"The climb may be difficult, the sky is witness. One step at a time will I be able to balance and follow the way to an unknown future."

I just read a book that portrayed the 16th century as a dark night of faith, an overlay for our own age. The mystical tradition provides a way forward: I write this as someone who knows darkness as an "old friend" through the insight of John of the Cross.

National Catholic Sisters Week, the annual celebration of women religious, kicks off its fifth year March 8, International Women's Day. This year's iteration includes about 80 events funded by mini-grants to the hosting organizations.

Because of her work trying to counteract the fact that formation programs usually focus on poverty and obedience and have little education on sexuality for the vow of celibate chastity, Sr. Marie-Paul Ross of the Missionary Sisters of the Immaculate Conception was called "the nun from Canada who is speaking clearly and openly about sexuality" — and was called to Rome.

"Is official consecrated life willing to go down from the ship of the conquerors to climb the canoe of the towns and enter fully into the hut of the poor and excluded, with all that this implies?"

At the Confederation of Religious in Latin American and Caribbean's interculturality seminar in Guatemala, women and men religious — indigenous and Afro religious or religious who work with those communities — gathered to discuss concerns involved with blending the best aspects of indigenous and Afro culture with the institutional Catholic Church.

Like the migratory birds that come from all over the world, the 14 nuns of Tautra Mariakloster come from eight different countries. In addition to trying to create unity in the community when we come from such different cultures and backgrounds, our greatest challenge is communication.

The Society of Devapriya Sisters deliver daily meals to 100 elderly people living in poverty, throughout the town of Rajkot. The sisters give each of those in need a meal, along with some dignity and compassion. The ministry addresses a growing trend in Indian society: the elderly destitute, abandoned and living in isolation.

"A life unlike your own can be your teacher."

Misunderstanding the generous service and obedience of women religious leads to their being exploited and underappreciated, according to an investigative report in a Vatican magazine. "Sisters are seen as volunteers that one can have available as one wishes, which gives rise to genuine abuses of power," said a nun identified only as Sister Cecile.