Bridges, Not Walls

This chapter focuses on the contributions that Catholic international sisters make to the United States—to religious life, the Church, and the nation. Sisters identified their contributions along two lines—the benefits of diversity and the benefits of evangelization. The sisters responded that their presence and their cultures added a beneficial diversity to a wide variety of settings—to community, ministry, the Church, and the society more broadly. The chapter concludes with the point that there is a disjuncture between the sisters’ acceptance of diversity in the society and, to a degree, in the Church, but their nonacceptance of diversity in the charisms and lifestyles of religious life.

Vows and Visas

International sisters have several options available to stay legally in the United States, including U.S. citizenship and legal permanent residency. This chapter describes the various visa statuses of the international sisters studied in this book, the impact of their legal status on their ministry and life, and some avenues of legal support available to international sisters. The chapter describes some of their challenges with obtaining legal status and provides an introduction to a sample of national Catholic organizations whose mission is to serve immigrants, and in some cases, international sisters. The chapter also includes an introduction to several national ethnic- and racially specific organizations of sisters as well as institutions of higher education that provide support for the international sisters.

Intercultural Challenges

This chapter focuses on issues of concern to Catholic international sisters. These issues involve structural, social, and emotional concerns. Some of these relate to language. Others relate to issues of health and social connectedness. The survey questions asked for the sisters’ concerns about specific individual health issues (i.e., illness, anxiety, tiredness, depression, weight issues, overwork), or about social connectedness (e.g., loneliness, a sense of belonging, ability to participate in the life of the respondent’s own institute). Data are analyzed relative to variables including living arrangements, ethnic/cultural background, and age. These concerns varied by the ethnic backgrounds of the sisters and by their current living arrangements.

Since the Beginning

This chapter traces Catholic international sisters in the history of the United States, from the eighteenth century to the present time. The chapter discusses the primarily European origin of many sisters and religious institutes in the first three centuries of sisters’ immigration, and the Asian, African, and Latin American origin of international sisters’ migration to the United States today. It describes the invitations from some bishops and priests in the United States to some religious institutes, and the sisters’ frequent accompaniment of co-ethnics in this country. It discusses the many educational and healthcare institutions the sisters built in this country, and the ministries they also conducted.

Introduction

This chapter describes the Trinity Washington University/CARA (Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate) study of international sisters. By definition, an international sister is a Catholic sister who was born outside the United States and currently works, studies, or resides in the United States. The study located over 4,000 international sisters from 83 countries on six continents living in the United States at the present time. Quantitative and qualitative data describe the demographics of the international sisters, their pathways to the United States, their satisfactions, concerns, challenges, and contributions. The story of the international sisters is embedded in the wider historical and contemporary narratives of immigration to the United States. Archival data on the lives of two international sisters in the United States a century ago illustrate the historical dimension of the narrative, and recent quantitative data on global migration patterns point to the broader significance of this study.

A Diverse Presence

This chapter provides a look at the demographics of Catholic international sisters in the United States today. The demographics highlight the immense diversity of these sisters. Multiple questions examine facets of the identity of international sisters, such as their continent of origin, year of arrival in the United States, ethnic/cultural background, native language, age distribution and age of arrival in the United States, level of education, and legal status. Other questions explore their current ministry status (active or retired), the various ministries in which they are involved, their current living situation, their type of housing, and the resources that aid them in adjusting to life in the United States.

Within and Beyond Borders

This chapter focuses on and describes the multiple pathways Catholic international sisters take to the United States. Some immigrate to the United States as children, teens, or adults and then enter religious life; others enter religious life in their home country and are then sent here for formation, education, or short-term or long-term ministry. The chapter analyzes the most common patterns for arrival of international sisters to the United States, comparing the international sisters according to their ethnic/cultural background and year of arrival. The role of U.S. institutes of women religious in hosting international sisters and providing assistance is also examined.

Conclusion

This chapter contains implications of the research and recommendations to religious institutes and the Church relative to resources, ministries, and structures for the support of international sisters. The chapter also summarizes key points of similarity and difference between international sisters of the nineteenth century and today, including demographic differences (such as age, educational level, and language proficiency), where they come from, why they come, and whether they entered religious life before or after coming to the United States. It also describes similarities and differences in how they adapted to U.S. culture and religious life, how they responded to the challenges of immigration, and in their individual and collective contributions to the Church and society.

International Sister Students Today

This chapter provides demographic data on international sisters who are currently studying in the United States. It describes how U.S. Catholic colleges and universities and institutes of women religious collaborate in providing education for these sisters by using two types of qualitative data. The chapter includes interviews with administrators of Catholic universities and religious institutes. It also includes some data from the survey of international sisters who are students in the United States. The chapter describes pathways to the universities and the types of support resources that international sisters receive from universities and religious institutes. It describes the impact that international sisters have on fellow students and, upon their return, on their home countries.

Bonds of Belonging

This chapter focuses on the level of satisfaction that Catholic international sisters have regarding various aspects of their life in the United States. Those aspects include issues such as food, transportation, healthcare, financial support, community life, the welcome they received, and other social and spiritual support. These aspects are analyzed in relation to other variables, including living arrangements, ministry, and ethnic/cultural background. In general, the international sisters are satisfied with the various aspects of their lives, but satisfaction is somewhat higher among European, Australian, and Canadian respondents than it is among sisters from other areas of the world. Sisters living with members of their own institute tend to be more satisfied than sisters living alone or with sisters from other institutes.