## From classrooms to hospitals, convents to community centers: This week, the world spotlights the incredible lives and unwavering dedication of Catholic Sisters.
Catholic Sisters Week 2025 Kicks Off, Celebrating Religious Sisters Around the World
Catholic Sisters Week 2025 is a weeklong celebration, observed March 8-14, to honor the women who have taken religious vows. The week is a time to acknowledge their tireless work, and encourage more women to explore religious life. The event was first observed in 2014 as a part of Women’s History Month at St. Catherine University in Minnesota.
New Initiative: The #LikeaCatholicSister Campaign
This year is starting off with a new initiative: the #LikeaCatholicSister campaign. The campaign brings together congregations from across the country in a unified effort to challenge outdated stereotypes and shift perceptions of religious life by showcasing the diverse, dynamic, and impactful ways sisters serve today.
The goal is to tell sisters’ stories through “social media engagement and historical connections,” to redefine what it means to live life like a sister. It also calls Catholics to “dedicate their lives to service, advocacy, and faith” in the ways sisters do daily.
Catholic News Agency encourages Catholics to take part by attending, or even hosting, online and in-person events that celebrate religious women and inform people of their efforts, which can be found on the Catholic Sisters Week website.
Practical Aspects and Implications
Ways to Show Support
People who may not be able to attend or host gatherings can show their support by sending letters of thanks to Catholic sisters, donating to religious orders to help fund their endeavors, or sharing about the week and the women it honors on social media, church bulletins, or local press.
This campaign demonstrates the potential of social media to raise awareness and inspire action among Catholics. Moreover, the campaign highlights the importance of service, advocacy, and faith in the lives of religious sisters.
Catholic Sisters Week 2025: Celebrating Religious Sisters
A Celebration of the Women Who Stand with the Poor and Immigrants
Catholic Sisters Week is a celebration of the women who have taken religious vows and serve in various capacities. These women stand with the poor and immigrants, teach children, fight injustice, heal the sick, share spirituality, empower women, defend the planet, promote peace, create community, and offer hope.
“Fifty-two weeks a year women religious stand with the poor and immigrants, teach children, fight injustice, heal the sick, share spirituality, empower women, defend the planet, promote peace, create community, and offer hope, but for one week, we shine the spotlight on women religious,” the Catholic Sisters Week organization states on its website.
History of Catholic Sisters Week
A Celebration that has Grown and Evolved
The weeklong event was first observed in 2014 as a part of Women’s History Month at St. Catherine University in Minnesota. It was later made an official component of the month, according to the Catholic Sisters Week website.
The celebration was initially authorized by the co-founder of the National Women’s History Alliance, Molly Murphy MacGregor, who was educated and deeply influenced by Catholic sisters.
In 2019, the week fell under the direction of Communicators for Women Religious (CWR), an organization “advancing the mission of Catholic sisters” in more than 50 countries and territories. CWR changed the name from National Catholic Sisters Week to Catholic Sisters Week, “signaling a desire to raise awareness of women religious not just in the United States but also internationally.”
Celebrating Catholic Sisters: A Call to Action
Catholic Sisters Week is a celebration that invites us to join the women who stand with the poor and immigrants. It is a reminder that our sisters are not just a part of our religious community, but a source of inspiration and guidance.
As we mark this week, let us reflect on the ways in which we can support our sisters, both online and offline. Let us show our love and appreciation for them, and let us work together to create a more just and compassionate world.
Ways to Support Catholic Sisters
- Sending letters of thanks to Catholic sisters
- Donating to religious orders to help fund their endeavors
- Sharing about the week and the women it honors on social media, church bulletins, or local press
Conclusion
“Catholic Sisters Week 2025: A Celebration of Faith, Service, and Devotion”
Catholic Sisters Week 2025 has officially kicked off, celebrating the unwavering dedication and selfless service of over 1,000 Catholic sisters from around the world. This week-long series of events, prayers, and reflections aims to honor the contributions of these remarkable women, who have been the pillars of faith, education, healthcare, and social justice for centuries. Through various activities, workshops, and lectures, Catholic Sisters Week 2025 seeks to emphasize the significance of the role of Catholic sisters in shaping the world we live in today.
At the heart of Catholic Sisters Week 2025 lies the theme of “Faith, Service, and Devotion,” which seeks to underscore the sisters’ unwavering commitment to their faith, their communities, and humanity. As we reflect on the lives of these inspiring women, we are reminded of the profound impact they have had on our society, from the medical professionals who care for the sick to the educators who shape the minds of the next generation. The significance of Catholic Sisters Week lies in its ability to inspire us to rethink our assumptions about faith, service, and devotion, and to recognize the vital role that these women play in our world.