She is a Professor of Ikebana in the Ikenobo tradition (flower arranging) and she is a chanoyu (tea ceremony) teacher. She is a registered nurse, now retired, with an M.A. degree in theology from Loyola University, Chicago. Sr. Virgie’s spiritual background is as a cloistered Carmelite nun, and currently as a Sister For Christian Community. Though well-grounded in the classical Christian contemplative and mystical tradition, she has been a pioneer in contemporary forms of contemplation and spirituality, especially in relating Zen to apophatic prayer. She offers tea and flower arranging on a regular basis at ZCOC.Virgie’s interests include travel, piano, calligraphy, modern art, astronomy, and architecture.Her email is Luchsinger@zcoc.org