Global Sisters Report has been here for you for two full weeks now. Following all the stories coming in from around the world that detail what sisters are doing to improve people’s lives, I have been encouraged. They are women helping the most vulnerable people on our planet. This often means healing and empowering other women.
Take Sr. Clare Nolan’s account about the Good Shepherd Sisters in the Democratic Republic of Congo; among other things, they are bringing education to children too poor to enter public schools and teaching residents efficient agriculture techniques to provide an alternative to young people’s risking their lives working in mining operations.
There is Sr. Anne Kiragu, writing about life in refugee camps of South Sudan, keeping the displaced children busy and supporting new mothers who are at a loss to name their babies.
The Servant Sisters of St. Joseph in the Philippines live out their charism of helping others to earn a living "by the sweat of their brow" and operate five workshops that teach people – especially young women who have suffered abuse or extreme poverty – how to sew and manage clothing production.
And, even without having a film made about her or winning awards from national magazines, who could forget Sr. Rosemary Nyirumbe in Uganda, healing the young people traumatized by Joseph Kony’s reign of terror, there and in South Sudan. Children whose families were brutally murdered, who were forced to become killers or to be “wives” of military captains are soothed, supported and taught ways to earn a living and be independent.
Our contributing editor in Zimbabwe, Jill Day, outlines a host of ministries by sisters in Nairobi, Kenya. Later this week, we’ll bring you short autobiographies from five of these dedicated women.
Collecting and broadcasting these stories about sisters – and reading what sister theologians, women in formation, experts on contemplation, and others write about from their own perspectives – feels like being at the center of a rapidly growing family.
I imagine that sisters already know this feeling well. Community is a blessing. It fortifies. Isolation is destructive.
We want this site to be a place where sisters can learn about each other and eventually be able to share their strategies. I want everyone all over the world to know how remarkable these women are.
Speaking of partners, we hope you have you noticed our weekly audio clips from A Nun’s Life. Guess what? Sr. Jan Cebula and I are going to be guests on their podcast today! It’s a great opportunity, and we thank them for helping us spread the news about our project.
“In Good Faith” broadcasts live at 5 p.m. Eastern U.S. time. We’ll be on the air for about an hour, talking about Global Sisters Report.
You can even text chat with us and the hosts, Sr. Max and Sr. Julie, at this portal here. Send questions or make comments; we can’t wait to hear from you.
[Tracy Abeln is assistant managing editor of Global Sisters Report.]