by Saji Thomas
Contributor
As the Vatican grapples to devise stronger protocols and responses following a historic summit focused on clergy sex abuse of minors, five nuns in India complain of church repression for their support of a former superior general who was allegedly raped by a bishop.
by Valarie Lee James
Contributor
Give kids paper and crayons, and they will give you their hearts. At Tucson's Casa Alitas, a Catholic Community Services short-term shelter for immigrant families released from detention, kid's artwork covers the largest wall in the house. Guileless and profound, art by immigrant children puts the border rhetoric of adults to shame.
Valarie Lee James, devotional artist, writer, and resident of the Arizona-Mexico borderlands, has been a Benedictine oblate of the Sisters of Perpetual Adoration in Tucson since 2010. A former art therapist, James is grateful for the universal language of art in her volunteer work with immigrants and asylum seekers. She is currently writing a book on art and faith on the border.
by Samantha Wirth
Notes from the Field - I was shocked when I realized one of the largest cities in the world could be lacking in quality food sources. In fact, the majority of the populations Good Shepherd Services ministers to live within New York's food deserts.
From Where I Stand: Learning to listen, to take seriously, those who were entrusted with the development of our lives had more to do with growth than it did with repression. Learning to consider the insights and understanding of others is not the end of autonomy. It is the beginning of humility.
by Philip Mathew
Sr. Linnet Antony believes music nourishes the soul and leads humans to peace and tranquility. Music, she says, has the power to help people reach higher levels of self-awareness and experience God.
by Dorothy Fernandes
Contributor
A team of 10 of us spoke to people at shelters that give some relief to those who sleep in the open air. We heard firsthand stories of how people grapple with life on the periphery in India.
Rome - The 10 Catholic sisters who took part in Pope Francis' summit on clergy sexual abuse say they hope the presence of a dozen women at the gathering sets a standard for a growing presence of women at Vatican meetings of bishops.
by Larretta Rivera-Williams
Contributor
My life is like a swinging bridge crossing a rushing river. I get up in the morning, not knowing what the day will bring. I step forward in faith trusting that all will be well: balanced, safe and profitable. But what would life be like if I did not walk by faith, if I had no hope?
by The Life Panelists
Through education, forgiveness, self-knowledge, power of witness and service, sisters and their congregation are making a difference in the face of racism, religious zealotry, gun violence, tribalism and other forms of violence. This month, Global Sisters Report's Life panelists wrote to talk about how their communities have been impacted by guns, crime, war or other forms of violence — and how they responded.
