Sister Patricia Stowers, of the Missionary Sisters of the Society of Mary (SMSM) passed away on October 12 at Ste-Foy les Lyon (France), after a long illness. She was an outstanding leader who served the SMSM sisters at the highest level. “Patricia was a Marist woman, a woman of the Church, and a woman of Read more
The leadership group for US nuns says the Vatican report finding they had undermined church teaching is based on “unsubstantiated accusations”. Calling the Vatican’s review process “flawed” and “lacking transparency”, the leadership group said “the sanctions were disproportionate to the concerns raised and could compromise their ability to fulfill their mission.” The nuns said the Vatican’s report Read more
In what is billed as a showdown between the US Catholic nuns and the Vatican, the nuns will meet this week to determine their response to the Vatican’s reprimand. Starting Wednesday (NZ time) the religious women will meet for three days in Washington and intend to plan their move slowly, not rushing to judgment. “The board will Read more
The noble image of nuns as sweet, selfless and courageous “brides of Christ” is merely a way of generating public sympathy in the fight with the Vatican. So says US author, researcher and expert on Religious Life, Donna Steichen. Steichen says this view is being manufactured by sympathetic media, including the Washington Post, Huffington Post Read more
The leader of a group of US nuns criticised by the Vatican last week is hitting back. Sister Simone Campbell, executive director of Network, a Catholic social justice lobby, insists the group would continue “caring for the least among us on the margins of society.” Campbell said that Network, which works with the LCWR and vocally Read more
The Vatican is concerned that the US Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR) has “serious doctrinal problems which may affect many in consecrated life” and is to undergo a forced reform. The announcement, made on April 18 by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, came in an 8 page “doctrinal assessment” based on an investigation by Read more
The Catholic Church should encourage nuns to use the contraceptive pill as a way to reduce the high death rates from breast, ovarian and uterine cancer, say two Australian scientists. They also argue, that according to the Church’s moral guidelines, religious women are free to take the pill for this purpose. As reported by the Guardian, Read more
Every year, hundreds of young Catholic women graduate from universities, graduate programs in religion, divinity schools and seminaries. Many of them go on to be theologians, chaplains, nonprofit leaders, advocates, activists and social workers doing outreach with the homeless, the incarcerated and victims of domestic violence. Their work is not only high-risk, it is often Read more