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The presidency and staff of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious congratulate President-elect Joe Biden, and Vice-President-elect Kamala Harris and promise to work with them to build a society worthy of the values to which our imperfect union aspires.

After a difficult election season, it is time for us to take up the twin tasks of reconciliation and healing. In these challenging times it is critically important that we break through that which divides us one from another, repair fractured relationships and reclaim our essential unity.

The people of this pluralistic nation form a diverse community characterized by different beliefs, experiences, and interests. We know that our differences can be our greatest strengths; our disagreements, opportunities to seek the truth. Our challenge is to embrace those differences and together seek the common good lest we rend the bonds that unite us.

Now is the time to make space in our hearts and our communities for the needs and concerns of all God’s people, the undocumented mother, the Midwest farmer, the unemployed steel-worker, the suburban business woman, and the children and elders consigned to live in poverty. It is time to tear down the walls, real or imagined, which divide us by gender, race, class, geography, lifestyle, ideology, political party, and religious belief and to make room in our body politic for all who have been disaffected, disenfranchised, and discarded.

Now is the time to banish the fear that infects our souls and diminishes our hope. There is no room in this nation for fear of the other; no need to fear change; no reason to fear the future. This is a nation built on the dreams of our ancestors and the visions of our children. Our task is to make room at the table for every voice and every vision.

We thank those who turned out in record numbers to exercise their right to vote in a peaceful and respectful way. Their clear commitment to this democratic experiment of ours bodes well for the success of the difficult task that lies ahead.

We know that the work will be slow and arduous, and yet with Catholic sisters across this nation we renew our commitmentto exercise courage in the face of injustice, fear and division. We will not shrink from the challenge before us to protect the sacredness of all human life, to dismantle white supremacy, welcome the stranger, care for creation, and to stand with those who have been exploited and marginalized by our throwaway culture.

We promise once again to be the healing presence of God. We pledge to hold the needs and concerns of all in the heart of a loving and ever faithful God. We recommit ourselves to the sacred task of building the Beloved Community of which Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. spoke so eloquently and we invite all people of good will to join us.

LCWR is an association of leaders of congregations of Catholic women religious in the United States. The conference has more than 1300 members, who represent approximately 80 percent of the more than 40,000 women religious in the United States. Founded in 1956, LCWR assists its members to collaboratively carry out their service of leadership to further the mission of the Gospel in today’s world.

Sister Ruth Battaglia, Justice Coordinator for the Sisters of St. Agnes, is part of a community group called "Sustain Fond du Lac" which is helping educate city residents on proper sorting of recycling. 

The Fond du Lac Reporter featured the efforts of Sustain Fond du Lac in a cover story this weekend and showcased the easy-to-understand brochure that the group developed just in time for America Recycles Day on November 15.

Get the brochure.

Read the full newspaper article.

This issue highlights some of the many predictable and many unforeseen ways the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted human trafficking.

Click here to read the November 2020 newsletter.

Este número subraya algunas de las formas predecibles e imprevistas en que la pandemia de COVID-19 ha impactado la trata de personas. 

Haga clic aquí para descargar el boletín de noviembre de 2020.

This week Sojourners featured a piece on the ways Catholic sisters are getting involved in the 2020 election. Many Sisters of St. Agnes are actively engaged in non-partisan efforts such as helping people vote, energizing voters, and praying. Sister Judith Vander Grinten, CSA, has a brief quote in the article explaining how she "celebrates" voting.

Read the full article here.

On Wednesday, October 14, the Nuns on the Bus virtual tour stopped by the Sojourner Truth House in Gary, Indiana, where Sister Peg Spindler, CSA, serves as Executive Director. Sojourner Truth House serves homeless and at-risk women and their children and underserved members of the community through three streams of service. 

This video is a full recap of the Sojourner Truth House Site Visit.

You can see all the chat and link comments by watching the video on Facebook, instead.

Homelessness/Displacement and Trauma is an issue that must be addressed as it is integral in achieving the 2030 agenda. Significant to both the Global North and the Global South, progress in achieving the eradication of these underpin and can hinder the success and achievement of all the Sustainable Development Goals. As advocates for individuals and families experiencing Homelessness and Displacement, UNANIMA International is trying to bring the voices of women and children from around the world to the global stage and has recently released two new research publications.

The Hidden Faces of Homelessness: International Research on Families Volume Two

This publication includes case studies of Family Homelessness in Australia, The Philippines, Greece, Canada, and Indigenous Communities. Expert testimonies and voices of lived experience, paired with expert analysis on Family Homelessness/Displacement and Trauma, and literature reviews, give insight to the current reality of increasing Family Homelessness and housing insecurity around the globe and the varying manifestations of these issues. 

Family Homelessness Through the Lens of the United Nations 2030 Agenda Volume Two

This publication explores the intersections between Family Homelessness and topics of the United Nations 2030 Agenda, including Sustainable Development Goals 1, 2, 6, 7, 8, 9, 12, 14, 15, and 17. It is concluded that Family Homelessness is a multilateral issue, which deserves attention from the United Nations and international community, including listening to the grassroots experiences and testimonies of homelessness, displacement, housing insecurity, and trauma.