The Servant Sisters of St. Joseph in the Philippines live out their charism of helping others to earn a living "by the sweat of their brow" and operate five sewing workshops that teach people how to sew and manage clothing production. For Margie Rose Butlig and her family, the opportunity has changed her life.

To celebrate the opening of the Sr. Joan Chittister archive at Mercyhurst University, NCR Editor-at-Large Tom Roberts gave an address April 30th. He is working on a Chittister biography. 

GSR Today - This week’s round-up of mainstream news coverage of women religious takes us back to 1986 when a group of sisters armed with rosaries and pictures of the Blessed Mother faced down evil in the Philippines. Guess who won?

"Most high, glorious God, cast Your light into the darkness of my heart. Give me right faith, certain hope and perfect charity."

The blessing women find in their relationship with Jesus is not simply private and spiritual, though it is certainly that. But it also affects their life in public and social domains, inspiring the struggle for liberation from structures of domination in every dimension of life.

"Once poverty is gone, we’ll need to build museums to display its horrors to future generations. They’ll wonder why poverty continued so long in human society — how a few people could live in luxury while billions dwelt in misery, deprivation, and despair."

“We commit to look with eyes of compassion, to relate with openness and hospitality, and to act from a center of contemplative prayer, peace and passion.” There are many reasons why I made the leap from my career as a mid-level government bureaucrat to become a Sister of St. Joseph of Peace.

I’m not a social worker, but what really got me was listening and meeting young women face to face and hearing that story. The brutality and injustice of human trafficking changed me; the women were the ones who changed me – it wasn’t the statistics and the analysis of the issue, it was the young women who have suffered incredible stress. 

Mercy Sr. Mary McGrory, 69, is a nurse and clinical psychologist in New York City.