Claire Schaeffer-Duffy, a freelance writer, lives and works at the Sts. Francis and Therese Catholic Worker in Worcester, Massachusetts. Her articles and reviews have appeared in America, Commonweal, US Catholic, the collection Nonviolence as a Way of Life: History, Theory, and Practice and Opposition to War: An Encyclopedia for US Peace and Anti-war Movements. Her profiles and investigative reporting have merited Catholic Press Awards. Claire and husband Scott have four children and three grandchildren. He runs marathons, and she, too, is still logging the miles.
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From two Dominican sisters: a master class in why the bomb is bad
For Dominican Srs. Ardeth Platte and Carol Gilbert, educators steeped in Catholic teaching on the sacredness of creation, the construction of nuclear weapons represents a fundamental error in human purpose. It is a horrendous mistake the women have devoted their lives to correcting.
Three lives for Africa: Srs. Olga Raschietti, Lucia Pulici and Bernardetta Boggian
Shortly after Srs. Olga Raschietti, Lucia Pulici, and Bernardetta Boggian were killed, the Xaverian Missionaries of Mary issued a statement expressing gratitude to the women for "giving their lives to the end, and to all who sent messages of support and solidarity. Here are a few words about their lives. Related - Murders in Burundi: Missionary order reckons with killing of three sisters
Murders in Burundi: Missionary order reckons with killing of three sisters
In September 2014, three Xaverian sisters were murdered at their convent, despite having police protection, in the small country of Burundi, in central Africa. The murders remain unsolved, but the missionary order also remains dedicated to staying where they have served since 1964.
Laying down new cornerstones in Detroit
In the sprawling city of Detroit, which is regarded as the harbinger of post-industrial, urban America, live women religious, firmly planted, articulating a Catholic presence in a place of drastic transitions. No longer in the convents of their youth, the women endure with their neighbors the vicissitudes of a habitat where crime and abandoned properties are givens and well-functioning municipal services are not – and they are rebuilding church communities to serve as anchors of revitalization.