Translated by Sr. Mary Rose Kocab, OVISS

Sr. Elsa Porcario finds in the Virgin Mary a steadfast spiritual presence in her consecrated life. After serving as a missionary and formator in the Congregation of Our Lady of the Rosary in Buenos Aires, Argentina, she embarked on a new path as a Servant of the Poor. In Mary, she discovers the strength to navigate uncertainty, fear and solitude, learning to trust, hope and love without knowing what lies ahead.

Sr. Leticia Gutiérrez, director of the El Paso Diocese's Hospitality Ministry for Migrants, shares how the Scalabrinian sisters and lay volunteers support migrants entering the U.S. through treacherous mountain routes.

In their journey to seek a better future for their families and children, migrant women from Latin America face dangers, abuse and discrimination. Yet, they hold onto hope and navigate challenges, much like the story of Ruth, reflects Sr. María Laura Torres. 

Horizons - A space of welcome and respect provides dignity for older women at a care home run by the Servants of St. Joseph. Sr. Daylenis Lara Rodríguez reflects on how volunteering there has deepened her appreciation for life.

"To be 'life' in the midst of death is, without a doubt, to maintain hope in the presence of so many signs of death, and to accompany a people whom we see dying little by little," writes  Sr. Nadieska Almeida.

A community of Religious of the Sacred Heart of Jesus has been living in El Ejido, a municipality in the Andalusian province of Almeria, for 50 years. The Bantabá project is focused on migrants arriving from many parts of the Mediterranean; practically all the people who come are in an irregular situation in Spain. 

“I was 15 years old, and my mind and heart were full of dreams. That young Marist brother (…) presented us with a Jesus who understood our rebellions, shared our ideals and made them bigger and higher,” writes Sr. Lucía Herrerías.

Sr. Maria E. Mendez Ochoa shares the experience of Sr. Oliva Olivares as she leaves water for migrants crossing the desert through Sásabe, Arizona, the border between Mexico and the U.S. 

The Office of Development and Comprehensive Health for Religious Women in Mexico seeks to address the needs of older religious women, with medical care, geriatric equipment and psychological support.

Ecuador is under the spotlight of the international press because of recent violence linked to drug trafficking. Sr. Maritza Rolón Cevallos talks to GSR about how she confronts this crisis through her prison ministry.

Leaders of migrant shelters in Tijuana say they are enduring violence and organized crime. One director, a Catholic sister, told GSR her shelter had to change its facilities and "close everything" to keep migrants safe.

Sr. Dora Estela Tupil May connects her Christian spirituality with that of her Mayan ancestors, expressed in the Heart of Heaven and the Heart of the Earth. 

In the midst of fear, uncertainty and persecution under a nefarious dictatorship, we try to continue to announce, with our lives, the presence of Jesus, who is also a witness of this very harsh reality.

The only way to achieve a good and truly human life in a place like the Andes mountains, far from the cities that have more resources, is the support and protection of the community. 

The Latin American sisters' encounter with Pope Francis transformed my life, just as the encounter with Jesus did for Peter, James and John on Mount Tabor on the day of the Lord's transfiguration.

Sometimes, in religious life, we feel discouragement, fear, and insecurity about the future. But Sarah, Elizabeth and the prophetess Anna, old women with barren "wombs," are signs of hope for religious life today, centuries later.

The Nicaraguan church is living in an apocalyptic time of constant struggle and resistance to keep our faith and convictions alive and strong. Yet we continue to trust and believe that we are not alone.