In the history of the United States, human trafficking runs long, pre-dating the Declaration of Independence. As efforts to end slavery, sexual exploitation and other forms of abuse have evolved, Catholic sisters were among the very first faith-based groups to take on human trafficking, specifically of women for sex, in modern times. Global Sisters Report looks specifically at the efforts of Benedictines in South Dakota, whose education and other ministry centers on the I-29 corridor and the particular vulnerability of Native American young women living there. Their work mirrors that of many other sisters' communities and coalitions.

For the last four years, Comboni Missionary Sr. Ilaria Buonriposi has served as the director of Latino outreach for Catholic Mobilizing Network, a non-profit group that, in 2009, sprung out of St. Joseph Sr. Helen Prejean’s anti-death penalty ministries. The Italian-born Buonriposi learned Spanish while earning her degree in social work from the Universidad Pontifica Comillas in Madrid; she then spent 17 years doing social work ministries in Peru and Colombia. In her current position, Buonriposi helps educate Latino and Hispanic communities in the U.S. about church teachings on the death penalty.

“To secure this divine peace for ourselves and procure its blessings for others in the midst of the sin, turmoil and restless anxiety of this modern world is the object of your institute.”

Horizons - Much of our life-long religious formation ingrains in us that Christians are called to be countercultural, and we have a lot of work to do in order to evangelize the culture like Pope Francis invites. But, if we are disciples of Jesus Christ, then our countercultural actions must be guided by how he sent us into the world to witness and proclaim the Gospel.

"Who writes a biography about a nun? Can you think of anything duller?" Benedictine Sr. Joan Chittister posed these questions at an Oct. 6 event marking the publication of the new biography Joan Chittister: Her Journey from Certainty to Faith (Orbis Books). Those in attendance at the book launch at Boston's Pucker Gallery could not have disagreed with Chittister more.

"The glory yet to be revealed comes in the dying."

See for Yourself - The conference room was filling up and I took a seat next to Doug, a leadership colleague I’ve known for years. He was struggling to maneuver with his left hand, including opening his laptop and getting his meeting materials organized in front of him. His right hand sported a bulky, mitten-style bandage. What if our urgency to love could be more immediate than bleeding?

Pope Francis is called the "people's pope," and with good reason: He appeals to all people, Catholics and non-Catholics alike. The whole United States seemed to be agog with his September visit to our country, and I was no exception. Like a puppy, I followed him, visiting Philadelphia; Washington, D.C.; and New York during the days of his U.S. tour.

"One of the things I appreciate very much being in the synod is the universality — the whole world is there," Sr. Carmen Sammut says. "The groups are made up to have very big differences, to have very different backgrounds."

The rapidly growing Houston archdiocese, now the fifth-largest in the country, offers a wide variety of programs to help immigrants shift their focus from physical survival to their economic and emotional well-being.