C. Vanessa White, D. Min. is tenured Associate Professor of Spirituality and Ministry at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago and Director of the Certificate in Black Theology and Ministry. She holds a dual appointment as Associate Director of the Th.M. Program (Master of Theology) at Xavier University’s Summer Institute for Black Catholic Studies.

She has a Master of Theological Studies with emphasis in Mission and Cross-Cultural Studies (1991). and a Doctor of Ministry with a concentration in Spirituality (2005) from Catholic Theological Union. She pursued further post-graduate studies at Loyola University Chicago and Xavier University of Louisiana.

She is a member of the Catholic Theological Society of America, the American Academy of Religion (AAR) and the Society for the Study of Christian Spirituality and the Black Catholic Theological Symposium, where she served as convener and is currently the listserv administrator and web consultant. She is also a member of the National Black Storyteller Association as well as the National Association of Storytellers.

Her articles and essays have appeared in New Theology Review, U.S. Catholic, AMERICA, National Catholic Reporter and CNN.org. Her recent contributions to the study of spirituality include the chapter entitled “Deep Down in My Soul: Black Women and the Spirituality of Freedom: Reading the Signs of the Times” in the book Religion, Women of Color, and the Suffrage Movement: The Journey to Holistic Freedom. (Lexington House, 2022) and her essay in the international theological journal Concilium entitled “We Shall All Be Free: Theological Education and the Journey Towards Racial Justice and Freedom.” (2023/1) Her reflection on the Feast of Pentecost can be found in Catholic Women Preach (volume 1) that was recently published by Orbis Books (2022) She is co-editor of the book, “Songs of Our Hearts and Meditations of Our Souls: Prayers for Black Catholics. (St. Anthony Messenger Press, 2006), is a contributor to the Black Catholic Studies Reader (David Endres, editor, CUA, summer 2021) and to the Wisdom Commentary series volume on Luke, 1-9 (General editor, Barbara Reid, Liturgical Press, 2020) Dr. White was an inaugural contributor for the GIVE US THIS DAY, daily prayer booklet published by Liturgical Press as well as the Catholic Women Preach web series. She was a consultant for the Fetzer Institute’s 2 year “Study on Sporituality in America” published in 2020.

In February of 2023, she became the first lay woman invited to preach a nine-day solemn novena in honor of St. Jude at the National Shrine of St. Jude which was livestreamed globally. In 2023, she was appointed by Cardinal Blasé Cupich as a delegate for the North American Intercontinental Stage of the Synodal Process.

A womanist practical theologian, her research is focused on the intersections of spirituality and praxis and is attentive to issues of discernment, health, racial justice, diversity/intercultural dialogue, women’s spirituality, leadership development, spiritual and ministry formation, spiritual practices, lay ministry, adult faith formation and issues pertinent to the life of Black Catholics.