"It's not a matter of the church getting involved in politics, it's the church doing what the church has always done ... and understanding that since human rights are not given by the government, but are given by the creator, then it's the church's responsibility to speak."

Church groups in the Philippines have launched a support network for Sister Patricia Fox, an Australian missionary nun who has been ordered to leave the country by the government.

"You are wedded to a community, and these are the people you are committed to and let yourself be formed by. We are growing together in faith."

I came to the Guaraní area 20 years ago to accompanying this struggling people under the control of the patróns, the landlords who had taken over the land during Bolivia's many dictatorships. Today, their organizing has come to a beautiful fruition.

"At the center of every situation, especially work-related, should be the person and his or her dignity: that is why employment is a matter of justice, and it is an injustice not to have work!"

NCR Preview: A few years back I gave myself permission to get angry at other drivers. Later, on a dark and rainy night, I shocked myself at how mad I was at some unknown and seemingly very confused person. I resolved then to withdraw that permission to myself to rage and fume.

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.

I can think of thousands of women who have changed my perceptions, my thinking, my understanding of spirituality. When I think of the women who live in the slums, I realize they too have come a long way on this journey called change.

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?