Heart to Heart

The Institute of the Missionaries of Jesus Crucified provides a presence of hope and solidarity on the outskirts of Porto Alegre, Brazil, bearing witness to the saying that "home is where the heart is”.

The Sisters of the St. Clare of Assisi Federation of Poor Clares of Umbria and Sardinia recall Mother Clare's insights on the right to own nothing and the duty to obey only God and one’s conscience.

Conrad Hilton is not only known for the hotel chain that bears his name. Because of him, and the legacy he left on his death, thousands, if not millions, of people have been helped through the grants the Hilton Foundation provides to women religious the world over.

Sister Teodora Shulak, Superior General of the Redemptorist sisters, shares her reflections and her interior struggles in the face of Russia's ongoing war in her home country, Ukraine.

From earthquake-ravaged Turkey, a story of love and courage, as a group of nurses in the hospital of Gaziantep risk their lives to protect premature babies.

Jacqui Remond, co-founder of the Laudato si' Movement, encourages us to read the Book of Creation written by God the Father and to recognize the gift of water "in the waterfalls, the gifts of dew and droplet, to praise and really sing out that song together with water."

Sr. Alphonsa Kiven shares her experience of visiting Central African Republic during a time of conflict, a journey “where my faith was strengthened and where I experienced God working in the Gospel witness of our Sisters”.

For almost 15 years, Sister Margaret Scott and other sisters of various congregations have been working in South Sudan, helping to develop the world's youngest nation by giving a future to young people through the training of teachers.

In the heart of Bangkok, a woman religious inspired by a Buddhist monk is transforming a school into a 0 Waste facility, and at the same time offers jobs to refugees at risk of human trafficking.

Sister Wamuyu Teresia Wachira, IBVM, believes peace is possible, that the vicious cycles of violence and injustice can be broken, and that the media can bring conflicting parties together by “looking at both sides”.

He is the keeper of the keys of the centre of Christianity. Every day, the claviger opens and closes the doors along the seven kilometers of exhibit space in the Vatican Museums. Heir to the Marshal of the Conclave, he knows every secret of the Pontifical Galleries.

From the refugee camp on the Thai-Myanmar border where she works, Sister Grace Patthayaporn can hear the bombs falling in Myanmar. "Whenever I hear them, I pray."

German religious sister Juliana Seelmann wanted to be a nurse who was close to the dying. By a twist of fate, she ended up in the reception center for asylum seekers – where she found her true vocation. Yet in 2021, her commitment to refugees and people in need brought her before the judge. We accompany the Franciscan woman from Oberzell on a typical day.

As Sr. Veera Bara walks the streets of a small town on the Italian island of Sicily, she shares the love of God with the many migrants whom she meets in their difficult circumstances.

Sr. Theresien Bartoňová, a psychotherapist religious sister, describes her search for an appropriate tool to alleviate trauma symptoms, and reveals how caring for victims of a destructive tornado in Moravia helped pave the way for treating the wounded of the war in Ukraine.

In November 1792, a small group of Discalced Carmelite nuns of Compiègne began reciting a prayer every day, offering themselves for the salvation of France. Their prayer was answered.

The Catholic Health Association in the United States, led by Sister Mary Haddad, is addressing various issues by devoting special attention to human dignity and the common good, while showing concern for those who are most vulnerable.

The Little Sisters of the Poor in Mission run two houses in Benin to take in destitute or abandoned elderly people, offering them a helping hand until their final encounter with the Lord.

The story of how Chapter 3 of the Book of Exodus inspired three nuns to embark on a mission to free women trapped in prostitution, and how their work continues to liberate many women stuck in a web of exploitation.

Sister Maria Giovanna Titone, CSJ, a Sister of St. Joseph of Chambèry, runs a parish dormitory in northern Italy, and tells of how she was able to "touch so many stories" and learn to face challenges so much bigger than herself.

Sr. Virginie Bitshanda describes the work done over the past 10 years through the ‘Mama Hekima’ project, which sees the Daughters of Wisdom helping women in the Democratic Republic of Congo break out of the "unseemly conditions that society imposes" and gain their dignity.

“If you dream, it will happen” is the motto behind Sr Mary-Joy, the inspiring founder of Wormwood Scrubs Pony Centre in London, serving children with special needs and physical disabilities.

From the coasts of Sicily to those of Tunisia, a project has been launched to repopulate the underwater prairies of Mediterranean Tapeweed, an endemic plant of these waters, a green lung, a natural habitat for thousands of marine species as well as a bulwark against coastal erosion,...

Sister Anne Falola shares how her dream of becoming a "heroic missionary admired by all” was suddenly shattered, and how the experience became an opportunity to find her true missionary vocation.

Sr Gianna Raumer recalls the beginnings of the Home for AIDS patients in Rome, which brings together volunteers from all walks of life and religious beliefs to help overcome prejudices.

The United Nations today celebrates International Nelson Mandela Day, a day to remember the South African leader who fought and defeated Apartheid. For UN Secretary-General António Guterres, Mandela is an example that inspires us to improve the world. 

After a stint as a missionary in the Ivory Coast, Sister Livia Ciaramella was invited to animate a Eucharistic celebration in a prison in Italy, and she hasn’t stopped serving inmates since.

As part of our Sisters Project series, Sr. Brigitte Flourez describes the birth of the Congregation of the Infant Sisters of Jesus.

Sister Alicia Torres says her vocation as a woman religious is rooted in Baptism and “critically connected to the Eucharist”, from which she draws strength and hope to give to her neighbors in the “difficult circumstances” they experience.

As part of our “Sisters Project” series, we look at the story of Sister Tosca Ferrante, an Italian nun who as a young girl dreamed of becoming a nurse or schoolteacher, though she later became a policewoman. Now she realizes that her religious vocation fulfills all these callings to offer her life for the needs of her neighbors.