Binu Alex

Binu Alex

Binu Alex is a Catholic Church history enthusiast who writes on socioeconomic issues for local communities in India. He also produces video stories and audio podcasts. He can be reached on X @badjourno.

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Srs. Ranit Pallassery, center, poses for a photo with her two supporters, Ancitta Urumbil, left, and Alphy Pallasseril, right. (Binu Alex)

Severed from the diocese, Indian nuns linked to rape case stitch up a safety net

"Collective of survivors of gender-based violence" has become the identity statement of the business three nuns started in India, where they once campaigned against Bishop Franco Mulakkal, accused of rape.

Sr. Jincy Othottil poses for a photo in front of the Chaldean Syrian Higher Secondary School in Kerala, India, where she is the manager. Othottil in 1998 dedicated herself to the lost monastic life in the Chaldean Syrian Church in Kerala. (Binu Alex)

How a nun revived female monasticism in India's Chaldean Church

Sr. Jincy Othottil rebuilt her ancient church's lost monastic tradition, blending Syriac scholarship with orphan care in Kerala. 

Migrant workers work inside a greenhouse at a farm in Pocheon, South Korea, on Feb. 8, 2021. (AP/Ahn Young-joon)

Sisters' initiatives held up as best practices for care of migrants in Asia

Rapid economic growth has driven new migration patterns in Asia, and a report published in 2024 highlights how Catholic sisters are meeting the challenges and opportunities in their work with migrants and refugees.

Sisters and residents discuss plans for a musical at Jyothis Bhavan, a short-stay home in Kochi, southern Kerala, India, for young transgender people hoping to integrate into the social mainstream. (Binu Alex)

Kerala nuns run Jyothis Bhavan, a home for struggling transgender youth

God "does not disown his children": Jyothis Bhavan, a home run by the Congregation of the Mother of Carmel in Kochi, Kerala, India, offers a lifeline to one of society's most marginalized groups.