Columns

It has been difficult to spread the word about who religious are and what they are involved in. There were always sporadic articles, newspaper stories, but nothing consistent until Global Sisters Report became a reality.

Everyone who met Bishop Gumbleton left with an understanding that the world was his congregation and you were simply lucky to have found your way to the center of it.

GSR has become a close-knit and expansive community where we feel like sisters, united in weaving the dream of a shared prophetic mission and a passion for communicating life in all its dimensions.

Sr. Christine Schenk wanted to pay her respects to Bishop Thomas Gumbleton. She found a personal and heartfelt memorial service at the motherhouse of the Immaculate Heart of Mary Sisters in Monroe, Michigan.

"Thank you, GSR, for not only encouraging my writing, but also giving me the opportunity and platform to share about my life as a young Catholic nun."  

This new stage is "inter" in the sense of honoring and integrating all members of the human community. And it is "individual" in that it requires women religious to remain themselves and let others do the same.

Scripture for Life: Today's readings invite us to stand alongside Peter and search our hearts until we can explain why it is that we do what we do and what kind of power we are exercising. 

For many of us, the eclipse gave us a vision — a reminder — of what moments of community with all of creation can look like. 

Sr. Maria E. Mendez Ochoa shares the experience of Sr. Oliva Olivares as she leaves water for migrants crossing the desert through Sásabe, Arizona, the border between Mexico and the U.S. 

It's 150 years later, and the School Sisters of St. Francis are still here. We are still meeting the needs of the times, what we refer to as the will of God. A lot has changed, but the heart of who we are remains the same.

Sometimes it's hard to gain perspective. But wisdom is all around me if only I take that long, loving look at the real. Take time during spring, whenever it arrives where you live, to watch the emergence of life.

I encountered God in the movie theater watching "Manjummel Boys." The true story behind it illustrates Jesus' words: "No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends."

Scripture for Life: Faith in the Resurrection calls us into a bold new way of loving, knowing that with God's help such a love can never be conquered.

Sr. Annie Killian  organized a rally in Columbus, Ohio, calling for an immediate and lasting cease-fire in Gaza.. "Our love of truth impels us not to stand idly by," she writes. 

For Sr. Florence Anyabuonwu, a Feb. 5-9 border pilgrimage was "more than just a physical journey," she write. It was "a profound transformation of heart and soul." 

I am blessed to have a number of dear friends who "get me." I could not navigate the slings and arrows without them, it's that simple. Jesus was someone who knew slings and arrows well — and also relied on friends. 

Sr. Bernardette Healy, who works with Irish Travellers, Gypsy and Roma groups in Nottingham, England, said her faith "has been strengthened and enriched by living and working among these people." 

The feast of the Annunciation reminds us that God sent his son to join humanity fully to be a model for us in every circumstance of our lives, and to introduce us to the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives. 

Scripture for Life: The invitation to believe in the Resurrection asks for a leap of faith that starts with our heart, our hands and our feet, not our intellect.

Horizons - Easter is about transformation. The world needs it, and we need it. Showing up for each other transforms us and others.