The Life

Feature Series page

The Life is a monthly feature about the unique, challenging and very specific lives of women religious around the world. The format is simple: GSR poses a question and publishes responses from several sisters who are part of a panel of 20. Read more about the project.

 

Delving deeper: Sisters on their changing relationship with an amazing, loving God

May 29, 2023
By The Life Panelists

The Life - Our sister panelists delved deep this month as they pondered this question: How has my image of God or Jesus changed throughout my spiritual life?

'Everything is connected': How sisters are responding to the climate crisis

Apr 24, 2023
By The Life Panelists

The Life - In honor of Earth Day on April 22, our sister panelists share what they and their congregations are doing in response to the climate crisis.

Amid darkness of Lent, 'God is bigger than any difficulty'

Mar 27, 2023
By The Life Panelists

The Life – Darkness and despair can overjoy the hope, love and beauty that God creates, sisters say.

The keys to healing and forgiveness: Listen, acknowledge, apologize

Feb 27, 2023
By The Life Panelists

The Life - Panelists say that seeking healing and forgiveness requires humility and compassion. And it can lead to empowerment and liberation.

With our vow of obedience, we make decisions in the light of Christ

By The Life Panelists
Jan 30, 2023

Sisters celebrate Christmas season with music, gifts and traditional rituals

By The Life Panelists
Dec 19, 2022

Advent: 'Moments of waiting that fill the heart with joy'

By The Life Panelists
Nov 28, 2022

Meet the new sisters panel for the sixth year of The Life

By GSR Staff
Nov 28, 2022

Why we stay: 'When my life is aligned with God's will, I am far happier'

By The Life Panelists
Sep 29, 2022

Why we stay: 'I have decided to invest in what does not expire'

By The Life Panelists
Sep 26, 2022

Why we stay: 'I was called by God, and I desire to respond generously'

By The Life Panelists
Sep 01, 2022

Why we stay: 'A journey that stretches far beyond one's life'

By The Life Panelists
Aug 29, 2022

Community life may have rough edges, but together we can gleam with faith

By The Life Panelists
Jul 25, 2022

Looking for new books to read? Try these suggestions from The Life panelists

By The Life Panelists
Jun 27, 2022

Panelists come face-to-face with white supremacy and the sin of racism

By The Life Panelists
May 30, 2022

Panelists reflect on how religious life changed their prayer lives

By The Life Panelists
Apr 25, 2022

Throughout the world, Holy Week and Easter call us to serve the risen Christ

By The Life Panelists
Mar 28, 2022

Surprising novelty of the Spirit upends preconceptions of religious life

By The Life Panelists
Feb 28, 2022

Sisters share: What Scripture passage underlies your consecrated life?

By The Life Panelists
Jan 31, 2022

A call to listen to the Spirit: Sisters embrace the church's synodal process

By The Life Panelists
Dec 27, 2021

Meet the new sisters panel for the fifth year of The Life

By GSR Staff
Nov 29, 2021

The unbreakable promise of Advent brings hope amid suffering

By The Life Panelists
Nov 29, 2021

An international sisterhood: Panelists reflect on a year of writing for The Life

By The Life Panelists
Sep 30, 2021

New visions of religious vows: poverty, chastity, obedience — and more?

By The Life Panelists
Aug 30, 2021

Be a part of the 2021-2022 The Life panel

By GSR Staff
Aug 27, 2021

Catholic sisters embrace the gifts, navigate the pitfalls of social media

By The Life Panelists
Jul 26, 2021

Love with a hundred hearts: How do sisters live the vow of chastity?

By The Life Panelists
Jun 28, 2021

The Life: mentors and moments that moved sisters forward

By The Life Panelists
May 31, 2021

With spiritual motivation, sisters actively care for the Earth

By The Life Panelists
Apr 26, 2021

Dark, transformative 2020 opens opportunity to shape new life: keeping the faith for Easter 2021

By The Life Panelists
Mar 29, 2021

Jesus asks nothing less than to give our whole selves — our best selves

By The Life Panelists
Mar 01, 2021

Go into the world: Sisters find common ground with people of other religions

By The Life Panelists
Jan 25, 2021

Waiting for now: Looking forward to 2021, sisters know prayerful optimism

By The Life Panelists
Dec 28, 2020

Advent's holy season of silence, darkness, waiting gives way to the light of Christmas

By The Life Panelists
Nov 30, 2020

Meet the new sisters panel for the fourth year of The Life

By GSR Staff
Oct 26, 2020

Lessons from religious life: oppression, conflict, babies, noodle cake, flip-flops and pajamas

By The Life Panelists
Oct 26, 2020

GSR's The Life: God's designs were made known

By The Life Panelists
Jul 27, 2020

Directions and decisions: How do general chapters affect sisters' lives?

By The Life Panelists
Jun 29, 2020

Learning from COVID-19 that we are not alone, but there is much separation

By The Life Panelists
May 25, 2020
Justice

With congregation-wide commitments, sisters are active in sustainable living

By The Life Panelists
Apr 27, 2020

In order to be made whole

By The Life Panelists
Mar 30, 2020

A connection of equals: How sisters bridge the age gap

By The Life Panelists
Jan 27, 2020

Sisters celebrate together, as one year flows into the next

By The Life Panelists
Dec 30, 2019

Preparation, details, prayer: Sisters are never alone at death

By The Life Panelists
Nov 25, 2019

Prayer strengthens sisters' ministries and awareness of God's presence

By The Life Panelists
Oct 28, 2019

Sisters are experts in bringing people together

By The Life Panelists
Sep 30, 2019

Sisters count on the 'multiplication factor' of lay partners in their ministries

By The Life Panelists
Aug 26, 2019

Flying joyfully with my sisters: key lessons learned in religious life

By The Life Panelists
Jul 29, 2019

Meet the new sisters panel for the third year of The Life

By GSR Staff
Jul 29, 2019

Think locally, act locally: We are all neighbors

By The Life Panelists
Jun 24, 2019

Legal structures like civil law can strengthen sisters' ministry

By The Life Panelists
May 27, 2019

The Life: In prayer, sisters find the unconditional love of God

By The Life Panelists
Apr 29, 2019

For different times and different cultures, sisters adapt the mission

By The Life Panelists
Mar 25, 2019

Violence is everywhere: This is how Catholic sisters respond

By The Life Panelists
Feb 25, 2019

Sisters share their tactics to thwart human trafficking

By The Life Panelists
Jan 28, 2019

Our lives are mission: Sisters reflect on Pope Francis' call to holiness

By The Life Panelists
Dec 31, 2018

Sisters know what youth need to stay 'in' the church

By The Life Panelists
Nov 26, 2018

When it comes to politics, sisters are dedicated to confronting pervasive structures of oppression

By The Life Panelists
Oct 29, 2018

Including everyone: How sisters go to 'ends of the earth' to share Jesus

By The Life Panelists
Sep 24, 2018

The Life: Ecumenism in experience, sisters share their spiritually enriching encounters

By The Life Panelists
Aug 27, 2018

The Life: It's all about helping women survive and succeed

By The Life Panelists
Jul 30, 2018

Meet new sisters panel for second year of The Life

By GSR Staff
Jun 25, 2018

Down is the new up: learning the lessons of religious life

By The Life Panelists
Jun 25, 2018

A year in The Life: We have interwoven our lives and dreams

By The Life Panelists
May 28, 2018

Spirit's light illuminates congregations' distinct 'facets'

By The Life Panelists
Apr 30, 2018

Education is key to spiritual formation of sisters

By The Life Panelists
Mar 26, 2018

Learning everything again -- and other challenges of religious life

By The Life Panelists
Feb 26, 2018

The spirit of the ministry: community charisms in action

By The Life Panelists
Jan 29, 2018

'God with us': the blessings of Advent and the joys of Christmas

By The Life Panelists
Dec 21, 2017

The Life, at seven months old, keeps on asking questions

By Michele Morek
Dec 21, 2017

The Life: Ministries change, charisms remain vibrant

By The Life Panelists
Nov 27, 2017

Grasping for signs of light: how sisters keep up their spiritual energy

By The Life Panelists
Oct 30, 2017

Collaborating north-to-south, sisters exemplify changing world demographics

By The Life Panelists
Sep 25, 2017

Networking is the new approach to mission

By The Life Panelists
Aug 28, 2017

A day with space to not rush, but to be present

By The Life Panelists
Jul 24, 2017

The Life: Sisters reflect on care for the Earth

By The Life Panelists
Jun 26, 2017

Introducing The Life panel of sisters and a new GSR feature

By Mary Lou Nolan
Jun 23, 2017