Religious sisters attend and share ideas Aug. 10 during the 2016 assembly of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious in Atlanta. CNS photo/Michael Alexander, Georgia Bulletin
ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Now in its fourth year of observance, National Catholic Sisters Week (NCSW) will shine a spotlight on the lives and ministries of the nation's 47,170 Catholic sisters and all of the sisters who have come before them.
Taking place March 8-14 this year's NCSW is themed "Meet a Sister -- Be Inspired!" The week is celebrated in conjunction with National Women's History Month, which spans the full month of March.
"Catholic sisters don't seek the spotlight," said Molly Hazelton, site director of NCSW.
"Humility is in their DNA. But we know that raising awareness of their ministries can inspire the masses, and that's what we're aiming to do. In a time when there isn't much good news, we need more than ever to hear stories of how they help and heal a fractured country."
Started in 2014, NCSW is headquartered at St. Catherine University in St. Paul, Minn. and is supported by a $3.3 million grant from the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation. Celebrations are set to reach across the country, with record number of events happening during the week.
Some of the events taking place within the Archdiocese of Boston include a Holy Hour being held by The Little Sisters of the Poor in Somerville. The Holy Hour will take place on March 12 at 4:30 p.m. at the Jeanne Jugan Residence, located at 186 Highland Ave, Somerville.
Regis College in Weston, founded by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Boston, will also be celebrating the week.
On March 14, representatives from the three ministries of the Sisters of St. Joseph -- Casserly House, The Women's Table, and The Literacy Connection -- will participate in a moderated forum at the college from 1 to 2 p.m. Representatives from sponsored-ministries Bethany Place and Bahkita House were also invited.
"Our point in celebrating National Sisters Week is to really bring it home, to locally celebrate the work that's being done by our own sisters in Boston," Mary Lou Jackson, special assistant to the president for Mission Effectiveness at Regis College, told The Pilot Feb. 28.
"We take every opportunity we can to celebrate our sisters, to have meaningful programs for our students so that they can learn more about the value of the sister and then engage in work that's important meaningful work that will transform the society in which we live, which our sisters have been doing for many, many years now."
The CatholicTV Network will be involved with NCSW, as well, as it will be airing vocation stories.
Sister Marian Batho, delegate for religious for the Archdiocese of Boston, told The Pilot Feb. 27 that "Locally, the sisters are involved in so many important aspects of things that Pope Francis talks about," including "Refugee and immigration work, evangelization, food pantries, shelters, education."
"This is what sisters do, and I think that's what National Catholic Sisters Week is about -- to highlight the work of the sisters day in and day out and how important that work is to the mission of the Church."