Chris Herlinger

Pakistanis are mourning the death of Sr. Ruth Lewis, whose half-century ministry affirmed the dignity of children with physical and intellectual disabilities. The Pakistani sister of the Franciscan Missionaries of Christ the King died July 20.

To mark World Humanitarian Day, GSR asked Catholic sisters and those they work with in four countries — Malawi, Kenya, India and El Salvador — about their humanitarian ministries in the face of the pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic's effects on those living in economic poverty may be spiraling out of control, leading to worsening hunger, the leaders of humanitarian organizations and Catholic sisters say.

Advocates for children, including Catholic sisters representing their congregations at the United Nations, are worried that the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdowns may be contributing to an uptick in the sexual exploitation of children online and in social media.

Sisters Rising Worldwide focuses on connecting sisters "to each other and to resources for their ministry needs." In July, the group's work will take a big step toward that goal when it unveils its online platform.

Sisters spoke to GSR about the burden and peril that the coronavirus pandemic adds to life in or near the conflict zones of South Sudan, Syria and Ukraine.

A Sister of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary and chief physician assistant at North Central Bronx hospital, Sr. Mary Catherine Redmond has been a bridge between providers and their patients. Like other sisters, her decades-long service has been undergirded by a commitment to social justice.

With the COVID-19 pandemic posing the potential to become the worst humanitarian crisis since World War II, millions already faced the specter of starvation, say United Nations leaders, humanitarian officials and Catholic sisters.

Sr. Tesa Fitzgerald and her community of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Brentwood, New York, started a home for children of incarcerated mothers 40 years ago. Today, Hour Children provides prison visits for children, transitional housing, a food pantry, an infant nursery and, importantly, mentoring for prisoners' children and employment training for women who have left prison.

Two mothers who have been incarcerated and who are now staff members of a New York City-based provider of services to families affected by incarceration say Mother's Day is a real gift.

GSR Today - In an April 21 webinar, the Mercy sister emphasized that we must respect others' different reactions, that everyone is dealing with this unsettled moment in different ways and at different paces.

"We have a huge challenge," said Sr. Barbara Brillant, dean of Liberia's Mother Patern College of Health Sciences, as stay-at-home orders conflict with need for community education. "I think we're in for hard times."

GSR Today - I live in the New York City borough of Queens, two neighborhoods over from "the epicenter of the epicenter" of COVID-19. So it came as a balm to hear Australian Sister of Mercy Maryanne Loughry's recent advice about how to deal with anxiety.

United Nations leaders, humanitarian experts and sister advocates at the U.N. are alarmed by the pandemic's potential for a global humanitarian crisis in regions already facing conflict and economic hardship.

Sr. Elisabetta Flick, an Italian sister of the Religiosa delle Ausiliatrici del Purgatorio (Helpers of the Holy Souls) and a key figure in ministry to assist migrants in Italy, died April 2, 2020.

In the midst of a crisis, do not forget or neglect "the least of these" in the immediate community or in the larger world. That is the common refrain sisters told Global Sisters Report when asked about their reaction to the unfolding COVID-19 pandemic.

Sr. Helen Amos has put the well-being of the community at the heart of her ministry. She has been a teacher, health care administrator, community leader and advocate for those experiencing homelessness.

GSR Today - In my four-plus years covering the work of Catholic sisters at the United Nations, I have been impressed with the notable purpose and passion the Irish sisters bring to their advocacy work.

The film is structured around Alwan telling the story of a young Syrian refugee named Shaima, whose life takes a tragic turn when she accepts an offer of marriage to a man in Turkey who turns out to be an imposter and involved in a human trafficking network.

Catholic sisters who represent their congregations at the U.N. say the cancellation of the bulk of the Commission on the Status of Women gathering is understandable but still a setback for women's rights.