Catholic Sisters Week is March 8-14, 2022. We are honored to celebrate women religious who advance the Reign of God through lives of prayerful service. For decades, sisters have studied with the Loyola Institute for Ministry to enrich their spiritual lives and advance their skills for ministry to make a difference in the Church and world.
Resources for Celebrating Catholic Sisters Week
Films about Sisters Airing for CSW
The Loyola Institute for Ministry has collaborated with Salt + Light Media to produce two documentary series about sisters (Sisterhood, 2017, and As I Have Done, 2019). You can stream these films here:
In the New Orleans area, you can watch As I Have Done on WLAE-TV (each at 9:30am CST):
03/13/22 - Episode 1
03/20/22 - Episode 2
03/27/22 - Episode 3
You can read LIM Project Manager Sarah DeMarais's reflections on As I Have Done at the Salt + Light Blog and the Clarion Herald.
Lesson Plans for High School Theology Teachers
As I Have Done has accompanying free and downloadable lesson plans for high school theology teachers.
Additional Videos to Stream
These short videos highlighting the charisms and ministries of sisters were produced by Salt + Light Media in partnership with LIM:
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These Vocations videos invite vocations to the seven congregations featured in Sisterhood.
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These short videos highlight how congregations in East Africa promote sustainable development through their ministries.
Global Sisters Report
Global Sisters Report features news about sisters and those they serve. You can read articles written by LIM students about empowering women with sustainability projects, engaging the families of vulnerable boys, advancing child protection in a country recovering from conflict, and advocating against domestic violence.
Catholic Sisters Week Events
Find events to participate in at the official Catholic Sisters Week website.
Grant Projects in Support of Catholic Sisters
Since 2014, LIM's education for sisters has been supported by three grants through the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation's Catholic Sisters' Initiative:
Communicating Charism (2014-2017): built social media and leadership capacity among members of seven communities of women religious in the U.S., East and West Africa, and Asia
Catholic Sisters in Partnership for Sustainability (2017-2020): increased East African sisters' skills for leadership and capacity to build partnerships that promote sustainable development
Living Charisms for Sustainable Human Development (2020-2022): empowers sisters in Eastern and Southern Africa to connect their ministries to action for human development via Catholic social teaching, to understand the transformative character of congregational charisms more deeply, and to lead and to partner with others for human development
At the project webpages, linked above, you can learn more about these grants and sisters' ministries.
Student Spotlights
Learn more about Catholic sisters who have studied with LIM:
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Sr. Anne Wandia Mbithi, FMSA (South Sudan) leads diocese-wide child protection efforts, and with Sr. Leonidah Mokua, ministers to internally displaced persons
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Sr. Maureen Ann Wanyora, IBVM (Kenya) reflects on a spirituality of partnership
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Sr. Jackline Mwongela, IBVM (Kenya) advocates for vulnerable boys and their families
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Sr. Charity Bbalo, RSHS (Zambia) teaches widows' group how to care for creation, inspired by Pope Francis
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Sr. Mary Dolores Urassa, CDNK (Tanzania) presents at the University of Notre Dame about coming to see herself as an agent of transformation in service of the poor
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Sr. Avelina Kimaryo, Grail (Tanzania) leverages her LIM-inspired partnership to save lives of women and their babies with a new surgical unit
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Sr. Teresia Mbugua, CPS (Tanzania) mobilizes novices to advocate for an end to domestic violence
How to Connect
To learn more about the Loyola Institute for Ministry, our projects with Catholic sisters, or other study opportunities in theology and ministry, contact Project Manager Sarah DeMarais at scdemara@loyno.edu.
If you are a current or former project participant, we would love to hear your updates! Contact Sarah at any time to connect with your Loyola network.