Maura McCarthy is a member of the Sisters of Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Dubuque, Iowa. After studies in English literature and education, she taught in Iowa and Minnesota, studied library science and was a missionary to Bolivia for 33 years (broken only by a brief hiatus to teach at Our Lady of Guadalupe School in south Chicago while doing graduate school in history).

by Margaret Susan Thompson

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Getting to know a distinct culture is possible for outsiders, providing they are willing to do the work. So I entered into my work researching sisters with the expectation that I was perfectly capable of understanding this world, although it would take time to learn enough about it to write capably and confidently.

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

The Life - This month illustrates the infinite variations in the organizational relationships one congregation can have with others. Congregations' uniqueness makes a difference in their history, ministries and future plans — whether helpful or complicated. We asked panelists: How unique is your congregation? Is it the only one like it in the world, or do you share a charism or a founder with another group of sisters?