In 1987, Mercy Sr. Gerrie Naughton went door-to-door in her new town in Las Milpas, Texas, meeting families to get a sense of the community's needs. Few people in the town of 12,000 spoke English, and a majority of the families lived off a yearly income of $7,000. They had no fire department, public lighting, paved streets, drainage system, clinic, or public transportation. She would not do for the community what the community could do for itself, so in 1989, Naughton founded ARISE with five immigrant women all eager to change their lives for the better. The grassroots network now serves hundreds of members in four areas around Pharr: Las Milpas, Muniz, Hargill, and South Tower.  

GSR Today - I knew that I was coming to Ethiopia during the Ethiopian Orthodox Christian Holy Week, but I figured, since I was working for a Catholic website and planning to interview Catholic sisters, it wouldn't be a problem to come then — which only goes to illustrate how little I understood about Ethiopia.

When we enter this time of our lives in which we might feel regrets, we somehow forget the beauty, the joy, the happiness that have been ours. In the growing awareness that we aren't all we've hoped to be, we sometimes can forget the beauty of who we actually have become. Only God's mercy can teach us to weave together the dark and light threads of our days. Only both of these can create the beautiful tapestry of our life as God has meant it to be.

See for Yourself - Not too many years ago I accepted an invitation from Bombay colleagues to attend the public portion of a weekend event featuring a Swami.

"My seeds long for sunrises and fertile ground. As the sun sets I send wishes as the child who blew the seeds around with joy. What seeds do you hope to set free?"

Several months ago, or maybe a year, I started noticing people using the word "woke" in a way that I was not familiar. Statements similar to, "Stay woke," "I'm woke," "She's woke and not going back" started showing up on social media. And while I gathered a meaning from the context clues, I do not believe I understood the full meaning until more recently.

Sister Reginette was one of four Missionaries of Charity sisters killed by gunmen March 4 in Yemen. She was 33. The other three sisters were Sister Marguerite, who was also from Rwanda, Sister Anselm from India, and Sister Judith from Kenya. Global Sisters Report spoke with people who knew Sister Reginette, including her parents in Rwanda.

Sister Marguerite was one of four Missionaries of Charity sisters killed by gunmen March 4 in Yemen. She was 44. The other three sisters were Sister Reginette, who was also from Rwanda, Sister Anselm from India, and Sister Judith from Kenya. Global Sisters Report spoke with people who knew Sister Marguerite, including her sister in Rawanda.

Orders want to ensure their missions continue beyond their own existence, whether it's through turning over programs and ministries to non-profits, dioceses or churches, making them self-standing entities, or having them run by associates. As they look to the future, the Marianites of Holy Cross in New Orleans, who were founded before the U.S. Civil War, have joined in a covenant relationship with the Sisters of the Most Holy Sacrament from Lafayette.

As we were chatting at supper, School Sister of Notre Dame Barb Soete, on home-leave from Nepal, was sharing her teenage memories of camping. "My mother, Grace, said: 'If you realize you forgot something, call me and I'll tell you how to get along without it.'" I began to reflect on what "getting along without" and "letting go" means as our religious communities accept the loss of beloved friends and sisters, ministries and property.