Nuns in Cuba struggle to sustain ministries as fuel shortages deepen humanitarian crisis

People transport containers of water in Havana June 3, 2026. (AP/Ramon Espinosa)

"For a religious sister, living in Cuba today means navigating and taking on a series of structural and economic challenges that require an enormous capacity for adaptation and resilience," Sr. Noemy Ayala said.

Most Recent

Latest Columns

Silhouette of a person sitting on a hill looking at the Milky Way galaxy (Unsplash/Clement Duguerre)

Teilhard de Chardin points to what Pope Leo missed in 'Magnifica Humanitas'

What does it mean to be human in the age of artificial intelligence? The answer Magnifica Humanitas gives — remain — is too small for the tradition it invokes and for the moment it addresses, says Sr. Ilia Delio.

A community member receives food after redeeming her voucher at a distribution center in the village of Masera, Zimbabwe, Dec. 2, 2024. (OSV News/Catholic Relief Services/Dooshima Tsee)

Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ: Not enough bread, and yet enough

"Mary Magdalene," circa 1530, by Jan van Scorel (Artvee)
Horizons

As whisperers of hope, women communicate peace

Editors' Choice

Silhouette of a woman (GSR graphic/Olivia Bardo)

In Focus

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.

News

View all News
Mary Magdalene Vu Thi Tue (center, in denim jacket) sells fish to customers in Quang Tri, Vietnam, on April 22, 2026. At left is the fishing boat her family recently repaired after years of abandonment following the Formosa disaster. (Reporter in Vietnam)

Vietnamese sisters help survivors of Formosa environmental disaster rebuild lives

Ten years after the environmental disaster that devastated Vietnam's central coast and affected thousands of fishing families, women religious focus on livelihoods, accompaniment and long-term healing.

Meet the the only congregation of nuns with Down syndrome: Little Sisters, Disciples of the Lamb

What began with one woman's rejected vocation has grown into a unique contemplative community in rural France: the Little Sisters, Disciples of the Lamb, the world's only congregation that includes sisters with Down syndrome.

People transport containers of water in Havana June 3, 2026. (AP/Ramon Espinosa)

Nuns in Cuba struggle to sustain ministries as fuel shortages deepen humanitarian crisis

"For a religious sister, living in Cuba today means navigating and taking on a series of structural and economic challenges that require an enormous capacity for adaptation and resilience," Sr. Noemy Ayala said.

Allen Sánchez, president of the nonprofit CommonSpirit St. Joseph's Children, speaks about the sainthood cause of Sr. Blandina Segale of the Sisters of Charity, June 1 in Santa Fe, New Mexico, in front of a convent named for Segale. (Courtesy of the Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati)

Wild West nun who faced down a lynch mob and set up hospitals nears sainthood

Sr. Blandina Segale, of the Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati, is one step closer to sainthood. In the 1800s she worked for peace and justice in frontier communities.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

Catholic sisters push Palantir on human rights as faith leaders rally in New York

Inside a Benedictine monastery, nuns raise lambs whose wool is for the pope

Nuns gather in support of 50th anniversary of Women's Ordination Conference

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.
READ ALL ARTICLES

Sister Advocacy at UN

Global Sisters Report is covering Catholic sisters' advocacy at the United Nations.
READ ALL ARTICLES

LCWR 2025

The Leadership Conference of Women Religious' annual assembly will take place Aug. 12-15 in Atlanta. 
READ ALL ARTICLES
View all Feature Series

Religious Life

View all in Religious Life
The new Italian documentary film "Agnus Dei" follows the Benedictine sisters in Rome who care for two lambs whose wool becomes part of a papal vestment — a centuries-old tradition. The lambs' principal caretaker is Sr. Vincenza Portaluri, shown here with the animals. (Riccardo Ghilardi)

Inside a Benedictine monastery, nuns raise lambs whose wool is for the pope

A new Italian documentary, "Agnus Dei," follows the Benedictine sisters who care for two lambs whose wool becomes part of a vestment for the pope and archbishops — a centuries-old tradition.

A painting on the ceiling of St. Catherine Church in Spring Lake, New Jersey, depicts the Holy Spirit descending upon the apostles. (CNS/Octavio Duran)
Columns

Monastic life carries the genetic code of Pentecost

Horizons - Monasticism is an attempt to embody in the most radical way the ideal that was manifested in the first Jerusalem community immediately after the descent of the Holy Spirit.

Attendees at the Women's Ordination Conference's 50th anniversary celebration wave multi-colored stoles May 22 in Detroit. (GSR photo/Dan Stockman)

Nuns gather in support of 50th anniversary of Women's Ordination Conference

"We're seeing more religious communities publicly stand true to their values," said executive director Kate McElwee. "We're grateful for those who have been bold and support the conference publicly, and we know many others are praying for us."

Sisters pray in the chapel at the Monastery of the Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration in Mymensingh, Bangladesh. (Justin Gomes)

Dwindling vocations strain Bangladesh's cloistered convents

Two decades ago, the Monastery of the Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration in Mymensingh, northern Bangladesh, had about 50 nuns. Today, only 20 remain.

Community News

Ministry

View all in Ministry
Mary Magdalene Vu Thi Tue (center, in denim jacket) sells fish to customers in Quang Tri, Vietnam, on April 22, 2026. At left is the fishing boat her family recently repaired after years of abandonment following the Formosa disaster. (Reporter in Vietnam)

Vietnamese sisters help survivors of Formosa environmental disaster rebuild lives

Ten years after the environmental disaster that devastated Vietnam's central coast and affected thousands of fishing families, women religious focus on livelihoods, accompaniment and long-term healing.

A nun distributes Communion during Mass outside the Cathedral of Our Lady of Graces in Ituri, Congo, May 24, 2026, amid a resurgence of Ebola involving the Bundibugyo strain, a rarer variant of the virus with no approved vaccine currently available. (OSV News/Reuters)

Faith under siege: Religious sisters confront Ebola in eastern Congo's war zone

As Ebola spreads through eastern Congo's war-ravaged communities, religious sisters confront fear and deepening suffering while struggling to protect displaced families living in overcrowded churches and camps.

The Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Sisters' convent shares food and resources for poor and marginalized families in Dedza, Malawi. (Courtesy of Jacinta Chiwayu)
Columns

From village to village, we share food and pray with suffering Malawians

In Malawi, families have been left without food after recent years of drought and cyclones. Responding with a traveling feeding program, Presentation Sisters have become more deeply aware of communities' struggles.

Sr. Mary Monica Amollo Owuor provides therapy support to a child at Sigomere Small Home in Siaya County, western Kenya. Many residents have living parents, but were abandoned due to poverty and stigma. (GSR photo/Doreen Ajiambo)

Kenyan sisters care for disabled children abandoned due to poverty and stigma

At a Catholic-run home in western Kenya, sisters take in children with severe disabilities who have living parents, meeting needs that persist even as Kenyan care reforms aim to prioritize family-based support.

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.