Dan Stockman

Mercy Sr. Theresa Kane, who fought for decades for the equality of women in the Catholic Church — famously publicly challenging the pope on the issue in 1979 — died Aug. 22. She was 87.

A new film to be shown on North American religious television channels and several streaming platforms portrays Blessed Clelia Merloni, the founder of the Sisters of the Apostles of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

With 35 years serving the poorest region in the country, as well as for her leadership within religious life, Dubuque Franciscan Sr. Nancy Schreck receives LCWR's 2024 Outstanding Leadership Award.

Considering trends within religious life that point to shifting attitudes, sisters at LCWR assembly are reminded that they are not their institutions or forms of governing. Rather, they are united by their call to be a presence of love amid suffering.

At the annual assembly for the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, speakers challenge sisters to embrace this "era of change" for religious life.

After experiencing consolidation of Sisters of St. Joseph communities, Brazda understands what congregations are going through as they spin off ministries, sell buildings and campuses, and even look to completion.

The theme of this year's conference is "Our Time is Holy: Who Then Shall We Be?" recognizing that even though there are challenges, this is a sacred time filled with potential to find even deeper ways to live religious life. 

The joint conference of the National Black Sisters' Conference and other groups was rearranged so attendees could go to the funeral of Fr. Norman Fischer, who died July 14. 

This year's tour will visit 20 cities, beginning in Philadelphia on Sept. 30 and ending almost three weeks later in San Francisco on Oct. 18.

The Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament sold their convent in Philadelphia and moved into a retirement community, a Lutheran facility where most of the other residents are Jewish and much of the staff is Muslim.

Oblates Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament, originally founded for Native women, has grappled with the dark history of Catholic boarding schools. 

"For the past forty years, [Sr. Hilkert] has leavened and led the theological community in major academic institutions, international venues, and our guild itself," said president Kristin Heyer at the ceremony.

Each month, Women's Alliance for Theology, Ethics and Ritual creates a feminist liturgy that honors wise women, celebrates holidays or raises a feminist justice issue.

The national board of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, which represents about two-thirds of the 36,000 Catholic sisters in the United States, voted June 25 to name Sr. Kathy Brazda, of the Congregation of St. Joseph, as president-elect.

Dawn's Place is a yearlong program, but that is just the very start of the journey survivors are on, says Sr. Meaghan Patterson, executive director.

Among myriad services, the Sisters of St. Joseph Neighborhood Center offers a monthly food pantry to hundreds of residents in Camden, New Jersey.

Former NBA star Charles Barkley is donating $1 million to St. Mary's Academy in New Orleans, a prominent Black Catholic school founded by the Sisters of the Holy Family. Barkley was inspired by the work of two academy graduates.

In statements and decrees posted to the Diocese of Fort Worth website, Bishop Michael Olson announced the Vatican accepted Mother Teresa Agnes Gerlach's appeal and nullified her dismissal from the order of Carmelites.  

The Benedictine sisters of Mount St. Scholastica, who co-founded and co-sponsor Benedictine College, have joined the chorus of voices denouncing remarks made by commencement speaker Harrison Butker.

A shareholder's resolution led by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace calls for Citigroup to examine its efforts to respect the human rights of Indigenous people in the projects it finances and invests in.