Sisters help survivors of Nigeria's farmer-herder conflict reclaim spiritual lives

Sr. Mary Ojonugwa Unwuchola interacts with survivors at the International Market Camp for internally displaced people in Makurdi, Benue State, Nigeria. Unwuchola listens to survivors' concerns, prays with them, offers encouragement, and spends time with them, giving them hope for a better tomorrow. (John Chukwu)

In camps in Benue State, Sr. Mary Ojonugwa Unwuchola and other Nigerian sisters console displaced survivors grieving lost loved ones and lost homes. She does not offer easy answers, but presence, prayer and acts of care.

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Sisters of the Good Shepherd from all provinces — Mid-North America, Central South and New York-Toronto — gather in St. Louis, Missouri, during their regional meeting in October 2024. (Courtesy of Monique Tarabeh)

The grace of coming together as Sisters of the Good Shepherd

Horizons

Horizons - Across our communities, the word "restructuring" has taken root. At first, it might have sounded administrative or organizational, but for us, it has become something sacred, writes Monique Tarabeh.

The Cluny sisters offer literacy and education programs for local children in Papua New Guinea. Education was unavailable when the sisters first arrived, so they started a school. Once the students were ready, they were trained as teachers, and they now teach in the 12 schools. (Courtesy of Sylvian Aua)

In remote Papua New Guinea, Cluny Sisters provide education and health care

Listen to the cries of the marginalized and the earth to transform the system

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Editors' Choice

Courtyard surrounded by open arched windows

In Focus

The urgent need for systematic safeguarding in religious communities

Religious communities cannot claim moral authority while failing to protect their own members from harm.

News

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A farmer in Turkana County, Kenya, shows crops grown on his land. Sisters of Mercy operate a skills training center and health center in the area, providing practical skills and hope for people affected by drought.(Gitonga Njeru)

Catholic nuns combat psychological toll of climate change on rural Kenyan communities

 The sisters' work had always been about care. But the climate crisis demanded a new approach. They were not just feeding bodies; they were nourishing souls. 

Catholic coalition holds nationwide prayer vigils at ICE offices

A coalition of Catholic organizations held prayer vigils across the country on Oct. 22 for what organizers called "a national day of public witness for our immigrant brothers and sisters."

Sr. Mary Ojonugwa Unwuchola interacts with survivors at the International Market Camp for internally displaced people in Makurdi, Benue State, Nigeria. Unwuchola listens to survivors' concerns, prays with them, offers encouragement, and spends time with them, giving them hope for a better tomorrow. (John Chukwu)

Sisters help survivors of Nigeria's farmer-herder conflict reclaim spiritual lives

In camps in Benue State, Sr. Mary Ojonugwa Unwuchola and other Nigerian sisters console displaced survivors grieving lost loved ones and lost homes. She does not offer easy answers, but presence, prayer and acts of care.

Religious Sisters of Charity Sr. Edidiong Etim, prison chaplain, talks with inmates at the Kirikiri Correctional Facilities in Lagos, Nigeria. The Religious Sisters of Charity teach inmates how to produce creams, candles, perfume and liquid soap as part of their ministry to help them reintegrate into society upon release. (Courtesy of Edidiong Etim)

Sisters in Nigeria empower inmates through hands-on vocation training

The prison ministry of the Religious Sisters of Charity in Lagos has provided tools to help people reintegrate into society. 

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

Q & A with Sr. Debra Sciano, former state district attorney, now president-elect of LCWR

Nigerian Catholics bring comfort and care to displaced survivors of violence

Sr. Rosa Cadavid accompanies Colombian women seeking truth of loved ones' fate

Feature Series

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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Out of the Shadows: Confronting Violence Against Women

"Out of the Shadows: Confronting Violence Against Women" is a yearlong Global Sisters Report series on the ways Catholic sisters are responding to this global phenomenon.
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Religious Life

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Sisters of the Good Shepherd from all provinces — Mid-North America, Central South and New York-Toronto — gather in St. Louis, Missouri, during their regional meeting in October 2024. (Courtesy of Monique Tarabeh)
Columns

The grace of coming together as Sisters of the Good Shepherd

Horizons - Across our communities, the word "restructuring" has taken root. At first, it might have sounded administrative or organizational, but for us, it has become something sacred, writes Monique Tarabeh.

Novices attend a lecture at the novice school Effata in Lviv, Ukraine. (Courtesy of Scholastica Oleksandra Hulivata)
Columns

Young consecrated offer hope for Ukraine

"[They] can be the answer for those who have suffered the most from the war in Ukraine, who have lost all hope for peace and justice," writes Sr. Scholastica Oleksandra Hulivata.

Sr. Lismy Parayil with her camera during a film shoot. (Courtesy of Lismy Parayil)
Columns

'A rosary in one hand, a camera in the other': My journey of faith, art and media

My hope is that through every frame I capture and every story I tell, others may see not just a sister with a camera, but my heart trying to reflect the love of Christ, writes the "Camera Nun" Sr. Lismy Parayil.

Study into sexual abuse of women religious sheds light on spiritual abuse

The first research study into the sexual abuse of women religious in German-speaking countries has shown a common pattern of spiritual abuse with global cases and highlighted that the majority of abuse is perpetrated by men, although some sisters were abused also by women superiors.

Community News

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ZAMBIA: St. John Bosco Church completes construction project with donor funding from Salesian Missions

Oct. 21, 2025
Grotto improvements help accommodate parishioners.

KENYA: Don Bosco Makuya replaces school roof thanks to donor funding from Salesian Missions

Oct. 20, 2025
Removal of asbestos makes school safer for students, staff.

WORLD FOOD DAY: Salesian Missions highlights farming and feeding programs

Oct. 16, 2025
Feeding programs essential part of many Salesian schools, centers.
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Ministry

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Sr. Mary Ojonugwa Unwuchola interacts with survivors at the International Market Camp for internally displaced people in Makurdi, Benue State, Nigeria. Unwuchola listens to survivors' concerns, prays with them, offers encouragement, and spends time with them, giving them hope for a better tomorrow. (John Chukwu)

Sisters help survivors of Nigeria's farmer-herder conflict reclaim spiritual lives

In camps in Benue State, Sr. Mary Ojonugwa Unwuchola and other Nigerian sisters console displaced survivors grieving lost loved ones and lost homes. She does not offer easy answers, but presence, prayer and acts of care.

The Cluny sisters offer literacy and education programs for local children in Papua New Guinea. Education was unavailable when the sisters first arrived, so they started a school. Once the students were ready, they were trained as teachers, and they now teach in the 12 schools. (Courtesy of Sylvian Aua)
Columns

In remote Papua New Guinea, Cluny Sisters provide education and health care

Living in remote regions of a country with limited access to resources and high rates of gender-based violence is difficult, but in Papua New Guinea, the St. Joseph Sisters of Cluny are up for the challenge.

Religious Sisters of Charity Sr. Edidiong Etim, prison chaplain, talks with inmates at the Kirikiri Correctional Facilities in Lagos, Nigeria. The Religious Sisters of Charity teach inmates how to produce creams, candles, perfume and liquid soap as part of their ministry to help them reintegrate into society upon release. (Courtesy of Edidiong Etim)

Sisters in Nigeria empower inmates through hands-on vocation training

The prison ministry of the Religious Sisters of Charity in Lagos has provided tools to help people reintegrate into society. 

Fr. Remigius Ihyula accompanies internally displaced persons at the Uikpam camp in Benue State, Nigeria. Since 2017, Ihyula has responded to Benue's worsening humanitarian crisis, making the camps his second parish and offering pastoral care and counseling to traumatized survivors. (John Chukwu)

Nigerian Catholics bring comfort and care to displaced survivors of violence

Nigeria's Benue State has been torn by the farmer-herder crisis, and farming communities have endured brutal attacks. In the Makurdi Diocese, Fr. Remigius Ihyula and Sr. Mary Ojonugwa Unwuchola care for traumatized survivors.

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.