Since 1727, when nine Ursuline sisters arrived from France to minister in New Orleans, women religious have played a vital role in shaping American life. Through work in education—including the parochial school system, academies, colleges, and universities—establishment of hospitals and work in health care, and social service, over 220,000 sisters have joined in unique forms of community life dedicated to prayer and service.

To recognize these women, the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR), in conjunction with its 50th anniversary, is organizing an exhibit called “Pioneers, Poets, and Prophets: Catholic Sisters in America.” The LCWR represents 400 congregations of Catholic sisters in the United States.

According to the LCWR, the contributions of religious sisters in the history of the U.S. “are unfamiliar to the general public, even to people whose lives have been touched directly by their service. . . . Catholic sisters have often been unrecognized for their remarkable accomplishments.” The exhibit will seek to “educate and celebrate” the influence of women religious. “Fewer and fewer persons have direct experiences with religious,” said Sister Carole Shinnick, a School Sister of Notre Dame and executive director of the LCWR. She also said the exhibit will highlight “vocation as a call, not just a career.”

Visit the Leadership Conference of Women Religious at www.lcwr.org.

Sister Judith Zoebelein, developer of the highly successful Vatican website, has begun work on what she calls a “Myspace.com for Catholics.” Set to begin service soon, the new site is designed to “[bring] together the faithful so they can interact.” Notable features will include personal news updates and specific areas set up for “families, young people, and parishes.”

“People will be able to find each other and work together online, and then go back and use what they have learned or done in their own communities," says Sister Judith.

The 57-year-old Franciscan nun, originally from Long Island, has used her technical skills to become the editorial director of the Internet Office of the Holy See. Sister Judith was first called to the Vatican in 1991 in order to help the Holy See enter the then-burgeoning internet. When she arrived, she quickly formulated and pitched the idea of a Vatican website to Pope John Paul II. The pope approved of her idea, and over the years the site has grown so considerably that it now attracts nearly one million visitors per year.

Visit the Vatican website at www.vatican.va.

Last June Father Peter Newberry received the prestigious Worker for Peace (Servitor Pacis) award for his efforts with a project called Youth Outreach, which works with street children in Hong Kong. As a Salesian priest, he is following in the footsteps of other members of his order, who throughout their history have devoted themselves to working with young people.

Father Newberry, a renowned teacher, formed an educational association to work with “at risk” young people. In remarks after receiving the award in New York, he said, “I do very little. I consider the award for all the association members. . . . Education is done not only in the classroom . . . there are other forms of education for young people. The association offers an alternative to the classroom and textbooks.”

The Italian Saint John Bosco founded the Salesian Society for men in 1854 and the Salesian Sisters in 1872. He began his ministry by helping urban youth. According to the Salesians, “The educational philosophy of John Bosco can be condensed in three words: reason, religion, and kindness. The basic principle of his system was a deep understanding and love for young people and their problems.” Today the Salesian family numbers 40,000 members working in over 100 countries.

Father Newberry shares the award, which is given to one person each year, with political and social leaders like Cory Aquino and Lech Walesa.

Visit the worldwide Salesian website and click on the English version of the site: www.sdb.org.

In 1973 a young man came to the German town of Werningshausen with the desire to restore the local church, which, like other churches in the area, was about to be torn down. He formed a community of helpers that eventually became the monastery of St. Wigbert.

The community is made up of both Lutheran and Catholic members who live according to the Rule of Saint Benedict, the father of monasticism in the Western world. Monks are rare in the Lutheran church, and it took some time before church authorities approved the guidelines for the monastery, which had received encouragement from the local Lutheran bishop. Though small, the community is making a contribution to the ecumenical movement of closer ties between Christians.

The community welcomes villagers to Mass and parish activities, and it receives the support of an association of friends as well as a group of young people who stay in close contact with the brothers. Besides regular prayer, the monks of St. Wigbert also make communion wafers, host guests, and, true to its founding spirit, restore ruined and abandoned churches in the area.

My friend Terry recently moved to Manila and has befriended several Jesuits working in the poorest areas of the city. She sends well-wishers back home regular posts of what she's observing as she acclimates herself to this fascinating city of extremes. The Jesuits fund an infant feeding program in an area called Payatas, also known as Smokey Mountain. A recent Terry installment:

Smokey Mountain is a community of 300,000 literally living and scavenging atop a garbage dump. In 1996 a part of the "mountain" collapsed during a typhoon and 200 people were buried and died under the garbage. The Jesuits do "street" Masses in little clearings that some women prepare with tent-like roofs (it's always the women who manage things here--the women who are the centers of the communities). At a recent Mass one of the priests realized that he forgot the little traveling sound system he usually brings, and suddenly out of one these shanties someone pulls out a karaoke machine and in no time the priest has a microphone and speakers hooked up to some sort of illegal looking electrical line. Amid the cacophonous noise--there were roosters crowing and dogs and chickens and children--lots and lots and LOTS of children running around--the services took place.