Gloria Purvis facts for kids

Gloria Purvis is an important African-American Catholic speaker, writer, and activist. She lives in Washington, D.C. She has written and spoken a lot about topics like women's rights, family, religious freedom, and fairness for all races.

Early Life and School

Gloria Purvis was born and grew up in Charleston, South Carolina. Nuns from the Oblate Sisters of Providence taught her. She became a Catholic when she was a child. Later, she went to Cornell University. She earned a degree in Human Development and Family Studies.

Her Career

For over ten years, Gloria Purvis worked in the home loan and money business. After that, she became a manager at a big financial company. There, she helped lead a group for Catholic employees.

For many years, Purvis co-hosted a radio show called Morning Glory on EWTN Radio. The show ended in December 2020. Later, she started her own show, The Gloria Purvis Podcast, with America Media.

In 2021, the University of Notre Dame chose Purvis for a special role. She became the first Pastoral Fellow for their office that focuses on life and human dignity.

Meeting Pope Francis

In November 2022, Purvis visited Pope Francis at his home. She was part of a five-person team from America magazine. She is the first African-American female Catholic journalist to have such a long interview with the Pope at his personal home. During their talk, Purvis shared the thoughts and experiences of Black Catholics in the U.S. Catholic Church with Pope Francis.

In May 2022, Purvis interviewed Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone. He is from San Francisco. They talked about why he decided that Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi could not receive communion in her home area.

After a big court decision in 2022, Purvis wrote an article for Deseret News. .....

For the 2023–24 school year, Purvis was a scholar at St. Martin's University. This means she was a special guest expert there.

In 2024, Purvis gave a main speech at the National Eucharistic Congress. She asked the U.S. Church to remember to be united. She also said that racism is a sign of disunity.

Volunteer Work

Gloria Purvis has done a lot of volunteer work. From 1998 to 2002, she led the Culture of Life Committee. She also helped with the Young Adult Association at St. Augustine Catholic Church in Washington, D.C.. From 1999 to 2003, she was on a council for the Archdiocese of Washington.

Purvis has also served on the board of the Northwest Pregnancy Center. She was an advisor for the Maryland Catholic Conference's Respect for Life Department. She also served on the National Black Catholic Congress' Social Justice Commission. She was the leader for Black Catholics United for Life. .....

Media Appearances

Gloria Purvis has been featured in many news outlets. These include The New York Times, National Catholic Reporter, and Newsweek. She has also been a guest on PBS NewsHour and Fox News. She was interviewed by Robert P. George for an online journal called Public Discourse.

She also made a six-part video series for Word on Fire Institute. It was called "Racism, Human Dignity and the Catholic Church in America."

Awards and Honors

In 2020, Our Sunday Visitor named Gloria Purvis "Catholic of the Year." In May 2023, St. Martin's University gave her an honorary doctorate degree. She was also the speaker at their graduation ceremony. The University of Portland gave Purvis an honorary doctorate in 2022. Salve Regina University also gave her an honorary doctorate. In October 2024, Ender's Island gave Dr. Gloria Purvis the St. Edmund's Medal of Honor. This award is for people who use their talents to serve the church and community in amazing ways.