As Social Service Sr. Simone Campbell and the Nuns on the Bus tour bus rolled onto St. Louis' Kiener Plaza on Thursday, a crowd of about 70 people — many women religious — began to cheer. The cheers continued as Campbell emerged from the bus to kick off the 2015 tour, the latest iteration of what has become Campbell's annual tradition of traveling the country talking to people. "What a treat it is to be here in St. Louis with our very subtle bus," she joked when she reached the microphone. But then her tone turned serious as she described St. Louis as a symbol of both the darkness and the light of the United States.

There is a restless peace among women religious. The Vatican and the congregations of women religious in the United States have completed the apostolic visitation process initiated by the Vatican. Some people will continue to debate the terms of the settlement between LCWR and CDF, but sisters are moving to other issues. Sisters were passionately involved in other issues before and during and these events. But before we squander this moment, it would be a loss not to seek its fullest meanings, its learnings. What can we discover in these events? What we will take with us from this crucible? How do we navigate an environment relatively free from conflict between the official church and women religious in the United States?

"Rejoice and leap for joy on that day! Behold, your reward will be great in heaven."

See for Yourself - The second most popular book in the world after the Bible is The Diary of Anne Frank. Her writings, though, weren’t published until eight years after the diary was found in the secret hiding place by Miep Gies, a loyal friend to Otto Frank (her father) and the others who hid in the upper room of the Amsterdam office building for 25 months.

“Once you learn to read, you will be forever free.”

“We speak of the great deep as a reserved or wisdom that we believe can be accessed by living a life of contemplation.”

GSR Today - Last week, finally, all eyes were on the refugee crisis caused by instability in Syria that has been going on for years. “Europe is being tested as it has not been tested since the Second World War," said Lord Jonathan Sacks of the United Kingdom.

Nuns on the Bus starts its 2015 tour this week with a route that passes through "deep red and purple states" on the way to Washington, D.C. The sisters' Sept. 10-24 tour coincides with Pope Francis' Sept. 22-24 visit to Washington. In response to the pope's call for transforming politics for the common good, the sisters will highlight economic inequality and cuts in health care and education that they say not only disproportionately affect those dependent on government assistance, but also exhibit a disregard for their struggles and exacerbate the growing gap between the rich and poor.

During a Prayer of the Faithful at a Eucharistic celebration, I heard for the first time what I considered a strange prayer intention: “For those looking for the fruit of the womb . . . .” I was startled by the intention, surprised because I was oblivious to the magnitude of the problem that has brought the prayer request to a public forum.