Sr. Jan Cebula, OSF, July 29, 2016
Reflecting on the experience of the Nuns on the Bus 2016, the Mend the Gap tour, I’ve been able to identify what I consider to be five important takeaways

July 29, 2016

Sr. Rochelle Mitchell, SSS, July 29, 2016
It is my good fortune to write the final travel log of this amazing ride on the bus – three weeks, 12 states and 21 cities.

July 29, 2016

Sr. Jan Cebula, OSF, July 29, 2016
Here I was about to witness something we had never imagined happening become a real possibility. It’s about time, I thought! And I had to wonder why it had taken so long.

Sisters Janet Kinney, CSJ and Eileen Reilly, SSND, July 28, 2016
Today marks the last day of the convention. Hard to believe these days are drawing to a close.

July 28, 2016

July 28, 2016

Sisters Janet Kinney, CSJ and Eileen Reilly, SSND, July 27, 2016
The energy and enthusiasm we have felt in the streets of Philadelphia these past two days has been very palpable. A very different experience from the Republican Convention in Cleveland.

July 27, 2016

Sr. Eileen Reilly, SSND, July 26, 2016
Excitement rose on the bus as we began the two hour drive down the NJ Turnpike to Philadelphia, the site of the Democratic National Convention.

Sr. Jan Cebula, OSF, July 26, 2016
We need to ask ourselves, "Who's controlling the conversations?" How can we be about intentionally creating spaces for transformation wherever we are so that all can live healthy, dignified lives?

Sr. Eileen Reilly, SSND, July 25, 2016
Our last city before finishing up in Philadelphia was Newark, New Jersey, where we had two events.

July 25, 2016

Sr. Mary Ellen Lacy, DC, July 25, 2016
We can learn so much from those who accept the humble reality that “my way” does not work.

July 25, 2016

July 25, 2016
We had a packed schedule of events for our time in Scranton today. We started with a visit to The Assembly of God Church in arranged by NETWORK Board member Sister Donna Korba.

July 25, 2016

Sr. Rochelle Mitchell, SSS, July 24, 2016
I was struck by the Gospel reading: “give us this day our daily bread.” It is clear that God desires good gifts for us. It is also clear in our “incarnated reality” that we must be persistent, even agitators, in advancing these gifts that God desires—the bread of dignity, work, housing, citizenship.

July 24, 2016

July 24, 2016

July 24, 2016

July 23, 2016

Sisters Eileen Reilly, SSND and Richelle Friedman, PBVM, July 23, 2016
On Saturday afternoon, we headed to Providence where we had three events planned for this afternoon and evening.

July 23, 2016

July 23, 2016

Sisters Eileen Reilly, SSND and Richelle Friedman, PBVM, July 23, 2016
Eileen, enthusiastically announced we just entered her home state of Massachusetts as we crossed the state line this morning. We soon found ourselves warmly welcomed to the rally on the lawn of Boston College High School.

July 23, 2016

Sr. Jan Cebula, OSF, July 23, 2016
Yes, we as a people face some critical choices as we decide what kind of a people--a country--we want to be. The urgency and importance of our choices become more apparent as Nuns on the Bus travels along.

Sister Janet Kinney, CSJ, July 22, 2016
This morning as we prayed together and shared the scripture of the day, I was struck by this particular feast of Mary Magdalene, the woman who proclaimed to the disciples after the Resurrection “I have seen the Lord.” Thinking of the people I have met these two days, I too, “have seen the Lord” in the face of Christ in each of them.

July 22, 2016

July 22, 2016

July 22, 2016

Sr. Eileen Reilly, SSND, July 21, 2016
"Mend the Gaps" became so much more than a theme or a slogan when we gathered on the steps of the New York State Capitol Building in Albany and listened to Albany residents share their stories of the gaps they were experiencing and in some cases, the steps they have taken to mend them.

July 21, 2016

Sr. Alison McCrary, SFCC, July 21, 2016
On this ninth day of the Nuns on the Bus Tour, we encountered more of the heartbreak and hope that we enter more deeply into each day on this journey throughout U.S. cities and towns.

July 21, 2016

Sr. Jan Cebula, OSF, July 21, 2016
Each night we reflect on the day’s experience and on the previous evening, we talked about how some people are invisible to others; particularly people of color and those who have been marginalized by society. Perhaps the key to reweaving the fabric is connecting people, particularly with people who are the most impacted, we speculated.

July 20, 2016

Sr. Eileen Reilly, SSND, July 20, 2016
Wednesday afternoon we visited St. Joseph Neighborhood Center in Rochester, NY which provides health care for those who are uninsured.

July 20, 2016

Sr. Eileen Reilly, SSND, July 20, 2016
The sculpture of the Homeless Jesus on a bench outside the Episcopal Cathedral in Buffalo, New York was the gathering place for Nuns on the Bus and our supporters on Wednesday. An enthusiastic crowd including Congressman Higgins of Buffalo joined us for a rally.

July 20, 2016

July 19, 2016

Sr. Mary Ellen Lacy, DC, July 19, 2016
On Tuesday evening, we arrived in Erie, Pennsylvania. We dropped in at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church where they have a meal and food program. We were able to have conversations with the guests who came to have dinner.

July 19, 2016

Sr. Mary Ellen Lacy, DC, July 19, 2016
This morning, day two of the RNC, we started with a Prayer Breakfast, to which we had invited all of the delegates we talked to yesterday. We had decided to use Ezekiel's "dry bones" reading in a nouveau lectio divina fashion, reading the bible passage numerous times, with a few short reflections between readings.

Sr. Susan Rose Francois, CSJP, July 19, 2016
The Nuns on the Bus, wearing our own blue t-shirts, divided into two teams named “Holy Curiosity 1” and “Holy Curiosity 2” to spread across the downtown area. We were not selling anything or pushing a particular agenda or policy position. Rather, our mission was simply to offer free cups of lemonade to thirsty folks and engage RNC delegates and others in conversation. Each team pulled a red wagon, designed to look like our bus, which transported our jugs of lemonade.

July 18, 2016

Sister Bernadine Karge, OP, July 18, 2016
One week into the journey, we arrived at one of the main stops on our 2016 tour: the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Ohio. Due to security, the bus wasn't allowed downtown, so we had to improvise: Two teams of NOTB headed out into the warm muggy day with red radio flyer wagons decorated as buses and supplied with a jug of cold lemonade and cups.

July 18, 2016

Sr. Larretta Rivera-Williams, RSM, July 18, 2016
A severe thunderstorm blasted the morning sky over Cleveland as we boarded the bus for downtown. Sister Simone Campbell described the streaks of lightening and cracks of thunder as "the sky crying that a National Convention is being held here."

July 17, 2016

Sr. Julie Ann Krahl, CSA, July 17, 2016
“Wheels down and rolling” as we left the peaceful space of the Franciscan campus and emerged into the city of Cleveland.

July 17, 2016

Sr. Susan Rose Francois, CSJP, July 17, 2016
One phrase that has been running through my head over the past week is that “actions have consequences.” Is it any wonder that we have a widening wealth and income inequality gap when our nation has chosen, for the past three decades, to prioritize tax breaks for the wealthiest individuals and corporations over using our resources to invest in the common good?

July 16, 2016

Sister Margaret McGuirk, OP, July 16, 2016
On Saturday evening, our third and final event in Toledo was our Mend the Gap caucus. The caucus was held in Monroe Street United Methodist Church and hosted by Sister Geraldine Nowak and Pastor Larry C. Clark.

July 16, 2016

Sister Margaret McGuirk, OP, July 16, 2016
Holy Toledo! Here we are in Ohio. This morning began at 10 AM at the International Park in Toledo and our focus was on Access to Citizenship.

July 16, 2016

Sr. Larretta Rivera-Williams, RSM, July 16, 2016
My vocation as a Religious Sister of Mercy has been reaffirmed. This call and commitment to serve God's people, to seek justice for God's people, has been echoed by those I am traveling with.

July 15, 2016

Sister Erin Zubal, OSU, July 15, 2016
Indiana brought both tears and laughter as we made our way from Terre Haute to Fort Wayne. Being a part of Nuns on the Bus has presented us with the sacred opportunity to have our hearts broken open by the brave souls who are willing to share their stories of struggle, perseverance and hope with us.

July 15, 2016

Sr. Susan Rose Francois, CSJP, July 15, 2016
The opportunity to be a Nun on the Bus is a multi-dimensional blessing. We are privileged to hear stories of pain and promise, challenge and opportunity, impasse and creative responses to systemic injustice.

July 14, 2016

Sr. Clare Lawlor, CSA, July 14, 2016
The Nuns on the Bus came to Terre Haute, Indiana where we participated in a Caucus to Mend the Gaps at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church. We were very warmly welcomed by the community.

Sr. Clare Lawlor, CSA, July 14, 2016
Our site visit brought us to Southside Housing Coalition's Midtown Center where we met with the women from Voices of Women. Met by Ms. Bobbie Sykes, chairperson of VOW (Voices of Women), the sisters participated in a tour of the local neighborhood.

July 14, 2016

Sr. Larretta Rivera-Williams, RSM, July 14, 2016
People are hungry for justice! People are filled with questions of "why" and "what can we do?" People are searching for answers in a country of uncertainty. People want to be listened to without being threatened, judged, or silenced.

July 13, 2016

Sr. Larretta Rivera-Williams, RSM, July 13, 2016
For our drive to Jefferson City, Missouri, we crossed the majestic Mississippi river and the Missouri river; we joined our tears to those of the people sharing the pain for their underserved and marginalized community.

July 13, 2016

July 13, 2016

Sr. Ilaria Buonriposi, CMS, July 13, 2016
For our first stop of the day, we participated in a rally in front of the State Capitol. Despite the disruption of a strong thunderstorm, people listened with attention the stories shared by the speakers.

Sr. Susan Rose Francois, CSJP, July 13, 2016
One of the privileges of being a Nun on the Bus is that we are going out to be with the people. Yesterday, we met folks in Janesville, Wisconsin and Bloomington-Normal, Illinois who are struggling in this democracy of ours.

Sr. Larretta Rivera-Williams, RSM, July 12, 2016
My journey to Wisconsin began in North Carolina where I left behind security of home and the familiarity of friends. I was somewhat apprehensive of what I might encounter, but a tinge of excitement bubbled within as I anticipated joining the Nuns On The Bus.

July 12, 2016

Sr. Julie Ann Krahl, CSA, July 12, 2016
It’s our first full day on the bus and we know our message: There are huge gaps in our society: Gaps in wealth that limit us; Gaps in access that burden us, cause us pain and struggle. We board the bus to promote the goals of the bus: mend the gaps in our society.

July 12, 2016

July 12, 2016

Sr. Susan Rose Francois, CSJP, July 12, 2016
How do we mend the gaps and reweave the fabric of our society? That is the question at the center of this summer’s Nuns on the Bus tour which will cover more than 2,400 miles to meet with individuals, families, and communities in 13 states, 23 cities, and both political party conventions.

Sister Bernadine Karge, OP, July 11, 2016
Rev. Schuler of First Unitarian Society, welcomed more than 300 people and the NETWORK Nuns on the Bus 2016 on a warm sultry night in Madison, Wisconsin. The beautiful First Unitarian Society was filled with energy and excitement as we launched the Mend the Gaps theme for this pre-election time.

July 11, 2016

July 10, 2016

July 9, 2016

July 5, 2016
Nuns on the Bus: Setting Out to Mend the Gaps