The monastery of the Sisters of St. Catherine of Siena in Koblenz, Germany, Kloster Arenberg, is home to 50 Dominican sisters and welcomes seekers of all stripes to their property for various forms of holistic recreation. Sr. Ursula Hertewich, who works there as a spiritual guide for guests, offering one-on-one spiritual counseling appointments, said "wellness," a term that brings to mind concerns about access and privilege, is a word the press has attached to what they're doing in Koblenz, not one they chose for themselves.

My spirit has not been the same since sharing life among the Navajo people. Their love and appreciation of the harmony of all life has found a home within me. 

Notes from the Field - Without the foundational trust necessary for our community to broach these topics of privilege and racism organically or a formal framework for them built into the Loretto Volunteer program, I began to unpack my whiteness and its implications independently.

Prominent U.S. bishops have opposed the Equality Act that's been introduced in Congress, but Network executive director Sr. Simone Campbell says supporting legislation protecting LGBTQ people's civil rights is "a call to love. It's a no-brainer in my book."

The umbrella group representing approximately 450,000 Catholic women religious around the world has elected Polish Sr. Jolanda Kafka, the general superior of the Claretian Missionary Sisters, as its new president. Kafka, who has led her congregation since 2017, takes over UISG leadership from Maltese Sr. Carmen Sammut.

We Sri Lankans collaborate with one another in celebrating each other's religious festivals. But with this violent incident on Easter Sunday, our unity and identity have been tarnished.

All Christians were understood to image Christ: "There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus," as Paul reminds us in the beautiful Galatian baptismal hymn. So what happened? A struggle with the larger patriarchal culture is what happened.

Started in June 2018, the Sowing Hope for the Planet campaign challenged congregations to find ways, both personally and in their communities, to implement the message of the pope's encyclical Laudato Si'. Leading the effort has been Sr. Sheila Kinsey, a member of the Franciscan Sisters, Daughters of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary and executive co-secretary for UISG's Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation Commission. 

After reflection and analysis of both Catholic social teaching and the societal shortcomings in Uganda that enable human trafficking, Catholic sisters resolved to and take action.