At least 250 people died on Easter when suicide bombers attacked three churches and three hotels in Sri Lanka. As suspects have been arrested, the Catholic sisters have been visiting with people affected by the loss, listening to them and helping them process anger, shock, guilt and sorrow. More than 200 sisters have been assigned by the Conference of Major Religious Superiors of Sri Lanka with the mission of healing, providing psychological support to the parishioners.

In a property transfer they're calling "A Gift of the Heart to the Heart," the sisters hope their property, which they have owned for 142 years, will help their schools continue to thrive and expand. The move, however, is not without its sadness, "This is where we were all formed; this is where we started. We all thought we'd eventually come back full circle," said Sr. Janet Peterworth, president of the Ursuline Sisters of Louisville. 

Contemplate This - Contemplation invites us to awaken to the reality around us. It helps us see in new ways what can be considered an everyday experience. It asks us to take a long, loving look at the real so that what is invisible may come into view. The issue of human trafficking has been in our consciousness for many years. Women religious have worked tirelessly to bring this issue to the forefront of political debate and corporate decision making.

Focus on Human Trafficking - Though common knowledge warns against anyone wandering into La Línea, Sr. Angélica Segoviano has gained daily access by establishing trust with the women she visits. It takes time before they open up to her about their lives and worries, their initial suspicion born of the fact that some have gone years without anyone simply asking how they're doing.

This story appears in the Sustainable Development Goal 5: Gender Equality feature series. View the full series.

by Luisa Derouen

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Reactions to the publication of "Male and Female He Created Them" include gratitude and affirmation for the positive subtitle of the Congregation for Catholic Education's document, "Towards a Path of Dialogue on the Question of Gender Theory in Education" — as well as disappointment and concern that the foundational positions of the document about gender theory are woefully uninformed by contemporary science and by the lived experience of transgender people.