In the final episode of Season Three of Hope Stories with Sister Josephine Garrett, Sister Josephine sits down with Anna Carter, co-founder and president of Eden Invitation, for a profound and honest conversation about faith, silence, and hope in the midst of suffering within the Church.

Anna shares her story of growing up in a deeply faithful Catholic home, encountering same-sex attraction as a teenager during the height of the sexual abuse crisis, and internalizing fear and shame in a Church that did not yet have language or pastoral clarity. As Anna matured in faith through prayer, theology, literature, and ministry, she discovered that silence, especially unspoken pain, can wound as deeply as words.

Together, Sister Josephine and Anna explore the tension between witness and vulnerability, the cost of public faithfulness, and what it means to remain rooted in Christ when the Church feels unsafe, scrutinizing, or silent. Anna reflects on founding Eden Invitation as a response to gaps in pastoral care, creating space for honest questions, community, and fidelity that does not deny complexity.

This episode invites listeners into a deeper reflection on what it means to stay with the Church not because it is perfect, but because Christ is present. It is a conversation about choosing hope, allowing questions to be spoken, and anchoring one’s life in God even when the surface feels storm-tossed.

Links

• Anna Carter Bio: https://www.edeninvitation.com/staff-bios/anna-carter
• Eden Invitation: https://www.edeninvitation.com
• Eden Invitation on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/edeninvitation/

Journey to a new depth of hope, even in seemingly impossible circumstances, with Sr. Josephine in her new book HOPE: An Invitation. Available at osvcatholicbookstore.com. 

Discover more ways to live, learn, and love your Catholic faith at osvpodcasts.com. Sharing stories, starting conversations.

Learn more about Sr. Josephine at:
https://nazarethcsfn.org/
https://www.instagram.com/sr_josephine/