Having a hard time coming up with a gift for someone? Consider making a donation to Glenmary in their name. A gift today will help Holy Redeemer mission and the Glenmary Farm continue to serve those living inLewis County, Ky. It will also enable to Glenmary to keep its mission doors open in all the other impoverished rural counties where it serves.

Sister Kate Regan and the members of Glenmary's mission in Ripley, Miss., take part in the area's annual Christmas parade and have produced the award-winning Christmas float for the past five years. The parade is just one of the ways they let the local community know "we're here."

The Southern bishops have completed the series of eight pastoral letters that focus on the criminal justice process, especially the rise of for-profit prisons. The first was released in 2002. Since that time, seven more statements have been issued dealing with issues such as restorative justice, juvenile justice and prison conditions.