General Information: Overview: Who We Are: Rev. Sally Sonen Kealy

Sally Sonen Kealy was born Sally Smith in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and lived in the Midwest throughout her early adult life. After working as a Speech Therapist for Father Flanagan's Boy's Town in Omaha, Nebraska, and the Denver Public Schools she moved to San Francisco, met and married John Kealy. Sally and John moved to the Philippines where he attended medical school. While in Manila Sally was introduced to Zen by an OLM sister who led daily practice and monthly zazenkai in her convent. Sr. Elaine prepared her group to become formal students of her teacher, Yamada Koun (White Cloud) Roshi who led several sesshin there. Yamada Roshi, a lay teacher, was an innovative Zen Master, inviting Christians in all capacities, nuns, priests, and lay, onto the traditional Zen path. About to return to the United States, Sally asked for Sr. Elaine to consult with Yamada Roshi about whom he recommended for their continuation of Zen practice. They wanted to study with someone as open to the changing nature of Zen practice as Yamada had been. Yamada told Sr. Elaine that he had dokusan several times with a very strong practitioner, monk and Dharma successor of Maezumi Roshi who was on his way to New York from California in 1980 to begin a group there. Sally moved back with John to New York, met Bernie Sensei as he was called at the time, and recognized that he would be their teacher. She worked in several job capacities within the Greyston Mandala in Yonkers. She took the lay Buddhist Precepts in 1986, and became a Novice Priest (Tokudo) in 1993. She took a five year period to study Zen in the Kwan Um School of Zen under Wu Kwang Zen Master (Richard Shrobe). At this time she also received a Masters in Social Work from NYU, and certified in a four year post graduate Gestalt Training program in Manhattan. Sally returned to Japanese style Zen, received Denkai in 1997(Priest Vows), and is a student of her root teacher, Bernie Roshi and a Zen Peacemaker priest. Sally continues to live in Yonkers, and has a small Zendo in her home with John called The Red Thread Zendo. Both Sally and John have three grown children (Denise, Siobhan, and John David) two recent sons-in-law, and two grandchildren with one on the way.