Staying Connected and Letting Go: Navigating Aging and Ministry Transitions with a Hopeful Heart

Chris Wood, OP

Sr. Chris Wood, OP, born, raised, and educated in California. Sr. Chris Wood has been a member of the Dominican Sisters ~ Grand Rapids since 2002. Prior to that, she was a member of the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary for 33 years. Her undergraduate education includes a BA in History and Religious Studies from Holy Names University, after which she taught elementary grades 4, 5, 7/8. Following completion of her RN at Pasadena City College, she worked at Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles, Davies Medical Center in San Francisco, and the Holy Names Infirmary. She completed her BSN at Holy Names University. She received her MS from University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), as a Gerontological Clinical Nurse Specialist and completed her doctorate in Nursing at UCSF with a dissertation entitled Staying Connected and Letting Go: Quality of Life for Elderly Nuns in Convent Care Centers. At California State University East Bay, she inaugurated a Gerontological Nurse Practitioner (GNP) program and completed her post-Masters GNP certification. Other ministry experiences include research for the California Board of Registered Nursing regarding protection of the Clinical Nurse Specialist Title, work at the University of Kentucky Sanders-Brown Center on Aging on the Nun Study, and teaching nursing in undergraduate and graduate settings in California, Indiana, and Michigan. Chris has also provided consultation services for both women’s and men’s religious communities concerning aging and retirement issues. A staunch Los Angeles Dodgers fan, Chris also plays 12-string guitar in liturgical settings. Currently, Chris serves as Nursing Educator/Consultant for her congregation’s assisted living facility and is also an adjunct nursing instructor at Grand Rapids Community College.