Josho Pat Phelan
Chapel Hill Zen Center / Richmond Zen
Chapel Hill, NC
Josho Pat Phelan trained and practiced at the San Francisco Zen Center’s City Center and Tassajara Zen Mountain Center, from 1971 until 1991. She was ordained in 1977 by the former Abbot of the San Francisco Zen Center, Zentatsu Richard Baker, Suzuki Roshi's successor. Prior to her arrival in Chapel Hill, she was a Practice Leader and Director of the City Center. In 1991, Josho Sensei was invited to lead the Zen group in Chapel Hill, NC. In October, 2000, she was formally installed as Abbess of the Chapel Hill Zen Center. In December, 2008, Josho Sensei traveled to Japan to participate in Zuise ceremonies at Eihei-ji and Soji-ji temples. In 2018, The Chapel Hill Zen Center was recognized as a Temple by the Soto Zen School in Japan. Josho Sensei has published chapters in Receiving the Marrow; Seeds of Virtue, Seeds of Change; Zen in Challenging Times; and in Five Voices, Five Faiths. She is married and has a daughter.