Beginning in 2005, after decades of civil war in South Sudan, bishops of that country invited international religious communities to consider serving in South Sudan. Since that point, members of men’s and women’s congregations have been committed to a presence to support the church through the collaborative project, Solidarity with South Sudan.

On Sunday, Pope Francis celebrated the 18th World Day for Consecrated Life highlighting the fact that at the center of Consecrated Life there is always Jesus.

Thanks to the efforts of local Catholic sisters in Vietnam, HIV/AIDS patients and others in need find simple pleasures during the festival of Tet (Lunar New Year). This help comes during an especially difficult time for many Vietnamese recovering from an economic downturn in 2012.

Before the year dedicated to consecrated life begins in November, the Vatican congregation for religious hopes to release its final report on the 2009-2010 visitation of U.S. women's communities.

Archbishop Jose Rodriguez Carballo, secretary of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, said, "We are working intensely on the final report, and after careful study and consideration, we think it will be made public soon. We're at a good point. I think we can conclude it before the beginning of the Year for Consecrated Life" in November.

Amid the zero degrees temperatures here in the Midwest, I recently received a "heads up" email from a long-time friend in California that warmed my heart; and if you care deeply about our planet, it will probably set yours a-glowing, too.

In the last few months, we have welcomed a few people to our NCR staff. In September, we announced that NCR was the recipient of a Conrad N. Hilton Foundation grant to expand our coverage of women religious across the globe. Since then, we have been building a team here in Kansas City, Mo., to shepherd that project. The full team came on board in January.

As Americans gather around the television to watch the Super Bowl on Feb. 2, human trafficking victims' advocates, social service agencies and law enforcement officials will use this major sporting event to bring awareness to the plight of the millions of people who are trafficked across the globe each year.

For the past decade, Lovers of the Holy Cross of Cho Quan Sr. Elizabeth Huynh Thi Uu has been paying visits two or three times a week to groups of Vietnamese migrant workers at Saint Paul Church to provide pastoral care.

"Other religious and I offer catechism courses to those who want to convert to Catholicism, give marriage preparations to couples, and teach basic catechism to their children," Uu said. The sisters also hold seminars on human values and living skills for migrant workers.

At the Global Rights of Nature summit, Vandana Shiva, an internationally renowned physicist and environmental activist, led the ritual Thursday on our last morning in Otavalo, sharing some of India’s poems and hymns to Mother Earth. One began, “Whatever, I dig of you, O Earth, may that grow quickly upon you.”

The sun was beginning to cut the chill of the Andean morning when the group gathered around a fountain in an outdoor courtyard. This is how the summit of the Global Alliance for the Rights of Nature  began, with Tai Ta Carlos, an elder from this territory, leading a ceremony of thanksgiving to Pachamama, Mother Earth, for the life that sustains us. Speaking of the damage we are doing to Earth, he said, “We must recognize that we are part of the natural world.”