Inside South Africa's femicide crisis, nuns step in to protect vulnerable girls

Silhouette of a woman (GSR graphic/Olivia Bardo)

Catholic sisters in South Africa are protecting girls, accompanying survivors and challenging the culture of violence that turns homes into danger zones.

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The Presentation Sisters of Africa Province arrive as the Malawi Presentation Sisters welcome them, in Dedza Diocese in Malawi, August 2025. (Courtesy of Sr. Sandra Ndingwa)

'Visitation' moment leads to joint gathering of congregations

"For the few hours we spent together, the three congregations experienced indescribable bonds, our hearts filled with gratitude to those early seeds planted so many years before," writes Sr. Brigit Mathew.

A child on a man's shoulders holds an Indian flag in Attari, Punjab, India, Feb. 13, 2025. (Unsplash/Raju Kumar)

The changing face of India

Children and others smile as they attend a prayer service with Pope Leo XIV at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Muxima in Muxima, Angola, April 19, 2026. (CNS/Lola Gomez)

Sixth Sunday of Easter: A people marked by joy

Editors' Choice

Moses Kelaino (center) and Sr. Stella Cherobon (right) harvest vegetables with another farmer at a demonstration farm in Tuala, Kenya. The project teaches Maasai families climate-resilient farming as drought continues to reshape pastoral life across Kenya’s dry lands. (GSR photo/Doreen Ajiambo)

In Focus

As drought reshapes pastoral life, Maasai communities in Kenya find new resilience

On Kenya's fragile plains south of Nairobi, where drought has killed millions of livestock and hunger is spreading across the dry lands, Maasai farmers and Catholic sisters are reshaping how communities survive.

News

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Sr. Connie Callista, a member of the Holy Cross Sisters of Chavanod, works with children doing indoor training at Trilokpuri, an enclave in East Delhi, India. (Lissy Maruthanakuzhy)

Q&A with Sr. Connie Callista, helping children grow through art

An NGO program uses stage performance and storytelling to help children gain confidence and advocacy skills to address inequity, marginalization, climate change and social injustice.

Dominican Sr. Carol Gilbert, longtime anti-nuclear activist, is seen on screens at the United Nations General Assembly Hall on May 1, 2026, delivering prepared remarks on the need to support the 1970 Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons on behalf of 109 religious groups. (GSR photo/Chris Herlinger)

Nuns join calls for renewed support for anti-nuclear treaty

More than a dozen sister congregations signed onto a public statement to "reaffirm the spirit" of the 1970 Non-Proliferation Treaty as an "urgent and binding commitment."

Silhouette of a woman (GSR graphic/Olivia Bardo)

Inside South Africa's femicide crisis, nuns step in to protect vulnerable girls

Catholic sisters in South Africa are protecting girls, accompanying survivors and challenging the culture of violence that turns homes into danger zones.

Pope Leo XIV waves to those gathered in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican during his weekly general audience May 6, 2026. (CNS/Vatican Media)

Mild-mannered Pope Leo prioritizes a prophetic message of unity and peace

In his first year, Pope Leo XIV has sought to turn unity into the foundation for the church's advocacy on issues of peace and justice.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

After one year, nuns see Pope Leo XIV advancing justice in his own way

For peace activist nuns, Pope Leo's first year affirms anti-war mission

Mild-mannered Pope Leo prioritizes a prophetic message of unity and peace

Feature Series

Theologians' Corner

Welcome to Theologians' Corner, where each week a different woman theologian from around the world offers a fresh reflection on the Sunday readings. Because these reflections come from diverse voices and rich perspectives, they invite readers to see the Gospel in new and deeper ways.
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Sister Advocacy at UN

Global Sisters Report is covering Catholic sisters' advocacy at the United Nations.
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LCWR 2025

The Leadership Conference of Women Religious' annual assembly will take place Aug. 12-15 in Atlanta. 
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Religious Life

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The Presentation Sisters of Africa Province arrive as the Malawi Presentation Sisters welcome them, in Dedza Diocese in Malawi, August 2025. (Courtesy of Sr. Sandra Ndingwa)
Columns

'Visitation' moment leads to joint gathering of congregations

"For the few hours we spent together, the three congregations experienced indescribable bonds, our hearts filled with gratitude to those early seeds planted so many years before," writes Sr. Brigit Mathew.

Pope Leo XIV waves as he arrives to lead his weekly general audience in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican April 29, 2026. (GSR graphic/Olivia Bardo; OSV News photo/Reuters/Remo Casilli)

After one year, nuns see Pope Leo XIV advancing justice in his own way

A year into Leo XIV's papacy, Catholic sisters around the world are celebrating how the first U.S.-born pope is continuing to focus on issues near and dear to them.

Sr. Ana María Palomino, of the Missionary Sisters of the Immaculate Virgin Mary and St. Catherine of Siena, talks to a group of women in Huánuco, Perú March 20, 2026. Palomino, is the vice president of Ecclesial Conference of the Amazon, and participated in the gathering focused on Indigenous women leaders from the Amazon. (GSR photo/Rhina Guidos)

Monday Starter: Peru gathering of Indigenous women and sister defends Amazon

Plus, LCWR assembly will include a large group of leadership from the Latin American conference, and sisters continue to protest in Washington.

Left: U.S. President Donald Trump speaks with reporters outside the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, April 13, 2026 (OSV News/Reuters/Jonathan Ernst). Right: Pope Leo XIV waves as he attends a Meeting for Peace at St. Joseph's Cathedral in Bamenda, Cameroon, April 16, 2026 (OSV News/Reuters/Guglielmo Mangiapane).

Monday Starter: Leadership of US nuns stands with Pope Leo against Trump's attacks

Plus, the International Union of Superiors General collaborates on a webinar on the spiritual implications of AI. Dominican sisters in the U.S. offer an immersion experience for those contemplating joining.

Community News

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INDIA: Don Bosco Kuthenkuly establishes eco-infrastructure thanks to donor funding from Salesian Missions

May 11, 2026
Students benefit from scholarship-through-work program. 

Summer Read Webinar

June 16 and August 18
This summer, the Religious Formation Conference (RFC) invites you to slow down, reflect, and ente

Little Sisters of the Poor Service Week in Gallup New Mexico

June 7 to 13th
Assisting Residents, spending time with the Little Sisters
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Ministry

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Silhouette of a woman (GSR graphic/Olivia Bardo)

Inside South Africa's femicide crisis, nuns step in to protect vulnerable girls

Catholic sisters in South Africa are protecting girls, accompanying survivors and challenging the culture of violence that turns homes into danger zones.

Sr. Maria Madelene Le Thi Bich offers Bibles to newcomers to the group of former sisters in Hue, Vietnam, on Sept. 14, 2025. (Joachim Pham)

After leaving religious life, Vietnamese women find new vocations

In Vietnam, where religious life is highly respected and often tied to family honor, women who leave convents can face emotional pain, social stigma and economic uncertainty.

Sr. Gracia L. Suparti of the Daughters of Charity gets ready for a home visit. In 2019, Suparti founded the Migrant Family Association in Garum, a small sub-district near Blitar's capital, to help migrant families with their expenses and navigate poverty-related issues. (Courtesy of the Daughters of Charity)

Indonesian nuns help migrant families emerge from poverty

"Each family that moves out of poverty is a success story," said Sr. Cicilia Susi Indrayani of the Daughters of Charity.

Vilnius' hospice stands as a living work of Divine Mercy as city prepares to host global congress

Thousands of pilgrims are expected to gather in June in the Lithuanian capital for the sixth World Apostolic Congress on Mercy, or WACOM, a five-day event that has previously been held in cities such as Rome, Kraków, Bogota and Manila.

GSR in the Classroom

Youth in a classroom raising their hands to answer questions

The project shines light on the mission and ministry of Catholic women religious around the world.

Each lesson connects articles about sisters or columns written by sisters to the good news found in scripture and church teaching. Action ideas and compelling prayer bring new learning alive. Teacher guides provide vital context and engaging activities to launch group discussions.