Pope Francis has proclaimed 2015 as the Year of Consecrated Life. It’s a time for celebrating the work of the religious orders — sisters, brothers, priests — who’ve made their lives a consecration to God and his people.
No one embodies this devotion more than the sisters. They’re the driving force behind most of the initiatives CNEWA donors graciously support. Today, ONE-TO-ONE begins a series of profiles to introduce you to some of these remarkable women and their vital work.
In the countries where CNEWA works, sisters serve in schools, hospitals, orphanages and other works that help people in need. Many sisters work in places where family structures have disintegrated. So, for the children they help, the sisters create that environment — a structure for those who don’t have a family. They feed, house, clothe, educate and care for them so they’re not alone.
In crisis areas, sisters provide food, shelter, clothing, medical care and even psychological help to displaced people. They often have to improvise, and don’t always have the resources they need. But they never discriminate in terms of religious or cultural background. They don’t turn people away.
When you become a novice, you learn about the church’s and your religious order’s practices, which strengthen your relationship with God. Sisters also learn how to minister by working with those already doing it, through hands-on learning in the field as well as through formal education. You live with other sisters. You share your prayers. You share your meals and other aspects of the community’s daily life and ministry.
It’s about simplicity. You give your life to a religious community that professes belief in God and practices works of mercy. From that base, you go out and serve the wider world.
You also learn from the Gospel to treat others as you would be treated — which fits in with the total mission of the church, especially under Pope Francis. It’s not about ritual and bureaucracy. It’s about emphasizing the religious and humanitarian aspects of what we do as a church.
The sisters bring that into everyday life. During the days and weeks ahead, ONE-TO-ONE will show you how they do it. For the church to be alive, we need religious women to continue the faith. Through times of crisis and periods of calm, faith is what endures.
To support the work of sisters around the world, please visit this page.
And be sure to read our first profile, about a young sister in Ethiopia, who is teaching skills that are changing lives.
Brother Gerard Conforti, F.S.C., has a background in education and financial management in New York and Michigan. After working in the Middle East at Bethlehem University, he was invited to join Catholic Near East Welfare Association in New York, where he now serves as Chief Administrative Officer.