Dan Stockman

"Everybody's thinking of this election in apocalyptic terms," but whatever the results, Americans need to find an antidote to division. And politicians won't solve all problems, several sisters told GSR.

The monthlong Nuns on the Bus tour emphasized that who Americans vote for matters. Speakers highlighted this message in a national rally and an evening town hall that concluded the virtual tour.

With themes "broad enough to encompass all of the Christian life," the Called and Consecrated curriculum for middle and high school religion classes is also a way for students to encounter sisters.

Their close connection to people, accessible even during the pandemic, makes Catholic sisters adept at signing up new voters. GSR talks to sisters in Ohio, Texas, Pennsylvania, Kansas and elsewhere about their ongoing work in voting rights.

Though the U.S.-based Sisters of St. Casimir look to Lithuania as their roots, their congregation was actually founded first, and provided friendship as the Lithuanian branch survived decades of communist rule.

Saying they could not stay silent, the Nuns on the Bus began their virtual tour of the country Sept. 23 with a range of speakers talking about the need for a government that serves everyone.

GSR Today - Cycling with Sisters, planned as a series of bike rides to draw attention to the social justice work of Catholic women religious, had to be adjusted for COVID-19. I was on the first, and the second of 2020's two rides is a 15-miler Oct. 3 on Prince Edward Island, Canada.

Network, a Catholic social justice lobby, announced that the 2020 Nuns on the Bus tour is Sept. 23 to Oct. 23 and entirely in cyberspace because of coronavirus precautions. Live events and site visits are still a core feature, and anyone can participate. 

Citing the centrality of collegiality in decision making, the Vatican's Congregation for Religious issued a letter July 1 clarifying rules for religious communities during the pandemic.

The collaboration and friendship between the Sisters of the Holy Family in New Orleans and the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, Pennsylvania, began in 1921 and has endured across distance and racial lines.

For Chicago Benedictine Sr. Vivian Ivantic, these times are not unprecedented. As a small child, she lost a grandmother to the 1918 flu pandemic. This year, she had COVID-19 in April and recovered.

A Place to Call Home - Mercy Housing grew from managing an initial 310 units in Omaha in the 1980s to now serving nearly 50,000 residents across the U.S. A new strategic plan developed, focused on making residents' needs the heart of everything the organization does. That focus has become more important with the coronavirus pandemic, which worsened just as Mercy Housing was rolling out the strategic plan.

Summer in Milwaukee is the season of beer gardens. And, this year, the School Sisters of St. Francis were not about to let a pandemic keep them from joining the fun. Creative solution? Beer garden in a box to go!

When COVID-19 struck the Felician Sisters' convent in Livonia, Michigan, 13 members died. In many ways, because of restrictions to prevent the virus' return, the surviving sisters' grieving has yet to begin.

Two sisters, recipients of grants from an initiative to give 1,000 sisters $1,000 each to help those in need, gave money to families in Oil City, Pennsylvania, and staffers of a nonprofit service agency in Rhode Island.

Called "Sisters on the Frontlines," the new alliance administered by Catholic Extension was launched June 22 to fund sisters serving those most impacted by COVID-19 and the economic problems it has caused.

"She had a huge heart when it came to people in need." A Sister of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Sr. Carolyn Farrell broke ground in 1980 as the first woman religious to serve as the mayor of a U.S. city.

Sr. Judy Zielinski speaks about writing and producing an hourlong documentary that tells the little-known story of the second half of Black Elk's life, the decades that prompted his cause for sainthood.

With other ministries shut down to prevent the spread of COVID-19, U.S. sisters are focused on food assistance during a time of increased need because of job losses and other disruptions.

Since 1993, Sr. M. Elise Kriss has served as president for the University of St. Francis in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Before her June 30 retirement, she reflected with GSR on the university's growth.