Alecia Westmorland

On the tour's Las Vegas stop, Nuns on the Bus & Friends hosted civil discussion for locals, where issues like affordable housing, guns, the environment and human rights came into focus.

Just like Walsh's lengthy recovery from a 20-foot fall off a cliff — involving months of physical therapy, treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder and sipping pureed meals through a wired-shut jaw — her foray into convent life involved a slew of doubts.

"Music takes people out of themselves, but also takes them deeply within themselves and connects them ultimately with God, however they might define God," Sr. Claire Sokol said.

Founded by two religious orders and the National Council of Negro Women, Washington School for Girls in marginalized southeast D.C. teaches grades 3-8 with a rigorous curriculum and comprehensive enrichment programs.

Catholic sisters created a nonprofit to help financially vulnerable women achieve economic sustainability and overall independence. Women Partnering has helped over 5,400 women and 5,000 children since its opening in 2001.

Among the many programs Clark has established to improve and enrich offenders' lives at the Massachusetts Correctional Institution-Framingham are initiatives to help the incarcerated overcome substance abuse and trauma, as well as guide them in re-entering society after their release.

First established in 1860 to house orphaned, abused and neglected children, St. Ann's Center for Children, Youth and Families now provides numerous supportive services for single mothers, children and families.

In Haiti's capital city, "they are literally in hell," says Sr. Jaqueline Picard. The effects of rampant gang violence in Port-au-Prince reach the rural communities where she and other Religious of Jesus and Mary serve.

The event featured Catholic sisters and representatives of key organizations battling human trafficking, who discussed pivotal partnerships, technology and programs helping to prevent trafficking and to aid survivors.

Operated by the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul for more than 10 years, Give Me a Chance addresses a wide spectrum of needs in Ogden, a town with a 12% poverty rate where many struggle to afford essentials.

"It's happening everywhere. It can happen to anyone," Maryknoll Sr. Abby Avelino, international coordinator of Talitha Kum, said during an online panel. "Everybody has a role to play to combat human trafficking."

Working with Holy Cross Ministries — a Salt Lake City-based nonprofit created by the Sisters of the Holy Cross to aid Utah's marginalized community members — these sisters dedicate their very full days to helping this underserved population.

 A webinar hosted by the Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation Commission,  addressed some troubling consequences of the global transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy, especially in regard to mining efforts.

While running errands in Louisville, Trappist monk and spiritual writer Thomas Merton experienced a sublime epiphany. The impact of Merton's discovery still reverberates today, said Sr. Ilia Delio during a Nov. 14 lecture.