Highlighting the work of nuns in ‘Sisterhood’ series

The daily lives of women religious from seven congregations have been highlighted in a seven-part series called “Sisterhood” that debuted June 4 and continues on Sundays through July 16. 

The project, a collaboration between Loyola Institute for Ministry (LIM) and Salt+Light Television, creates an awareness of the wonderful works of women religious in the United States, Asia and Africa. 

The series is a component of LIM’s pilot program, “Communicating Charism,” with a goal for religious communities to increase vocations and to individually grow in faith, to increase their benefactors and to spread an awareness and self-promote their work for God through social media.

Tom Ryan, Ph.D., grant director and the director of LIM and the Marjorie R. Morvant Professor in Theology and Ministry at Loyola University New Orleans, said the project was funded by a three-year leadership and social media grant from the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation founded on the belief that “communication is fundamental to our faith.” 

The religious in each community could take LIM courses, and 42 did,” Ryan said. Half took the courses for graduate credit in theology and ministry, and the other half took the course for contributing education credit and got a CEU certificate in theology and ministry, Ryan said.

“We had students in the United States and Nigeria and Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, Vietnam, Thailand and the Philippines,” Ryan said taking the online courses.

Salt+Light TV of Canada produced the videos on each religious congregation and is showing the series at (http://saltandlighttv.org/sisterhood/) or go to http://gps.loyno.edu/lim/communicating-charism. 

During the week of each premiere, videos repeat Sunday at midnight, Mondays at 11 a.m., Thursdays at 7:30 p.m. and 12:30 a.m. and Fridays at noon (Central time). 

“We’ve gotten glowing reviews from the congregation whose videos have been shown. They have been pleased with the quality and how inspirational they are,” Ryan said. 

Remaining premieres include: Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Benin City, Nigeria, on July 9; and Daughters of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary of Chí Hòa on July 16. Video shorts of other orders that have been shown include: the Congregation of St. Joseph; the Religious of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Uganda/Kenya Province; Congregation of Our Lady of Mount Carmel; Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Kilimanjaro; and Sisters of the Holy Family.

Christine Bordelon can be reached at [email protected].