Two federal judges temporarily blocked the government from putting into effect new rules that would expand the exemption to the federal contraceptive mandate to the Little Sisters of the Poor and other religious employers.

Sr. Cynthia Mathew had battled India's oppressive caste system in Bihar state for years before going to New York to work in the United Nations. The member of the Congregation of Jesus continues her fight for justice for Dalit. Since 2017, Mathew has been working toward innovative thinking on sustainable development with the Loreto Sisters, who have U.N. Economic and Social Council accreditation. 

There may be more to learn from reading the same book a hundred times than by reading a hundred different books. After all, we read the Psalms a hundred times and the Gospels, as well. What is to be learned is the heart of Christ at the heart of the story. We may also discover people different from us and yet, remarkably similar. Words that at one time went unnoticed leap off the page the second or third time around. The words have not changed, but we have.

Holy Cross Sisters in Uganda have launched community discussions designed to increase awareness about the prevalence of family violence. During discussions, women and other stakeholders are given the opportunity to share their experience and identify the causes and possibly solutions to the violence they face. 

Spending time on the U.S./Mexican border in Texas working with those seeking asylum during the Advent season was, perhaps, one of the best preparations for Christmas. In the eyes of the men, women and children seeking shelter, I could see so clearly the face of Jesus whose parents, Mary and Joseph, were also seeking a place of refuge.

Life for children whose parents migrate to Vietnam's capital to make a living re-selling leftover produce, fish and plastic bags usually does not include formal education, but since 2010, the Dominican Missionary Sisters of Phu Cuong have been helping some attain literacy and move on to public schools. Their Binh An (Peace) Development Center in Ho Chi Minh City currently provides free education for 316 children, ages 5 to 15.

After an open letter to the president, Sr. Norma Pimentel was invited to a roundtable on immigration issues, but not allowed to speak. Behind her witness for more humanitarian treatment of asylum-seekers is a host of women religious who have traveled to volunteer at the border in recent months.

GSR Today - Fighting human trafficking ranks as the most focused global collective and collaborative effort by Catholic women religious. January is National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month, designated in the U.S. since 2010, with Jan. 11 marking Human Trafficking Awareness Day.

I've never been very good at New Year's resolutions, and I know I'm not alone. Like many people, my resolutions tend to be self-serving, fairly unattainable and quickly broken. In an age in which even rest and leisure have become to-do list material, perhaps this is the year to ditch the resolutions.