Topic archive
Reflections
We’ve gathered, and continue to gather, reflections from Loretto Community. members about experiences that have touched them over the years. Their lives have been changed by their experiences, and we hope you will find them inspiring too. Learn about the Faith and Spirituality of Loretto members.
Refugees enrich our lives
I recently received a “begging letter” from the International Catholic Migration Commission (ICMC), an agency based in Washington, D.C., working with refugee populations around the world. I’d given them some money last year, and they were following up with a…
Sharing stories of saving orphans’ lives
Mary Nelle Gage and Ruth Routten captivated listeners at Regis University in Denver with their powerful stories of courage, tragedy and the remarkable rescue of orphans in Vietnam and Cambodia. Their presentations were part of the “2025 Stories from Wartime”…
Re-discovering America: Understanding colonization
On Dec. 2 at the Loretto Motherhouse L. Kilan Jacobs came carrying the whole life of his Osage history, which he shared with us without any notes. He covered a spellbinding account of centuries of forced moves, broken promises and…
With gratitude to Sandra
Perhaps your formal introduction to Sandra Hareld came as mine did, at an Outreach retreat. That first one I attended made such an impression on me that, as I like to say, I came to the Motherhouse for three days…
Spirit of Loretto Award goes to Helen Sanders
After Loretto Heights College (LHC) closed in 1988, the Spirit of Loretto organization was started to create a home place for graduates. Lydia Peña and Mary Nelle Gage have worked consistently to shepherd this joyous gathering of people grateful for…
Thoughts on Mother’s Day
Mother’s Day has rushed toward us and away. Are we ready to remember, to share memories? We have had great mothers and it is still time to think of them. My dear Ozark Mom, with only a fourth-grade education and…
A thank you from Father Michael
I would like to express deep gratitude to all of you who live and work at the Motherhouse. You received Philani Dlamini (a Loretto “grandson”) and me with warmth in both large and small conversations. I especially thank Martha Alderson…
Charles Nerinckx and Loretto Transcending boundaries
Two centuries after his death in 1824, Reverend Charles Nerinckx, priest-founder of Loretto, is commemorated in a cover essay I was invited to write for American Catholic Studies journal. With my recent research for the Loretto Roots enslavement project in…
Relationships of repair revisited
The future belongs to those who give the next generation reason for hope. Teihard de Chardin In June 2023, those in the Loretto Community who had been working on issues related to the Nuns & Nones Land Justice Project gathered…
Keeping hope alive in Pakistan
By Nasreen Daniel and Maribah Nasreen writes: Pakistan has 2.3 million people, or around one percent of the population, working in conditions it labels modern slavery. The most common form of modern slavery is bonded labor. People get trapped when…
Reflections at the start of CSW68
At the end of last week we observed International Women’s Day, which got me to wondering. What might it feel like if every day was International Women’s Day? What if women actually received equal pay for equal work? What if…
Loretto Foundation Day Celebration 2021
Loretto celebrated its Foundation Day – April 25 – with memories, snapshots, reflections and sharing, including this video on “The Spirit of 1812.” Enjoy!: