Leslye Colvin

Leslye Colvin is a writer, spiritual companion, retreat director, and contemplative activist.

She has extensive experience in promoting mission and expanding outreach of a variety of sectors including faith-based nonprofit, government, corporate, and academia. Inspired by the Catholic social justice tradition, she is passionate about encouraging diversity of thought especially as it relates to those often marginalized within the community.

Most recently Leslye authored Seeking Wisdom’s Light, a collection of Advent and Christmas reflections published by Pax Christi USA. In 2024, her essay “Bursting Bubbles” is included in Wisdom of Our Elders: Living in Spirit, Wisdom, Deep Mercy, and Truth published by Wipf and Stock. Leslye’s “Learning to See Beyond the Normative” is in Oneing — The Cosmic Egg, vol. 9 no. 2 of the Center for Action and Contemplation’s biannual journal. Her essay, “Life, Freedom and Dignity: Reflections of a Black American Catholic”, is included in The Catholic Women Speak Network’s Visions and Vocations published by Paulist Press on the occasion of the 2018 Synod on Young People, Faith and Vocational Discernment. She has also been published by National Catholic Reporter and U.S. Catholic. She has been interviewed by America Magazine, U.S. Catholic Magazine, South Africa’s Radio Veritas, and Vatican Radio on the construct of race, as well as by author Olga M. Segura for the book Birth of A Movement: Black Lives Matter and the Catholic Church. Her blog, Leslye’s Labyrinth, features writings from her African-American Catholic heart. Leslye is a graduate of the apprenticeship program of the Guild for Spiritual Guidance, the spiritual direction program of the Haden Institute, and the Living School for Action and Contemplation. She holds a M.A. in Communication from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and an undergraduate degree from Xavier University of Louisiana. A native of Alabama, the land of the Muscogee, she resides in Maryland, the land of the Piscataway.