Photos of the Week

Apostolic Visitation Sisters describe experience in new book In 2008, the Vatican Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life initiated an apostolic visitation to examine the quality of life of women religious in the United States. The final report from the Vatican was released on Dec. 16. A group of sisters in leadership at the time, including Adrian Dominican Sister Pat Walter, OP, wrote about their experience participating in the apostolic visitation. “Power of Sisterhood: Women Religious Tell the Story of the Apostolic Visitation” was announced at a book launch Dec. 8 in Chicago. An article about the book, “Attitude shift: Six years through the Apostolic Visitation,” was published in the National Catholic Reporter’s Global Sisters Report Dec. 10. Articles and links to more information about the apostolic visitation report are available on the Global Sisters Report web site. Above: Sister Pat Walter, OP (second from right), former prioress of the Adrian Dominican Sisters, was part of a panel at the book launch Dec. 8 at Loyola University in Chicago. She wrote a chapter in the book “Power of Sisterhood.” Photo courtesy of Sister Joanne Gallagher, CSJ

Springfield Sister gives invocation at historic cemetery re-dedication Springfield (Illinois) Dominican Sister Philip Neri Crawford, OP delivered the invocation at the re-dedication of the Third Street gateway entrance to Oak Ridge Cemetery, resting place of Abraham Lincoln, on Dec. 3. Two of the Springfield Dominican foundresses, Sisters Josephine Meagher and Rachel Conway, were called upon to unveil the statue at Lincoln’s Tomb on Oct. 14, 1874. The gate has now been recreated to appear as it was during Lincoln’s funeral procession. Watch video of invocation on YouTube

Peace
Sister encounters human trafficking, illegal mining in Peru

Dominican Sister of Peace Susan Leslie, OP, travelled with a delegation of four sisters to Peru in November. She shares the harrowing and thought-provoking story of her personal encounter with the face of human trafficking, and the environmental devastation of illegal mining. “There are connections among illegal mining, destruction of the land, and human trafficking. The primary industry in this area of the country is illegal gold mining. Mining means having to clear the land of vegetation. What was once part of the green Amazon rain forest now appears as a desolate desert wasteland.” Read more

Adrian
Sister Jeri Renner: A vocation story

Sister Jerome Mary (Jeri) Renner, OP (Adrian), lives and ministers in Seattle, Washington. She has worked for more than 60 years in health care, serving as a medical technologist, hospital administrator, and hospital chaplain, most recently for 10 years as director of mission, ethics, and spiritual care at Providence Hospital in Seaside, Oregon. From the article: “Early in religious life, Sister Jeri had a profound experience that might have helped to shape her later ministry. She was a companion to Sister Thomas Aquinas Cowgill, who, at age 33, was dying of cancer. ‘Many nights we broke profound silence so she could talk while she was enduring so much pain,’ Sister Jeri recalled.” Read more

Faith and Film
The Theory of Everything

“The Theory of Everything” tells the story of the marriage between the brilliant British physicist Stephen Hawking (Eddie Redmayne), and his wife, Jane (Felicity Jones). The film is a testament to the strength of the love between Stephen and Jane. The screenplay, written by Anthony McCarten, is based on Jane Hawking’s memoir. Read review by Tom Condon, OP

Previous updates: