H.Res. 689 (112^th): Honoring Catholic sisters for their contributions to the United States.

Whereas approximately 220,000 Catholic sisters have served in the United States since its founding;

Whereas there are approximately 57,000 Catholic sisters in the United States today;

Whereas Catholic sisters are women who dedicate their lives to God by serving God’s people, especially the poor, the sick, and the marginalized;

Whereas fortified by a deep faith in God and an unwavering commitment to the common good, American Catholic sisters were instrumental in building the Catholic Church in the United States through their ministry to the vulnerable and the poor;

Whereas individuals trained by Catholic sisters serve as health care providers in communities across our country;

Whereas Catholic hospitals treat approximately 1 in 6 patients in the United States;

Whereas Catholic sisters helped establish the nation’s largest private school system, educating millions of young Americans;

Whereas more than 150 United States colleges and universities were founded by Catholic sisters;

Whereas since 1980, 9 American sisters have been martyred while working for social justice and human rights overseas;

Whereas Catholic sisters who have answered Vatican II’s call to seek justice in the world continue this vital mission today: teaching our children in schools, healing the sick in hospitals, feeding the hungry, sheltering the homeless, administering major institutions, encouraging corporate responsibility, and advocating for public policies that honor human dignity; and

Whereas the Leadership Council of Women Religious, NETWORK, and all the individual congregations of women religious, make our nation stronger and deserve our deepest appreciation: Now, therefore, be it