Horizons - This piece is my gesture of gratitude in thanksgiving to God for all the gifts and graces that have come into my life because of Camp Arcadia. Many lessons and skills from there came in handy in the convent.
Pope Francis says that the cry of the poor and cry of the earth are not two separate crises but one. Humanity has made progress in science and technology, but we need a paradigm shift.
Serving in health care for those who have addictions requires faith, courage and compassion. Let us not forget that life in any form is a gift of God; our life is connected to others who could use strength and support.
Today's African children from less privileged backgrounds are on the brink of being deprived of a future, unless the governments and people of goodwill intervene and help them secure it.
Horizons: You have nothing to lose by making hope a practice. In the worst-case scenario, you will have courageously stayed engaged. And you might surprise yourself by helping to chart a better course for humanity.
Laypeople who declare their promise in whatever form to share the respective community's charism also become representatives of the community. Their choices impact the religious with whom they affiliate in a wide range of circumstances.
As a child, I believed the huge church bells were special alarm bells to wake God up from sleep. When I grew up, it was Jesus who woke me up when I was tempted to close my eyes to what was happening in the world.
South Sudanese students who participated in a workshop on trauma showed a high level of confidence and resilience. They are poised to emerge as liberators and co-authors of their destiny.
Horizons - Recently, my congregation invited me to address sisters who were preparing for final vows. I decided to reflect with them on the parable of the good Samaritan as the road map for carrying out our mission.
Contemplate This - As the place of my daily prayer was invaded by the need to fix the mortar of the house I live in, I experienced the wrenching clash of progress, modernity and our intimate connection with nature.
I imagine how the caterpillar feels, floating through space, holding on to its line of silk for dear life, like a bungee jumper. That's rather what it feels like to enter a religious congregation.
My retreats at Holy Cross Abbey in Virginia have made a profound difference in my life. Perhaps sharing my experience might interest others to venture forth on this "road less traveled" retreat at a monastery.
As news of the Hurricane Ian fades from public attention, we cannot forget the long-term suffering left all over Florida. And let us never forget the invisible people who are always among us.
I lost my beloved pet Chloe on Oct. 27, 2021, but she is alive and well in the lessons she taught me. With gratitude to her and to God for the blessing of Chloe, I would like to share those lessons with you.
The pandemic is giving place to serious reflection on our frailty and on our contemporary way of living. We are essentially frail, biologically, intellectually and spiritually. What can make us transcend our frailty?
We are on a single transformative journey as we undergo the epochal change taking place this decade in religious life. It has many dimensions. But it is the same Spirit call to us, to make a vital shift in consciousness.
Since 2016, a water purification system from the Conrad H. Hilton Fund for Sisters has supplied filtered water for about 300 Catholic and non-Catholic citizens in one parish in the Can Tho Diocese in Vietnam.
It's been more than one year since 19 people — laywomen, former religious, religious women and a couple of men — began an adventure. Since then, the Community of Magdala has been growing in depth and in number.