Though the A.C.L.U. has not won in the courtroom so far, there is every indication these challenges will keep coming.

“Yes, some are H.I.V.-positive, but what is that?” asks Sister Agie. “They are precious children; they have their whole life before them.”

Sister Simone participated in the Voices of Faith conference in the Vatican on International Women’s Day, March 8.

Father Romano Gambalunga said that while "Lucia is already a saint in the eyes" of many people, "the prudent path of the church is that she is proposed to all, not just those who believe."

"Little Sister" tells the story of Colleen, a young woman religious returning home after joining the Sisters of Mercy.