Elaine Marie Prevallet SL: Spiritual writer, mystic, humble of heart

“For those of you who do not know anything about Elaine Prevallet, let me just tell you that she is well known in the Loretto Community as a spiritual writer, a mystic, a contemplative and one of the few of us who has been able to control her ego. Elaine speaks and writes from a humble and vulnerable heart,” noted Mary Ellen McElroy SL, when she once introduced Elaine and her works to those on a retreat.

Mary Ellen continued, Elaine “has been greatly influenced by the teachings and writings of Teilhard de Chardin, Thomas Berry and Brian Swimme regarding New Cosmology — the story of our evolving universe.” Elaine’s book, “Making the Shift,” written in 2007, is from “a cosmological and evolutionary faith perspective.” The shift Elaine is talking about, Mary Ellen said, “is the transition that human beings are making as our collective consciousness expands. As this happens our perspective expands, broadens, so that we begin to see things differently. We don’t cause this, it just happens. Through this broader lens — this new perspective — things look different. We begin to see with new eyes.

“That means many changes — much transformational work to be done in all phases of our lives. Elaine’s purpose is not to teach us anything. Through the stories of her own transformational experiences she hopes that we will be able to get in touch with our own transformational experiences.”  

Elaine has a doctorate in religious studies from Marquette University. She taught in college and on the staff of Pendle Hill, a Quaker adult learning community in Wallingford, Pa. Elaine also served 22 years as director of Knobs Haven Retreat Center at Loretto Motherhouse.

In addition to “Making the Shift: Seeing Faith Through a New Lens,” Elaine wrote “A Wisdom for Life: Reflections on Ecological Spirituality,” ”In the Service of Life: Widening and Deepening Religious Commitment,” and “Toward a Spirituality for Global Justice,” many of which are available on the Loretto website here. She also wrote “Reflections on Simplicity and Interconnections,” available from Pendle Hill. 

This week on Loretto’s Facebook page we spotlight Elaine and excerpts from one of her extraordinary works, “Making the Shift.”