Sacred Heart Sisters in India counsel wounded hearts

Sacred Heart Sr. Treesa Palackal, founder of Hrudayaram, a counseling center managed by the Sacred Heart Sisters at Kannur, conducts an empowerment camp on Aug. 8, 2019, for children of Puthumala, a village devastated by a landslide earlier that year. (Courtesy of Rincy Augustine)

 "We combine scientific counseling with a deeply human approach. We walk with them, step by step, toward healing," said Sr. Rincy Augustine, Hrudayaram's director.

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In Focus

Sisters find creativity is key in converting land, buildings

When it comes to unneeded buildings and property with built-in challenges, such as out of the way locations or buildings too expensive to heat and maintain but not worth renovating, sisters find new ways to make them useful.

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Physical therapy student Major Kelley, left, and physical therapy instructor Michelle Keller assist Stepping Stone resident Marlin Chase. (Courtesy of Sr. Idelle Badt)

Benedictine sisters' respite center helps heal people who are homeless

Sr. Idelle Badt noticed that when people who are homeless are discharged from hospitals, "they're going to end up right back in the hospital or sicker than they were because they're still too ill to recover on the street."

Sr. Shuly Rozario poses for a photo at the Missionary Sisters of the Immaculate Provincial House in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on March 26, 2026. (Sumon Corraya)

Q&A with Bangladeshi Sr. Shuly Rozario on missionary life in Brazil

Sr. Shuly Pascalina Rozario, a Missionary Sister of the Immaculate, serves as a parish-level coordinator in Parintins, a town near the Amazon River in Brazil. 

Sacred Heart Sr. Treesa Palackal, founder of Hrudayaram, a counseling center managed by the Sacred Heart Sisters at Kannur, conducts an empowerment camp on Aug. 8, 2019, for children of Puthumala, a village devastated by a landslide earlier that year. (Courtesy of Rincy Augustine)

Sacred Heart Sisters in India counsel wounded hearts

 "We combine scientific counseling with a deeply human approach. We walk with them, step by step, toward healing," said Sr. Rincy Augustine, Hrudayaram's director.

Pope Leo XIV receives a photo collage from Senegalese migrant Theodor Faye at the "Las Raices" migrant center in Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain, June 12, 2026. (OSV News/Borja Suarez)

Pope Leo directs message to migrant traffickers: 'Stop, repent'

"Every life lost on these routes is a failure for the human family," the pontiff said.

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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 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

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RFC: Part-time Communications Coordinator

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INDIA: Salesian missionaries construct new chapel in Guragalam with donor funding from Salesian Missions

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Chapel impacts community spiritually and socially. 

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Don Bosco Fambul is one of Sierra Leone’s leading child-welfare organizations. 
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Ministry

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Physical therapy student Major Kelley, left, and physical therapy instructor Michelle Keller assist Stepping Stone resident Marlin Chase. (Courtesy of Sr. Idelle Badt)

Benedictine sisters' respite center helps heal people who are homeless

Sr. Idelle Badt noticed that when people who are homeless are discharged from hospitals, "they're going to end up right back in the hospital or sicker than they were because they're still too ill to recover on the street."

Sr. Fransiska "Ika" Imakulata, left, a Missionary Sister Servant of the Holy Spirit and coordinator of TRUK F, speaks with Divine Word Missionary Fr. Laurens Woda. (GSR/Chris Herlinger)

How nuns and priests work together in Indonesia to empower women and children

While reporting in Indonesia, GSR correspondent Chris Herlinger was struck by the strong partnership between sisters and priests working together to support women and children.

Patients soak their foot ulcers before receiving new dressings at the Dhanjuri Leprosy Center in Dinajpur, Bangladesh. Proper hygiene is a critical component of preventing secondary infections in leprosy cases. (Piyas Biswas)

Missionary-launched medical center leads Bangladesh's leprosy fight

Photo essay - The Dhanjuri Leprosy Center has dedicated caregivers, including religious sisters and local medical professionals, providing comprehensive support since 1927.

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.

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.