Northwest Pregnancy Center and Maternity Home,
ProBlack ProlLife, Real + True
Honours
Doctor of Humane Letters, University of Portland 2022
Doctor of Humane Letters, St. Martin's University 2023
Gloria Purvis is an African-American Catholic public scholar, speaker, author, podcaster, and activist in Washington, D.C. She has spoken and written extensively on women's rights, abortion, sex, marriage, family, religious liberty, and racial justice.[1]
Purvis worked for more than a decade in the mortgage and finance industry before becoming a policy manager at a major financial services company, where she co-chaired the Catholic Employee Network.
Purvis for years co-hosted the Morning Glory show on EWTN Radio, which ended in December 2020 when the show was abruptly canceled. Purvis was not given a reason for the cancellation, which was part of "a year-end spate of changes at EWTN."[4] She later began hosting The Gloria Purvis Podcast in collaboration with America Media.[5]
In 2021, the University of Notre Dame's Office of Life and Human Dignity at the McGrath Institute for Church Life appointed Purvis its inaugural Pastoral Fellow.[6]
In November 2022, Purvis spent two hours at the private residence of Pope Francis as a member of a five person team from America. She is the first African-American female Catholic journalist to interview Pope Francis for such an extensive time period at his personal residence.[7] Purvis shared with Pope Francis some of the concerns and experiences of Black Catholics in the U.S. Catholic Church.[8]
Purvis held an interview in May 2022 with Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone of San Francisco, discussing with him his reasons for barring Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi from receiving communion in her home diocese.[9]
Purvis has served as a board member for the Northwest Pregnancy Center and Maternity Home in Washington, D.C. and an advisory board member on the Maryland Catholic Conference’s Respect for Life Department. She has also served on the National Black Catholic Congress’ Leadership Commission on Social Justice. She was the Chairperson for Black Catholics United for Life, which has sought to increase the size and strength of active Black Catholics participating in the pro-life movement.
St. Martin's University awarded her a Doctorate of Humane Letters in May 2023, at which time she was also the commencement speaker.[18] The University of Portland awarded Purvis a Doctorate in Humane Letters Honora Causa in 2022.[19]