Nuns on the Bus founder Simone Campbell announces retirement
Simone Campbell, the Roman Catholic sister made famous by her Nuns on the Bus tours and her support for the Affordable Care Act, announced on October 20 that she will step down early next year as head of Network, the influential social justice lobby.
A member of the Sisters of Social Service, Campbell, 74, has led the organization for more than a decade and a half, during which time her advocacy sometimes put her at odds with the US Conference of Catholic Bishops and stoked pushback from the Vatican.
Network said it will launch a search in March 2021—when Campbell formally leaves her post—for a new executive director.
Campbell, who intends to take a short sabbatical after leaving the organization, didn’t completely close the door on advocacy, saying she still plans to “seek fairness, justice, and equity for the least among us” in her personal capacity.
“I could not be more proud of what Network has accomplished. From economic justice to immigration, peacebuilding to expanding health-care coverage, the environment to voting rights, Network is doing the work needed to protect the most marginalized people among us.”
