From Bartender To Nun To Author: Gina Economopoulos On Faith, Loss, & Recovery

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Today, I sit down with Gina Economopoulos — former Franciscan nun, bartender, and now author of the memoir Shake the Dust Off Your Feet and Walk. Ms. Economopoulos shares an extraordinary life story that spans the South Bronx, the Jersey Shore, and a deeply personal journey through grief, addiction, and spiritual awakening.

Ms. Economopoulos opens up about her early years growing up in a large family on Long Island, feeling physically limited and insecure, and how bartending became her first career. She recounts how the death of her mother at a young age brought her back to the Catholic Church, eventually leading her to join a Franciscan convent in the Bronx. For 12 years, she lived simply, served the poor, and pursued a deep relationship with God — but also faced dysfunction and emotional abuse that ultimately led to her departure from religious life.

After leaving the convent, Ms. Economopoulos navigated life outside the habit, returning to bartending, falling in love with an alcoholic, and enduring his death. This loss led her into a dark period and, eventually, into the rooms of Alcoholics Anonymous, where she discovered her own alcoholism and began a journey of recovery. Now nine years sober, she shares how her faith has transformed outside of church walls, why she believes life is a gift, and how her pain became the foundation for helping others. This episode is a powerful reminder that God’s plans often lead us through unexpected places — and that healing, purpose, and peace can be found after life’s hardest seasons.

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