Indian nuns help over 1,000 orphaned children find families through adoption

A Global Sisters Report graphic shows a child's drawing of a girl with her mom and dad, with the sun in the air and two hearts above them. (GSR graphic/Olivia Bardo)

Nuns manage an adoption center that has placed more than 1,000 orphans with families since its inception in 1974. "Our mission is to promote and protect life," Sr. Jain Augustine Adackkanattu, the center's president, told GSR.

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A fresco in the cell of St. Benedict at the Monastery of Monte Cassino in Italy depicts Benedict weeping after foreseeing the destruction of the monastery. The Latin inscription reads, "Here he foresaw and wept over the destruction of the monastery." (GSR photo/Helga Leija)

Though he lived 1,500 years ago, St. Benedict is still a man of our times

St. Benedict, father of Western monasticism, lived in a time of turmoil, probably much like our present time. Ten hallmarks help mold the Benedictine life he established, and they continue to be relevant today.

Sr. Anita Cleary, fourth from right, poses with delegation members in Honduras. Cleary took a recent pilgrimage to El Salvador and Honduras, sponsored by the SHARE Foundation and the Leadership Conference for Women Religious. (Courtesy of Anita Cleary)

Memory, truth and responsibility in El Salvador and Honduras

"Entree de Jesus-Christ dans Jerusalem" (1890) by P. Bineteau (Artvee)

14th Sunday in Ordinary Time: Life in the Spirit and rest in Christ

Editors' Choice

Sacred Heart Sr. Treesa Palackal, founder of Hrudayaram, a counseling center managed by the Sacred Heart Sisters at Kannur, conducts an empowerment camp on Aug. 8, 2019, for children of Puthumala, a village devastated by a landslide earlier that year. (Courtesy of Rincy Augustine)

In Focus

Sacred Heart Sisters in India counsel wounded hearts

 "We combine scientific counseling with a deeply human approach. We walk with them, step by step, toward healing," said Sr. Rincy Augustine, Hrudayaram's director.

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A Global Sisters Report graphic shows a child's drawing of a girl with her mom and dad, with the sun in the air and two hearts above them. (GSR graphic/Olivia Bardo)

Indian nuns help over 1,000 orphaned children find families through adoption

Nuns manage an adoption center that has placed more than 1,000 orphans with families since its inception in 1974. "Our mission is to promote and protect life," Sr. Jain Augustine Adackkanattu, the center's president, told GSR.

Religious sister describes her journey through kidney failure, her hope for the gift of life

For decades, Sr. Cecilia Nguyen dedicated her life to forming young Catholics in the faith. Now, as she faces kidney failure and a lengthy wait for a transplant, she says the faith she spent years sharing with others is sustaining her through the challenge.

Pedestrians walk past the emergency entrance at St. Vincent's Hospital in New York, March 16, 2010. The 160-year-old hospital closed the following month. (AP/Kathy Willens)

How a long-closed NYC Catholic hospital still provides lessons for the church

Even though New York's St. Vincent's Medical Center has shuttered, Seton Hall University historian Thomas Rzeznik says the hospital continues to provide important insights for other Catholic institutions today.

Sr. Joanna Okereke, assistant director of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Subcommittee on Pastoral Care of Migrants, Refugees and Travelers, speaks to a group of bishops Nov. 12, 2024, in Baltimore, about the different hidden communities the subcommittee works with. (GSR photo/ Rhina Guidos)

Q&A with Sr. Joanna Okereke, educating US bishops on hidden communities

In her work for the pastoral care of migrants at the U.S. bishops' conference, Sr. Joanna Okereke leads workshops that "create awareness for the bishops to know these ministries exist, that these people are in need."

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

For migrant children facing deportation alone in court, a Catholic nun shows up

Myanmar junta jails nun for eight months under repressive law

Catholic sisters use shareholder activism to press Palantir, GM on human rights

Feature Series

Theologians' Corner

Welcome to Theologians' Corner, where each week a different woman theologian from around the world offers a fresh reflection on the Sunday readings. Because these reflections come from diverse voices and rich perspectives, they invite readers to see the Gospel in new and deeper ways.
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Sister Advocacy at UN

Global Sisters Report is covering Catholic sisters' advocacy at the United Nations.
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LCWR 2025

The Leadership Conference of Women Religious' annual assembly will take place Aug. 12-15 in Atlanta. 
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Religious Life

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A fresco in the cell of St. Benedict at the Monastery of Monte Cassino in Italy depicts Benedict weeping after foreseeing the destruction of the monastery. The Latin inscription reads, "Here he foresaw and wept over the destruction of the monastery." (GSR photo/Helga Leija)
Columns

Though he lived 1,500 years ago, St. Benedict is still a man of our times

St. Benedict, father of Western monasticism, lived in a time of turmoil, probably much like our present time. Ten hallmarks help mold the Benedictine life he established, and they continue to be relevant today.

Sister prays.

Formation lessons continue unfolding in sisters' lives

"God meets us in different ways at different times and what once seemed ordinary can become extraordinary when embraced with sincerity," writes one sister.

Salesian Sr. Kaitlin Trokan throws out the first pitch at the Milwaukee Brewers game June 14, 2026. (Courtesy of Milwaukee Brewers)

Monday Starter: Salesian nun throws first pitch ahead of a Brewers win

Plus, the Dominican Sisters of Springfield, Illinois, sell their Jubilee Farm after 27 years of stewardship.

At the motherhouse of the Dominican Sisters of Peace in Columbus, Ohio, jubilarians renew their vows on June 7, 2026, at a gathering to celebrate their milestone anniversaries of religious life, ranging from 50 to 80 years. (Courtesy of Ana Gonzalez)
Columns

Jubilarians are living witnesses of religious life and its Spirit-led changes

As I looked at the jubilarians, I reflected on their decades of prayer, ministry, service and fidelity lived one day at a time. Each of these women had once said yes to a call whose future she could not fully imagine.

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Ministry

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A Global Sisters Report graphic shows a child's drawing of a girl with her mom and dad, with the sun in the air and two hearts above them. (GSR graphic/Olivia Bardo)

Indian nuns help over 1,000 orphaned children find families through adoption

Nuns manage an adoption center that has placed more than 1,000 orphans with families since its inception in 1974. "Our mission is to promote and protect life," Sr. Jain Augustine Adackkanattu, the center's president, told GSR.

Pope Leo XIV addresses cardinals gathered for the opening working session of his second consistory in the Paul VI Audience Hall at the Vatican June 26, 2026. (CNS photo/Vatican Media)

Pope Leo names Salesian sister as prefect of Vatican’s human development dicastery

Pope Leo XIV has named Sr. Alessandra Smerilli prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, the Vatican announced June 30, making her the latest woman elevated to lead a major Vatican office under the new pontificate.

Sr. Mary Brendan Ezigbo works at the Enugu Custodial Center in southeastern Nigeria, where she attends to the spiritual needs of inmates. (Ekpali Saint)

How one Catholic nun is helping Nigerian inmates find faith and a second chance

Daughter of Divine Love Sr. Mary Brendan Ezigbo says catechesis to inmates is "a call I received from God to reach out to these poor souls. ... I am called to work among the least of Jesus' brothers."

Housemaids prepare food during the 20th anniversary celebration of the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul sisters' housemaid training program on May 10, 2026, in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. (Joachim Pham)

Vietnamese nuns defend dignity over quick money in housemaid training

The Salesian-run Phuoc Loc Technology College has trained hundreds of disadvantaged women from across Vietnam in cooking, childcare, elder care, communication skills and personal formation.

GSR in the Classroom

Youth in a classroom raising their hands to answer questions

The project shines light on the mission and ministry of Catholic women religious around the world.

Each lesson connects articles about sisters or columns written by sisters to the good news found in scripture and church teaching. Action ideas and compelling prayer bring new learning alive. Teacher guides provide vital context and engaging activities to launch group discussions.