Pope Francis, history's first pontiff from the Global South, has died at age 88 following a monthslong respiratory illness, setting the stage for a high-stakes secretive election to determine his successor.
Religious life is full of lessons that shape and transform us over time. This month, we asked panelists: What is something you have learned in your religious life that you wished you had learned sooner?
Missionary Sisters of Santo Domingo in the municipality of Kimbanseke in Kinshasa, the Congolese capital, fell victim to the attack on March 18. The attackers smashed the wall of the congregation's residence to gain entry.
The communities at Assumption Abbey, the Monastery of St. Joseph, home to the Benedictines of Mary, Queen of the Apostles, and Nazareth Hermitage all left their properties in the early afternoon of March 19 as wildfires inched dangerously close.
From A Nun's Life podcasts - If a younger woman has a vocation to religious life, is that a problem for the community she joins — which likely skews older — or a blessing for everyone? The nuns discuss!
The monastic life may seem predictable, safe and structured, but in reality, it can be just as challenging as a barren wasteland. When we remain in one place long enough, we cannot hide from ourselves or from others.
"The women religious in India have faced gender discrimination and sexual abuses that have caused mental health challenges for many, driving some to suicide," said Sr. Molly Mathew, who coordinates the program to revise formation curricula.
"I hope that in my joyful witness of what a relationship with God can look like, I can perhaps inspire others to look at a relationship with God in their own life," says Miriam Marston, a consecrated virgin of the Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon.
