Samantha Lioi
Samantha E Lioi lives in Buffalo, New York where she runs a spiritual direction practice and leads contemplative retreats. Samantha grew up in North Jersey, where she picked up an “okay Brooklyn accent” and an appreciation for Italian restaurants and pizza. After traveling the world during and after college, she completed a Masters in Divinity at Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary and worked as a pastor until last year.
Samantha loves to be outside whether she’s hiking, backpacking, biking or taking walks along the Niagara River near her home. She also loves art and singing and enjoys meeting with a group called Hymnsing to sing and pray every Wednesday. Through her work with the Campaign for Alternatives to Isolated Confinement, Samantha has become active in supporting social justice causes in her community.
I feel a lot of grief about the ways we human beings have damaged and in some cases obliterated ecosystems,” Samantha said. What keeps her going? “I am motivated by a love for the immense beauty of the earth and its creatures.”