Copy Desk Daily, Feb. 11, 2019

More than 2 billion people worldwide don't have access to drinkable water, water scarcity affects nearly half of the world's population: Women religious have responded, and GSR looks at what the Sisters of St. Francis of Dubuque, Iowa, have done, in particular.

"When we set out to do this, we were thinking of what would happen out there as we met a need," Sr. Judy Sinnwell said. "But what happened in the congregation was it impacted all of us."

Read: Meeting people's need for clean water changes sisters' lives, too

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It's Black History Month, and columnist Alex Mikulich offers this challenge: Rather than insisting on our innocence, living the Gospel is the art of creating the politically impossible following the lead of black and brown peoples past and present.  

Read: Time to live the politically impossible art of the Gospel

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NCR Executive Editor Tom Roberts was impressed last week: If there were a compass mark for a true-north Catholic, John Carr could well be the setting. 

Read: For Catholics in the church's 'middle,' patience has run out

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At a time when the Catholic Church is battling clergy sex abuse crisis, Fr. Richard Owens, director of the Office of Black Catholics in Philadelphia, said teaching young women how Mothers Mary Lange and Theresa Maxis persevered in the face of anti-black racism might suggest to them that religious life can be a powerful way for them to also effect change in their church. 

Read: Vocations event brings collaboration during Black History Month

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News of church and state – and a historic chapel and a wall.

Read: Judge allows survey of church property for border wall construction

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