Women religious live out Catholic Social Teaching

By Sarah DeMarais, Loyola Institute for Ministry


After two years of accompanying East African sisters, I find myself profoundly inspired by their faith and dedication to creatively and courageously live the values of Catholic Social Teaching (CST).

I manage the Loyola Institute for Ministry’s project “Catholic Sisters in Partnership for Sustainability.” It began with this premise: Women religious are already doing amazing work for and with the poor and vulnerable. By providing excellent theological education, spiritual formation and leadership training – and by getting the word out about sisters’ great work – we can extend and deepen the impact of sisters for social transformation.

As we wrap up this project, Loyola’s second funded by the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, our students have exceeded expectations. About 40 sisters in East Africa studied online for Loyola’s Certificate in Catholic Social Teaching. They learned how to practice LIM’s model of “practical theology,” engaging the Christian tradition in their unique social and cultural contexts.

In particular, they explored the rich tradition of CST. As the sisters studied CST themes such as the dignity of every human person, care for creation, peace and nonviolence, and the preferential option for the poor, they discerned how best to live out their vocations in light of modern social challenges.

East Africa faces critically important issues related to “sustainable development” – meeting the needs of today without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Indeed, sustainable development is a priority for our global community, as illustrated by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Motivated by their faith commitments, congregational charisms and CST, sisters are making powerful contributions to sustainable development and inspiring and engaging others along the way. 

In their final projects, our Loyola students applied what they had learned and mobilized their communities to take action for sustainable development. For example, a formator rallied her novices to advocate at local parishes against domestic violence.

One student organized young people to repair a road to a health center. Two students are peacebuilding in South Sudan, offering alternatives to armed combat for youth. One sister is facilitating microloans and entrepreneurship training for the parents of children she serves. Several students developed projects promoting care for creation, including sustainable farming and educating women on alternatives to tree-cutting for fuel. 

Through all of these ministries, sisters witness to faith in our generous God, who is present in a special way to the poor and marginalized. They inspire their community members and us at Loyola as models of spirituality lived through prayerful and courageous social action. 

This Lent and Easter season offers an exciting opportunity for people around the world to learn about and pray with these sisters. “As I Have Done” is a documentary produced by Salt+Light Media in collaboration with the Loyola Institute for Ministry, with the support of the Hilton Foundation. In three 30-minute episodes, the film illustrates sisters’ contributions to peace and justice, equality, and sustainability in East Africa.

The film shares stories, for example, of sisters’ work for interreligious dialogue and peacebuilding, efforts to provide maternal and infant health care, and the creation of an intergenerational sustainable village in response to the HIV/AIDS crisis. The film is available for free online here. 

The videos are accompanied by related resources, such as free and adaptable lesson guides intended for Catholic high school theology/religion teachers that incorporate these episodes and that are ready to be deployed online to achieve outcomes articulated in the USCCB's high school curriculum. They are available here: https://tinyurl.com/vp3tsoz.

This Lent and Easter season, consider engaging with the stories of these faithful and inspiring women to discern how God is calling us to act for peace and justice in our own communities.

Anyone interested in screening the film or learning more about this project and the Loyola Institute for Ministry can contact me at  [email protected] or at  https://www.facebook.com/LoyolaInstituteforMinistry/.

Sarah DeMarais is associate project director at the Loyola Institute for Ministry. She and her husband Ben are parishioners at St. Rita Parish in New Orleans and members of the Emmaus House young adult community.