"Peace is not a relationship of nations. It is a condition of mind brought about by a serenity of soul."

GSR Today - There is a direct connection between long-term volunteer service and religious life vocations. On that basis, the Catholic Volunteer Network has launched a three-year initiative to strengthen the vitality of women’s religious congregations. Here’s a snapshot of some data and reactions presented in Chicago last week at the kick-off symposium.

"Nature is never finished."

Daughters of Our Lady of Immaculate Conception sisters hold swimming lessons for children in central Vietnam, where annual flooding claims peoples' lives every year in the fall.

Three stats and a map - Sixty-three percent of Israelis would like to see separate Palestinian and Israeli states, and 53 percent of Palestinians would like to see two states.

Sr. Mercy Shumbamhini is president of the Conference of Major Religious Superiors of Zimbabwe, superior general of the Mary Ward Congregation of Jesus in Zimbabwe, Zambia and Malawi, and one of Zimbabwe’s most respected child counselors.

Letters from South Sudan - With other conflicts making the news across the globe, not much is visible in the headlines from South Sudan, though unrest continues to create dire needs for the vulnerable there. In the last two days several news reports have surfaced about fears of famine for the people of South Sudan.

"An orange sunset follows me like I am closely guarded for some unknown danger . . . ."

From A Nun's Life podcasts - Hospitality and food insecurity – what's the relationship and what insights can scripture offer us today? In this audio clip with Sr. Marion Moeser, we talk about hospitality and food insecurity in scripture and how the wisdom of the ancients can guide our actions today.

It’s a dark, pre-dawn morning, cool and inviting. The silence is filled with spring energy; resolute, expectant. Sister Moon is alone on the cosmic stage watching, waiting, her gravitational pull affecting tides and psyches. Orion stands tall, witness to the transition of power soon to appear. I feel energy, expectant hope, a centered moment in my troubled psyche