Religious sisters have created educational and healthcare systems over the past two hundred years that have transformed the Catholic community in the United States. Through their ministry, sisters have served waves of immigrants and those pushed to the margins. The growing cultural diversity of newer sisters and the diminishing number of older sisters, therefore, is both a challenge and a creative moment to be critically examined. This book examines these changes in culture and ethnicity among sisters, the structural impact of diminishing numbers, and the creative response to this new reality for religious life in the United States. In it, sisters from a variety of generations, cultures, and institutes join with the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) researchers to examine and reflect on CARA's recent research findings and their impact on the life and ministry of sisters today.

A much needed research and reference bibliography for all who are interested in the history of Benedictine Women in North America. Those interested in Benedictine spirituality, liturgy and prayer will find useful resources here as well.

This book on penal law explains the main topics of penal law, with cases and examples of its implementation, using the changed text of Book 6 of the Code of Canon Law that will come into effect on December 8, 2021. Pope Francis has revised Book 6 of the Code of Canon Law, “Penal Sanctions in the Church,” canons 1311-1399. Of these 89 canons, 63 have been changed and others have been renumbered. Changes include a new canon 1376 concerning the crimes of stealing and misappropriation of church property; canon 1398 §2 making the sexual abuse of minors by religious brothers and sisters a crime; c. 1398 §1 no. 2 making grooming a crime. Other changes in canon law since 1983 have been incorporated into the new book 6. These include raising the age for sexual abuse from under age 14 to under age 18; a 1988 law imposing penalties for recording confessions; penalties for the attempted ordination of a woman; penalties for bishops failing to report or take sufficient measures against perpetrators of sexual abuse; and for clerics using pornography of those under age 18.