Social work

Salesian religious sisters fostering hope in Timor-Leste

In the villages around Venilale, in the heart of Southeast Asia, the Salesian sisters combat malnutrition by educating children and encouraging them to build a different future.

Nigeria: Sisters plant seeds of hope in IDP camps in Benue State

Following the displacement of families across Nigeria’s Middle Belt, the Missionary Sisters of the Holy Rosary are working to restore hope and dignity among internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Benue State. The empowerment of young people, especially women, through education, which lies at the heart of their charism, remains central as they minister to all.

Ann Carter: A heart for the Church’s communication

Ann Carter, age 69, who served as a Consultor to the Dicastery for Communication, has passed away. She leaves a legacy of deep faith, professional excellence, and personal warmth, and will be greatly missed by all who knew her.

‘Women in Prayer’ for their Muslim neighbours

The FMM Fraternity of “Tiberiade” in Clichy-Sous-Bois, on the outskirts of Paris, is a faithful presence in a complex context that is multicultural and multinational, which is often a sensitive subject in France.

Kenya: Sisters confront human trafficking in the digital age

Though perpetrators try to keep it hidden, human trafficking violates human dignity and cuts across borders, cultures, the vulnerable, poverty-stricken communities, and the desperate. Yet, it is much closer than we think, inhabiting our phones and social media as a promise of opportunity popping on screen. Religious sisters with Talitha Kum Kenya are tenaciously building a network with both local presence and global impact.

Benki Piyãko, Brazilian indigenous spiritual leader awarded Niwano Peace Prize

The Niwano Peace Foundation announces its 43rd Niwano Peace Prize is awarded to Mr. Benki Piyãko, an Indigenous spiritual leader of the Ashaninka People in Brazil’s Amazon, internationally recognized for his leadership in defending Indigenous land and culture and for pioneering reforestation and environmental protection over the past fifteen years.

Papuan women carry mercy to remote homes

On Basilaki Island in Papua New Guinea, the women of the parish bring prayer, companionship, and the Eucharist to the sick and elderly during the Lenten season. Celebrating the Women’s month of March, we remember those who serve the Church in the peripheries.

Tanzania: Pallotine Sisters’ legacy, empowering women through education

What began as a small rural mission in Singida is now a lifelong source of hope for generations of Tanzanian girls. For decades, the Pallotine Sisters have championed education as a tool for empowering girls and women and transforming communities.

Ratzinger and the Church that welcomes people while leaving them free

In the book “The Faith of the Future”, a homily by the then Cardinal presents Saint Monica and her attitude toward her son Saint Augustine as the personification of the ecclesial community: a space of life, of welcome, of freedom, where each person’s freedom is respected and faith is never imposed.

Elettra Marconi: Radio remains the most reliable medium

‘All my affection and gratitude.’ Those are Princess Elettra Marconi9;s words on the 95th anniversary of Vatican Radio, inaugurated by her father Guglielmo on 12 February 1931 at the invitation of Pope Pius XI.

From victim to witness: Bukuru Claude against human trafficking

Bukuru Claude, from Burundi, shares with Vatican News his experience of being trafficked and how today he works with Talitha Kum, to raise awareness and prevent other tragedies linked to this phenomenon.

Talitha Kum Youth Ambassador: ‘Use all platforms to end trafficking'

Hailing from the southern African nation of Botswana, Lone Botshelo is in Rome to participate in an international gathering organized by the 'Talitha Kum' anti-trafficking network as it prepares to mark the annual 'International Day of Awareness and Prayer Against Human Trafficking' on 8 February.

Brazil: Sensitivity, love, patience for elderly cared for in body and soul

In a nursing home in southern Brazil, the Little Missionaries of Mary Immaculate bear witness to the value of live, the transformative power of loving hospitality, and attention to others’ needs, and they share their mission with a resident priest.

Papua New Guinea: Franciscan Sisters of Mary share pastoral heart with the faithful

In the rugged terrain and remote communities of Papua New Guinea, geographical landscape often limits access to pastoral and social services. The Franciscan Sisters of Mary (FSM) offer a quiet and steadfast presence, making a profound difference in the pastoral life of the local Church.

John Allen, the journalist who explained the Vatican with expertise and wit

John Allen, editor and founder of Crux, died in Rome after a long illness. The Vatican expert analyzed and recounted the events of the last quarter century in the life of the Catholic Church.

Good Shepherd Sisters offer healing to victims of domestic violence

Amidst domestic violence and the pain it leaves behind, religious sisters of the Congregation of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd share their lives with women and girls in Malta and Portugal, as they face marginalization by society.

Kenya: Religious sisters help battle addiction as ‘Friends of the Drunkards’

At the Holy Innocents BPSS Centre, in the rural town of Timau in Kenya, religious sisters and lay professionals work together to help people battling addiction and mental health challenges. Known in the community as the “Friends of the Drunkards,” the sisters combine faith, science, and compassion to heal wounded lives and restore hope where society had once given up.

Vincentians sisters’ mission of compassion for children in Russia

The Congregation of Missions and the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul carries out a mission in Russia to offer a silent witness, sharing a small seed of hope and a place where people may find shelter.

In Bethlehem, a religious orphanage gives love to children without families

The Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul run the Orphanage of the Holy Family in Bethlehem, where children up to the age of 6 who have been orphaned or abandoned are welcomed. “Here we celebrate the living Jesus every day. We welcome Christ into our arms, because these children have been rejected by society,” says one of the sisters

Thailand: Compassion in the villages of Chiang Mai

Among rice paddies and temples in northern Thailand, Idente Missionaries live alongside families in villages, transforming their shared life into a place of encounter between the Gospel and local traditions.

Living Ancestors:’ Voices of African Sisters are a testament of resilience

Countless stories of courage go untold, but the book “Living Ancestors” emerges as a voice for the unseen, the unheard and the deeply faithful women who have shape Africa’s spiritual and social spaces through decades of consecrated service. This ground-breaking work has been brought to life by Sr. Mumbi Kigutha of the Sister of the Precious blood Dayton, Ohio, CPPS, offers a rare glimpse into their lived experiences.

Listening to others out of love: Age is no barrier for religious sisters

Although many religious congregations in Europe face the challenge of aging members, the heart of their vocation remains unchanged: to serve those in need with love and dedication. In Matera, in southern Italy, 93-year-old Sister Angela Sinopoli continues to do so on the streets of her city, living out her pastoral ministry of closeness.

Kenyan sister transforming farming into community development

Community empowerment through sustainable farming drives Sr. Josephine Kwenga’s work to help farmers in Kenyan villages develop viable farming practices in order to bring new life to families and the Church’s mission of care for creation.

The hospital boats continuing Pope Francis' legacy in the Amazon

On the sidelines of COP30 in Belém, Brazil, hospital boats are docked on the riverside, offering medical assistance to those most in need. The boats, inspired by Pope Francis, travel all along the Amazon River to tend to the needs to Indigenous communities and those who live along the river, far from cities. This is the testimony of Felipe, a volunteer doctor.

Rami and Bassam: Pope Francis shared our pain

Two bereaved fathers, one an Israeli Jew and one a Palestinian Muslim, speak to Vatican News about their meeting with Pope Francis, who thanked them for their witness of fraternity.

Scuba divers work to save the Great Blue sea

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,...

The Pope writes to the participants in the meeting 'United with God, we hear a cry' on the effects of mining

Pope Francis has sent a message to Cardinal Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson, president of the Pontifical Council “Justice and Peace”, to be communicated to the representatives of communities affected by mining activities participating in the meeting “United with God, we hear a cry”...

Vatican and UNICEF to work together for disadvantaged youth