Heart to Heart

‘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.

‘Movilidad Humana’: Sowing hope for those journeying toward their dreams

Inspired by a spirit of equality, the Franciscan Sisters of Mary Immaculate give all their attention to those who decide to set out in search of a better future and arrive at their home for migrants along the US-Mexico border.

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.

A glimpse into contemplative life: Sr. Elisabeth on the Carmel in Sweden

In Sweden, where Catholics make up less than two percent of the population and contemplative orders are underrepresented, Sister Elisabeth from the Carmelite monastery of Glumslöv offers an extraordinary look at a way of life that is almost completely unknown in Scandinavia.

'Among the discarded of the world': William Vollmann reflects on Dilexi Te

In L&rsquoOsservatore Romano, the renowned American writer William Vollmann - whose career has been dedicated to the wretched of the earth: the poor, the homeless, prostitutes - reflects on Pope Leo's apostolic exhortation 'Dilexi te'.

An advocate in a veil: Catholic sister defending justice in Kenyan courtrooms

When people picture a Catholic religious sister, they image a woman in a habit, perhaps teaching, praying quietly in a chapel, or caring for the sick. Few imagine a religious sister in a courtroom, dressed in professional attire, standing before a judge, and introducing herself not just as &ldquoAdvocate Immaculate Muthoni,&rdquo but as &ldquoSister Immaculate.&rdquo

Canossian sisters empowering Maasai girls to rise above tradition and poverty

In Tanzania's Arusha region, home to the Maasai and Meru tribes, the Canossian Daughters of Charity are pursuing their mission to rescue young girls from harmful cultural practices and empower them with education, dignity, and the ability to choose their futures.

Where despair meets mercy: Church’s mission in Colombian slum

In the south of Bogotá, in what was once a middle-class Colombian neighborhood, lies the “Barrio San Bernardo.” Today, this area bears the marks of marginalization and despair, but within it, seeds of hope are being planted by a young parish priest, Fr. Juan Felipe Quevedo.

From convent to haven: CPS sisters open doors to Ukrainian refugees

Amid Europe’s declining vocations, the Missionary Sisters of the Precious Blood (CPS) have revived their mission in the Netherlands by offering sanctuary to refugees, turning a historic convent into a home of hope for families fleeing war in Ukraine.

Mother Cabrini Institute Founder: We know immigrants and trust them with our lives

In an interview with Vatican News, Michele Pistone, law professor at Villanova University's Charles Widger School of Law, and founding faculty director of Villanova's just-launched Mother Cabrini Institute on Immigration, explains concrete efforts, also to help rediscover the humanity of immigrants whom we so often welcome into the most intimate areas of our lives, like caring for our children and elders.

Schwarzenegger: ‘Catholic Church a powerhouse for climate change activism’

Ahead of the ‘Raising Hope for Climate Justice’ conference in Castel Gandolfo, Arnold Schwarzenegger speaks to Vatican News about the Church’s vast reach to 1.4 billion Catholics, who have the collective potential to help heal our common home.