As the first CEO of SSM Health system, Sr. Mary Jean Ryan of the Franciscan Sisters of Mary left a lasting imprint over 25 years. Among the hallmarks of her work has been recognizing every employee's contributions, from surgeon to janitor.

More than 6,700 Catholic nuns are among those helping over a million people taking shelter in relief camps after unprecedented floods ravaged Kerala, a southwestern Indian state. "This is the biggest rescue and relief operation the Catholic Church in Kerala has undertaken in its history," says Fr. George Vettikattil, who heads the church's relief operations in the state.

This story appears in the Crisis in the Church feature series. View the full series.

Contemplate This - Breathe in the pain. Breathe out the gifts. I brought this contemplative practice to my prayer for sexual abuse victims — and then for the male clerical hierarchy as well.

GSR Today: The Seeking Refuge series took me to Rome and Athens, to see how communities are responding to migration. I spoke to refugee families who taught me about resilience, hope and courage. Sisters and others in the humanitarian field gave me direction as I navigated a tricky and complex subject. These are the lessons I learned.

This story appears in the The Life feature series. View the full series.

The Life - Anglicans, Buddhists, Hindus, Jews, Methodists, Muslims, Sufis, Quakers: The panelists for August responded on a very personal level, sharing their life experiences that led them into an appreciation of other religions and ecumenical experiences. The panel responded to the following question: There are many entryways to ecumenical experience. Describe the door that let you, personally, walk into a sacred experience with or in a different religion or denomination.

This story appears in the Sustainable Development Goal 7: Affordable and Clean Energy feature series. View the full series.

by Brian Roewe

NCR environment correspondent

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broewe@ncronline.org

Catholic groups voiced dismay and disagreement with a proposed rule from the Trump administration to weaken regulations on carbon pollution from coal-fired power plants that in the process could result in 1,400 more premature deaths annually.