The sisters argue that the Vatican commissioners sent to replace their superior general, who is also the niece of the order's founder, have no understanding of their way of life or spirituality.

The International Union of Superiors General, which represents more than 500,000 sisters worldwide, vowed to help nuns who have been abused to find the courage to report it, and pledged to help victims heal and seek justice.

Le Thi Re says they are grateful to the Catholic nuns who offered her daughter a wheelchair, calling it "a priceless gift which helps change her life."

The U.S. bishops, who gathered for a time of prayer at the start of their annual fall meeting in Baltimore, were urged by Catholic women church leaders Nov. 12 to be courageous and work with each other and the laity to move forward from this moment when the church is reeling from abuse allegations.

In a joint statement Nov. 9, the president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and the chairman of its Committee for Religious Liberty applauded the Trump administration's decision "to finalize common-sense regulations" for religious employers.

For Sister Norma Pimentel, who has worked on the U.S.-Mexico border for decades, migration is not a political issue; it is a human issue.