Dan Stockman

"She had a huge heart when it came to people in need." A Sister of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Sr. Carolyn Farrell broke ground in 1980 as the first woman religious to serve as the mayor of a U.S. city.

Sr. Judy Zielinski speaks about writing and producing an hourlong documentary that tells the little-known story of the second half of Black Elk's life, the decades that prompted his cause for sainthood.

With other ministries shut down to prevent the spread of COVID-19, U.S. sisters are focused on food assistance during a time of increased need because of job losses and other disruptions.

Since 1993, Sr. M. Elise Kriss has served as president for the University of St. Francis in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Before her June 30 retirement, she reflected with GSR on the university's growth.

Instead of selling off 25 acres of prime urban real estate, the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph in New Orleans went ahead with a visionary architect's plan to manage stormwater.

New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan is hearing from some sisters in congregational leadership, who worry that his open admiration of President Trump communicates wider approval on behalf of the Catholic Church.

Cycling with Sisters, a series of bike rides to draw attention to the social justice work of Catholic women religious, is canceling or postponing most of its schedule because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The congregational leader of the Sisters of Charity of St. Augustine says promoting participation in the decennial count is one of the most important things she's ever done.

Some Catholic women religious from around the world shared with GSR how they are observing Holy Week in a time when mass gatherings are prohibited and social distancing is the new normal.

On any given night in the United States, 41,000 unaccompanied youth ages 13-25 are without a home. And on all of those nights, Catholic women religious are working to shelter them, feed them, and protect them.

COVID-19, the infection caused by the new coronavirus sweeping the planet, is causing chaos, but Catholic women religious and the organizations they created or run are at the forefront of efforts to mitigate that and provide care.

"It's an endless call," said Sr. Deborah Borneman, director of mission integration for the National Religious Vocation Conference. She said a significant finding of the 2020 study was what new entrants did not care about: the size or geographic location of the community they were entering or the age of current members.

"We have all these symbols of separation to represent our life of prayer, but those that need it find their way in, believe me," says Sr. Marcia Kay LaCour, abbess of the Poor Clares in Spokane, Washington.

Emerging Communities - Meet the Carmelite Sisters of Mary, the Sisters of Life and The Order of St. Benedict-Petersham, all official religious institutes, defined as a community whose members make public vows.

• The entire four-part series can be found here.

Emerging Communities – The origins of three public associations of the faithful involve individuals who listened to God's call and followed their own respective journeys.

Emerging Communities - Groups like the Confraternity of Penitents, the Dwelling Place, and Sisters for Christian Community seek to draw their lay members closer to God in ways "designed for secular living."

Global Sisters Report introduces a four-part series on religious communities created after the Second Vatican Council; these groups may offer hints about what lies ahead for religious life.

Cycling With Sisters is back with a series of rides of various lengths planned this summer in various locations, spreading the fun and health aspects of bike riding.

The tornadoes that roared across Tennessee March 3 left at least 25 people dead, with dozens still missing. Some homes were ripped down to their foundations and four Catholic churches were damaged.

Now called Catholic Sisters Week, the sixth annual celebration of Catholic women religious has more than 50 events planned to share more broadly the traditions and charisms of religious life.