On September 2, Sr. Isabel Solá Matas left a bank in the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince with money in her purse. Although accounts differ on where Solá, 51, was headed, the Spanish member of the Congregation of the Religious of Jesus and Mary never got there. She was shot during a robbery as her SUV sat in traffic.
Eleven sisters make up the Migrant Project/Sicily, a program founded by the International Union Superiors General (UISG) in Rome to aid migrants in Sicily by developing one-on-one relationships with them and helping them assimilate to their new home. About half a year into their mission, the sisters , from eight countries and eight congregations, have witnessed first-hand the motivations and frustrations of people coming from Africa looking for a better life.
When a new social media platform or a new feature emerges, we can discern if and how we want to use it by asking ourselves how it can serve to develop and deepen relationships in our lives, missions, and ministries.
A significant majority of U.S. Americans believe Catholic women religious are trustworthy and that their work is important, but many also believe most wear habits, live in seclusion and that their work has little or no impact on non-Catholics, a new study shows.
"Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."
With a large tapestry bearing the portrait of the woman known as the "Saint of the Gutters" suspended above him, Pope Francis proclaimed the sainthood of Mother Teresa of Kolkata, hailing her courage and love for people who live in poverty. Despite the formality of the occasion though, "her sanctity is so close to us, so tender and fruitful, that spontaneously we will continue to call her 'Mother Teresa,'" Pope Francis said to applause at the canonization Mass Sept. 4.
See for Yourself: Could the secret to maintaining certain mental health be in avoiding too much routine?
Lately, falling has been on my mind. The season for this is approaching, as leaf after leaf will soon let go and make its journey downwards, trusting the winds to take them where they need to go. I have been thinking about the sensation of falling, but not for the reasons you might expect.
"As to my calling, I belong to the world. As to my heart, I belong entirely to the Heart of Jesus."
The Holy See mission to the U.N. and ADF International, a religious freedom advocacy organization, are sponsoring a two-part celebration of Mother Teresa and her work during the week following her Sept. 4 canonization and in anticipation of the 70th anniversary of the founding of the Missionaries of Charity on Sept. 10.