"My heart is more open. My spirit wants to be more loving because during my prayer I had felt what I know as love."

Three Stats and a Map - While the general public most likely thinks of the film "Sister Act" when they think of sisters and music, of course, the contributions of sisters run deeper than Hollywood. 

See for Yourself - It's dismaying that many high schools in budget-crunch situations that are faced with the need to make immediate budget cuts often start by thinking that music and art programs are expendable. 

Notes from the Field - The subtle ways students have of asking us adults to "tame" them are not always the prettiest. This makes it a lot easier for me to simply say, "I don't have time." The Little Prince has changed my way of thinking.

In theory, once someone has served a prison sentence, they are free to move forward with life. In reality, however, many find that being released is merely the start of a new form of imprisonment. Part 3 of a four-part series examining mass incarceration in the United States.

"I did not want to shy away when an opportunity came my way to do my share as a woman because I believe that women can and should contribute in every sphere of life."

The Vatican will host a first-of-its-kind conference next week to re-examine the Catholic church's long-held teachings on just war theory, bringing some 80 experts engaged in global nonviolent struggles to Rome with the aim of developing a new moral framework that rejects ethical justifications for war.

GSR Today - "There's no issue that I've started to write about that sisters haven't been involved in," GSR staff writer Dawn Araujo-Hawkins says. Their pervasiveness has changed the way she approaches potential stories.

The United States isn't jailing hardened criminals; it's jailing "the least of these." It's jailing people who've committed nonviolent offenses, and many of these offenses stem from poverty, drug addictions and mental illness. Part two of a four-part series examining mass incarceration in the United States.