ister Donna Fannon was born in Massachusetts and is a member of the Mission Helpers of the Sacred Heart, an order of religious sisters based in Baltimore, Maryland. She has been involved with campus ministry since 1975 when she served as a volunteer with the Newman Center at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill and lived in a community house sponsored by the Newman Center. She studied physics as an undergraduate and theology at St. Mary’s Seminary in Baltimore. She joined the Cornell Catholic Community staff in 1994. Prior to joining the Mission Helpers Sister Donna worked in the electric power industry and taught physics and mathematics on the secondary level. She particularly enjoyed helping young people discover the mysteries of the natural world.

At Cornell Sister Donna focuses her attention on the Journey of Faith, a program for those interested in becoming Catholic. This program includes Cornell students and staff preparing for Baptism and Confirmation as well as “cradle Catholics” who want to update their understanding of Catholicism or serve as sponsors. She enjoys being with students as they re-discover, or discover for the first time, the treasures of the Catholic Tradition. She also is interested in spiritual growth, the interface of science & theology and feminist theology. She is trained as a spiritual director and particularly enjoys the oppotunity to help students explore spirituality and prayer. She finds her work with young people to be energizing and inspiring.

Sister Donna enjoys bicycling, hiking and camping. She has led summer long bicycle trips across North America and Europe. She also plays the violin and likes everything from Beethoven to bluegrass. Back->