This story appears in the Abuse of sisters feature series. View the full series.

Updated - Following an Associated Press article about the sexual abuse of Catholic sisters by clergy, the Leadership Conference of Women Religious and three church reform organizations urged women religious to report abuse and called upon church leadership to take action.

This story appears in the See for Yourself feature series. View the full series.

by Nancy Linenkugel

Contributor

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See for Yourself - Religion is big in the United States. America was founded on religious freedom, among other ideals, and we only need to look up and down our city streets to find plentiful churches of any denomination one can think of.

by Joshua J. McElwee

News Editor

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jmcelwee@ncronline.org

A major new study has found that more than three-quarters of the leaders of religious orders of priests, brothers and sisters in the U.S. believe it is "theoretically possible" to ordain women as deacons in the Catholic Church.

Sr. Thea Bowman could start on the path toward becoming a saint in November, when the U.S. bishops are expected to approve her cause for sainthood at their biannual meeting, officials announced July 31. Four major black clergy and religious groups made the announcement July 31 along with the news that they will unite to advance the causes for sainthood for five African-American Catholics, with Bowman's expected to be added once the bishops approve.

Editorial: In our reporting for our special Seeking Refuge series, we found a new urgency and a new inspiration. The testimonies of refugees illustrate that we cannot look away from the challenge of migration; the work of religious sisters shows us that much is possible.

This story appears in the Seeking Refuge feature series. View the full series.

Honduras ranks as the sixth most unequal country in the world. Drug cartels are common, and workers are subjected to extortion. Women are fleeing Honduras to protect their children from gangs: boys are forced to become foot soldiers while girls are preyed upon against their wills. Now under tougher U.S. policies, gang violence will no longer qualify for asylum claims. And deportees are arriving back in Honduras in massive numbers. 

• Also in this series: As resettlement agency in Kansas closes, other doors open