Graduate Alumni
Rachelle holds a doctorate in Sociology from Boston University, where she currently teaches courses in religion, community, and social theory. Her recent research explores how young adult Catholics find a sense of meaning and belonging across three Catholic churches in downtown Boston: St. Cecilia’s, a parish church operated by the Archdiocese of Boston; The Paulist Center, a service church operated by a religious order of evangelical missionaries; and St. Clement’s, a Eucharistic shrine operated by a liturgical order of devout priests and brothers. From this research, she finds that each institutional setting adapts its own modes of interaction to communicate the resonant message via aspirational calls to action. Through these mechanisms, ritual memory is transformed into directed actions that bring the faithful into feelings of moral obligation and commitment to their shared interpretation of community. Rachelle received her MA in Comparative History from Brandeis University and BA in Philosophy with highest honors from Smith College.