Thank You, Sisters: Stories of Women Religious and How They Enrich Our Lives

Since the Vatican started its investigation of women religious in 2009, American Catholics have rallied around the sisters, applauding their work on the edges of church and society. Feister, editor-in-chief of St. Anthony Messenger, adds to chorus of praise with this compilation of essays, a response to the investigation’s April 2012 report. Together, the essays are repetitive but fit Feister’s goal: to show women religious as compassionate, generous, joyful, faithful, and prophetic—“heroic examples of Christian living.” The essays that stand out tell sisters’ stories rather than listing their qualities and achievements. While most feature sisters whose service is unknown outside their communities, highlights include the essays on anti-death-penalty activist Sister Helen Prejean (of Dead Man Walking fame) and Sister Dorothy Stang, murdered for her activism in the Brazilian rainforest. A surprise comes in a priest’s tale of how three sisters taught him how to preach—despite not being able to preach themselves. As Feister hopes, the book will spark Catholics of a certain age to recall the women religious in their lives and spread an appreciation for sisters’ influence in society. (Feb.)