Religious life in North America and Europe stands on a precipice of transformation to a new form that no one yet knows, and leaders need to embrace that mystery instead of trying to sustain the past, St. Joseph Sr. Carol Zinn told a gathering of women and men religious Thursday.

See for Yourself - "Keep your eyes peeled for a parking place. Ooh — there? No. Rats. That's a fire hydrant." So went the in-car chatter by Kathy as she drove us to a downtown part to attend a festival.

The death toll in Haiti from Hurricane Matthew now exceeds 1,000 and continues to rise, and the head of the United Nations warned that a "massive response is required" to stave off problems that include hunger and cholera. Dozens of communities of women religious both in and outside Haiti are responding to the massive needs.

The Resource Center for Religious Institutes advises and assists religious communities with stewardship, things like how and where to invest pension funds and understanding legal issues of nonprofits and health care.

Franciscan Sister of Perpetual Adoration Thea Bowman never lived in Texas, but in the 1980s, she made several visits to the predominantly black Holy Cross parish in southern Dallas. Bowman made a lasting impact on the parish — so much so that the parish hall was named after her. And October 15, Holy Cross parishioners will come together for a celebration of Bowman's life.

"No politics, song, religion, behavior, or what not, is of account, unless it compare with the amplitude of the earth . . . ."

When Pope Francis named Indianapolis Archbishop Joseph Tobin as one of three U.S. bishops to be elevated to cardinal next month, Catholic sisters around the country rejoiced -- especially the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary in Monroe, Michigan.

In a world where we are constantly connected through technology and smartphones, the boundaries between our personal and professional lives are fluid and often become blurred. I find this a great metaphor for Associate life, because this commitment is not intended to be something I turn off and on in certain situations, but rather, try to fully incorporate into all parts of my life.

"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards."

"Investing in girls is both the right thing to do, and the smart thing to do. It has a powerful ripple effect across all areas of development, and reaches forward to future generations. But what cannot be measured cannot be managed. "