In Vietnam, where religious life is highly respected and often tied to family honor, women who leave convents can face emotional pain, social stigma and economic uncertainty.
In the face of stigma and silence, Catholic sisters in Indonesia are supporting survivors of domestic violence and trafficking with shelter, advocacy and care.
About 350 people gathered in a park in Dilley, Texas, to walk about two miles to the South Texas Family Residential Center to draw attention to the immigration crisis.
Horizons - In response to collective vulnerability amid the start of the pandemic in 2020, the Sisters of the Lovers of the Holy Cross of Dalat, Vietnam, launched an effort to provide free meals to neighbors in need.
"Even if we step outside this room, there will be medicine right outside the door," says Sr. Lioba Kibor, director of Medicine at Your Door Step, a project of the Missionary Benedictine Sisters in Kenya.
At Mater Christi Human Development and Religious Formation Centre, recovery goes beyond abstinence from drugs. Structure, faith, therapy and skills training prepare clients for life beyond the center's gates.
"This center is about restoring hope where opportunity has been denied, giving marginalized women the means to shape their own future with confidence and faith," said Fr. Asif Sardar, vicar general of the Archdiocese of Lahore.
At the Mater Christi Human Development and Religious Formation Centre, Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Mother of Christ lead an unconventional frontline response to drug addiction among young Nigerians.
Sr. Josephine Adhiambo, a member of the Franciscan Sisters of St. Anne, is a sign language interpreter and tutor who bridges the communication gap between the hearing and the silent community in Kenya.
