after a long, successful academic career in phenomenology. At the end of her life, she was martyred by the Nazis at the height of World War II for her ancestry.
When asked why Stein was so impactful for her, Parsons described a striking kinship. “We had a lot in common,” she said. “Stein was canonized while I was in school, and we had a lot of lifestyle similarities. Both women, both getting our master’s degrees and discerning religious life. I loved how she was always searching for truth.”
Parsons went on to describe phenomenology – the objective study of subjective experience, a field she and Stein shared – as another major connection. “There is one truth,” she said on the subject, “but we each have a unique vantage point of that truth, a unique experience.” She says she seeks to uncover this experience in each of her students, seeing the classroom as a community of learners only truly working forward when they’re in sync, like oarsmen rowing in unison.
Asked for her wisdom to the student body, Parsons reflected on her own time as an IU student. “The teachers were great then and still are now,” she proclaims. However, she notes how much students today have to take advantage of, and in particular how many more opportunities and disciplines women have available to them. “Take time; college is a great time to do some personal reflection and listen for what God is trying to say to you. There are so many distractions available; take some quiet time to slow down each day if you can, and unite your faith and reason.” Parsons does this herself by design; being a member of the IHM Sisters comes with daily group prayers, as well as personal efforts towards praying the rosary daily. Parsons also describes consistent time taken to meditate, and seeking deepr understanding in her interactions with students.
“It’s important to be intentional,” she says, “God halts before our free will, so the choices we make every day are profound in their impact.” Parsons prescribes a rigorous self-examination, an openness to truth, and a mindful ear to God for today’s student body to hear what it is that God is calling them to do.As a leader on and off campus, we are blessed to have Sister Judith Parsons in our midst to show us the way.
