An Interview with Stephanie Clary

by Gordon Nary

Gordon: Tell us about your family when you were growing up.

Stephanie: I grew up in rural Ohio, where my mom was a local school teacher and my dad was an operating room nurse, with one sibling. My younger brother is now a major in the U.S. Army. We were involved in the small town community, school activities, and local parish, where we had the same priest for more than 30 years — something I now know is extremely rare! 

Gordon: To what parish do you belong and what do you like most about the parish?

Stephanie: I enjoy participating with The Well Spirituality Center (where I’m a board member) and Catholic Theological Union (where I’m an alum) communities, though they are not parishes in the typical sense. My family has also returned to the University of Notre Dame and Saint Mary’s College (where my husband and I are alums) for some of our spiritual needs. But we are officially parishioners at St. John of the Cross in Western Springs, IL. One thing I appreciate about St. John’s is the welcoming atmosphere — significantly attributed to how the office staff greets and supports people without judgement. My kids are just now reaching the age to enroll in parish religious education, so we haven’t experienced it yet, but I like that St. John’s offers a family model where instead of kids being separated into classrooms by age or grade, families attend together for group catechesis.

Gordon: When did you attend Saint Mary's College Notre Dame, Indiana, what degree did your earn. what was your favorite class, and why was that class your favorite 

Stephanie: I graduated from Saint Mary’s College in 2012 with degrees in Religious Studies and Communication Studies. My professors in both departments were really supportive of the dual major and helped me find ways to engage both subject areas in my research projects. My Religion 101 course with Stacy Davis is one I still think about often. We studied the experience of conversion and what that looks like for humans at different stages. Years later, the U.S. Catholic magazine editors interviewed her about the concept, including how it applies to Pope Francis’ idea of “ecological conversion”: https://uscatholic.org/articles/202105/conversion-is-a-lifelong-process-says-this-professor/

Gordon: When did you attend Catholic Theological Union, what degree did you earn, what was your favorite course and why was it your favorite?

Stephanie: I attended Catholic Theological Union from 2012-2014, and then spent a few years writing my research paper to graduate in 2017 with a M.A. in Systematic Theology. My research there focused on ecofeminist theology and film, specifically Elizabeth Johnson’s book “Ask the Beasts” and the 2012 film “Beasts of the Southern Wild.” (A condensed version of that research was published in the Journal of Religion and Film in 2018: https://digitalcommons.unomaha.edu/jrf/vol22/iss3/3/.) I took a lot of meaningful classes at CTU that still impact my worldview and work today, but the one that unexpectedly became one of my favorites was Perspectives in the Philosophy of Death with Herman Stark. Similar to my undergraduate religion class about conversion with Stacy Davis, this philosophy class completely changed the way I thought about a very common human experience. Because CTU classes are comprised of students pursuing various degrees, living different vocations, of a wide range of ages and life stages, and often from different countries and cultures, the conversations in this class came from different perspectives which made them rich and thought provoking and, to be honest, comforting, about the reality of death we all face and also how to accompany others through it.

Gordon: Please provide an overview of your work at the Roman Catholic Diocese of Burlington and Vermont Catholic Magazine and what is one of your favorite articles that you published?

Stephanie: I worked for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Burlington in the communication office from 2016-2020, starting as a social media consultant and eventually serving as assistant director of communication and assistant editor of the diocesan magazine, Vermont Catholic. Working in the communication office meant things like website redesigns and trainings, press releases, social media campaigns, internal and external relationship building, promoting ministries, parish and Catholic school support, and planning the weekly diocesan bulletin and quarterly magazine. During my time at the diocese, I was also appointed as the diocesan liaison with Catholic Relief Services, and unofficially served as point person for the diocese's care for creation efforts. In the latter role, I led the coordination of a year-long effort to educate the Vermont Catholic community about Pope Francis' 2015 encyclical "Laudato Si', On Care for Our Common Home," and embrace its teachings in practical ways across the state at various levels of the Catholic community. That "Year of Creation," as we called it, ended with a day-long "Action for Ecological Justice" conference at Saint Michael's College. I don't know that I have a favorite article specifically, but the spring 2017 issue of Vermont Catholic magazine was planned with a theme for the Year of Creation and the entire issue holds a special place in my memories. Like the year's programming as a whole, that magazine issue was a collective effort that came together into something that really showcased the church's priorities at the time and how various parts of the church in Vermont were taking part.

Gordon: When did you serve as Digital Editor at U.S. Catholic magazine and what is one of your favorite articles that you published?

Stephanie: I served as digital editor at U.S. Catholic from 2020-2022. My first day on the job was actually the first day of Covid-19 pandemic lockdown, and the majority of my time there was spent working from home unexpectedly. Some of my favorite pieces I helped to commission, edit, and publish include interviews with Kate Bowler (https://uscatholic.org/articles/202007/not-everything-happens-for-a-reason-says-kate-bowler/) and Makoto Fujimura (https://uscatholic.org/articles/202112/get-to-know-god-the-artist-with-painter-makoto-fujimura/), and an essay by Shannon Evans about parenting (https://uscatholic.org/articles/202112/how-to-train-up-a-child-the-catholic-way/). My favorite piece I wrote for U.S. Catholic is an op-ed about why I never find out the gender of my babies before birth (https://uscatholic.org/articles/202107/is-it-a-boy-or-a-girl-does-it-matter/). Believe it or not, this is the piece of writing I've received the most critical feedback for (from strangers on the internet), but it's also one that has received the most meaningful praise from friends of mine living in vastly different contexts and who are on opposite ends of the political spectrum (a Catholic diocesan priest and a polygamous trans woman). I'm proud and grateful that I was able to write about a sensitive topic in a way that connected with them both and in which they both saw value.

Gordon: You currently serve as Environment Editor at National Catholic Reporter. What are some of the major environmental challenges in the United States and how should they be addressed?

Stephanie: The moral obligation to care for creation notwithstanding, environmental challenges are a public health and safety issue that disproportionately threaten already vulnerable communities. The proposed deregulation of pollution to our air, water, and land will more severely endanger the lives and livelihoods of people who don’t have access to mitigation and adaptation measures. False solutions may temporarily protect a few while exacerbating climate impacts for many in the long run. And in the face of more extreme and frequent natural disasters — like wildfires, droughts, storms, and floods fueled in part by climate change — the diminishing or elimination of funds for aid and recovery efforts means communities are left devastated with little ability to rebuild or prepare for future calamities. Environmental challenges need to be addressed in a way that is accessible to everyone, and prioritizes those who are most at risk.

Gordon: Who is your favorite saint and why is that saint your favorite?

I am encouraged by the stories of biblical women who likely held more power in their historical contexts than our traditional retelling of their lives likes to suggest: Lydia, Phoebe, Priscilla, Mary Magdalene. In terms of more modern saintly people, I think of both Dorothy Stang, who advocated for protection of the Amazon Rainforest and in recent years a new species of owl was named after her, and Dorothy Day, journalist and social justice advocate.

Gordon: Thank you for a great interview and your important work.