Helga Leija

Sr. Helga Leija is a trained and experienced translator and a sister in transition to the Benedictine Sisters of Mount St. Scholastica in Atchison, Kansas. She joined Global Sisters Report as Spanish liaison in July 2022. She earned a bachelor's degree in translation studies from the University of Texas in Brownsville and a master's in religious studies from the University of the Incarnate Word. She has served as a preschool, elementary and high school teacher in bilingual and dual-language classrooms. She volunteers for Translators without Borders. She enjoys art journaling and cooking Mexican food.

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Wednesdays are for the wisdom of women religious

GSR Today - Global Sisters Report is launching "Wisdom Wednesday," a new video series to highlight the pieces of wisdom that are passed on in religious life and that sustain us on the journey.

Wrought iron lanterns at St. Scholastica chapel, built in 1939 at Mount St. Scholastica Monastery in Atchison, Kansas (Helga Leija)

A light that reveals a promise

As my community ages and discusses the future, waiting for God's promise, this reading reminds us to stay faithful, to keep doing what we were called to do, even if the promise isn't fulfilled in our lifetime.

Collage of photos from GSR's "Hope Amid Turmoil" series

Series shines light on spiritual strength of Catholic sisters in conflict areas

With "Hope Amid Turmoil," the most ambitious and challenging project we have undertaken at GSR, we've been inspired by the incredible courage and deep faith of sisters serving in conflict areas throughout the world.

Colombian artist Jafeth Gómez created paintings representing the seven C's during the IV Latin American and Caribbean Congress of Religious Life, held Nov. 24-26 in Bogotá, Colombia. (Courtesy of CLAR)

Finding prophetic hope in Bogotá

GSR Today - After attending the IV Latin American and Caribbean Congress of Religious Life, Sr. Helga Leija is encouraged by the spirit of synodality and determined to transcend dynamics that deny what is human.

Panelists for the morning session on intercultural leadership at the 2023 Leadership Conference of Women Religious assembly in Dallas: seated, Dominican Sr. Bibiana Colasito and Holy Cross Sr. Esther Adjoa Entsiwah; standing, Franciscan Sr. Jincy Vilayappilly, Missionary Catechist of Divine Providence Sr. Elizabeth Ann Guerrero (facilitator), and Good Shepherd Sr. Barbara Beasley (Courtesy of Annmarie Sanders)

Navigating the complex interconnectedness of culture, identity and leadership

GSR Today - A session on intercultural leadership at the LCWR assembly in Dallas offered a profound exploration of the diverse experiences and perspectives that shape leadership within many religious communities today.

(Unsplash/Hassan Ouajbir)

I am of God and will cling to my ledge of light

Our darkness is only one part of who we are, not the whole. We must be willing to see ourselves the way God sees us. We must be willing to embrace our identity as beloved.

Sr. Helga Leija works on her piñata for Epiphany. (Courtesy of Helga Leija)

Offering our gifts to others: Revealing Christ's presence at Epiphany

GSR Today - The sisters said the piñata was too pretty to break, but that is the whole point of it! It is about sharing culture and creating memories. It is about sharing a part of myself that points the way to Christ.

Two photographs sit on a table with a white lace tablecloth with a black rosary and orange poppy in front of them

Day of the Dead: The triumph of memory over oblivion

We still believe, like our ancestors, that during these days, the strength of our love and remembrance grants the souls of our loved ones a temporary return home to the world of the living.

(Unsplash/Ross Sneddon)

Exclaustration: Not a matter of fidelity

I realize, as I look back at my time in exclaustration, that although difficult, it was also a time of grace, growth, and an outpouring of goodness.