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The Nuns on the Bus is a progressive Catholic group that organizes bus tours to advocate for social justice issues. The group was founded and is led by Sister Simone Campbell, a lawyer, lobbyist, and Sister of Social Service. Nuns on the Bus is the outreach arm of NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice, a lobby group founded in 1971 by a group of Catholic nuns in response to the Vatican II reforms. The group has campaigned on issues such as healthcare, taxation, and support for the Affordable Care Act. They argue that individual acts of charity are not enough to solve structural problems and that Catholic social justice goes beyond the Ten Commandments.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Founder | Sister Simone Campbell |
| Founder's occupation | Lawyer, lobbyist, Sister of Social Service |
| Founder's other roles | Executive director of NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice, American Roman Catholic Religious Sister |
| Tour bus message | "Tax Justice Truth Tour" |
| Bus message from Pope Francis | "A good Catholic meddles in politics." |
| Tour purpose | To hold congressional Republicans accountable for their votes on taxes and healthcare |
| Tour purpose | To reverse Donald Trump's 2018 tax bill |
| Tour purpose | To revive and expand the Affordable Care Act |
| Tour purpose | To draw attention to policies that benefit poorer Americans |
| Tour purpose | To push back against Republican efforts to curtail policies that benefit poorer Americans |
| Number of nuns on tour | 30 |
| Number of events | 54 |
| Number of states | 21 |
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What You'll Learn
- Nuns on the Bus is a progressive Catholic group
- The bus tour was created by Sister Simone Campbell
- The nuns are often the ones to carry out the church's mission of charity
- The nuns are considered lay people within the Catholic church
- The tour aims to hold congressional Republicans accountable for votes on taxes and healthcare
Nuns on the Bus is a progressive Catholic group
The Nuns on the Bus group has been on multiple nationwide tours, with the first one launched in the summer of 2012 to challenge Paul Ryan's budget proposal. The tours are designed to hold congressional Republicans accountable for their votes on taxes and healthcare. The nuns on the bus have received baked goods and other gifts from visitors along their route, and they actively engage with people on Twitter and through daily blogs about their trip.
The group has been deeply critical of Republican economic policies and has advocated for policies that benefit poorer Americans. They have also supported the Affordable Care Act, arguing that it is a matter of social justice and a better way to eliminate abortion rather than through criminalization. The nuns on the bus believe that individual works of charity cannot solve structural problems, and that Catholic social justice is about more than just the Ten Commandments.
The group has received support from other Catholics, including Pope Francis, who said, "A good Catholic meddles in politics." Nuns on the Bus is an example of how nuns, who are considered lay people within the Catholic Church, can spread a message of justice and advocate for change despite lacking the institutional power that priests have.
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The bus tour was created by Sister Simone Campbell
The Nuns on the Bus campaign was created by Sister Simone Campbell, a member of the Sisters of Social Justice, also known as the Sisters of Social Service. She is also the executive director of NETWORK Lobby, a Catholic social justice organization.
In 2012, Sister Simone organized the first Nuns on the Bus tour to oppose the "Ryan Budget" approved by the House of Representatives. This budget threatened to decimate programs meant to help people in need. The tour received widespread media attention and sparked several subsequent cross-country trips led by Sister Simone. These tours focused on various issues, including tax justice, healthcare, economic justice, immigration reform, and voter turnout.
The Nuns on the Bus tours aim to address social justice issues and give voice to the hunger, isolation, and fear experienced by many Americans. Sister Simone, an attorney, poet, and religious leader, brings her own experiences serving the legal needs of the poor to her work with the Sisters of Social Justice. She has faced criticism from some Catholic leaders, including Pope Benedict XVI, for her stances on political issues. However, she has also received numerous awards and has been a featured speaker at large gatherings.
In addition to her work with the Nuns on the Bus, Sister Simone played a crucial role in advocating for the Affordable Care Act. She wrote the "Nuns' Letter," which was instrumental in convincing Congress to support this legislation. Her memoir, "A Nun on the Bus: How All of Us Can Create Hope, Change, and Community," details her experiences on the Nuns on the Bus tour and her spiritual journey.
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The nuns are often the ones to carry out the church's mission of charity
Nuns are women who devote their lives to the Catholic Church and to doing good works. They are found in Catholic, Oriental Orthodox, Eastern Orthodox, Lutheran, Anglican, and some Presbyterian traditions, as well as in other Christian denominations. In the Catholic Church, nuns are not ordained members of the clergy or hierarchy, but they play an important role in carrying out the Church's mission of charity and social justice. They are often the face of the Church in local communities, serving as teachers, nurses, and in other charitable roles.
Historically, nuns were expected to live away from society, especially away from the company of men, and devote themselves solely to prayer. In the 17th century, this began to change as women were recruited to serve the poor, becoming known as the Daughters of Charity. They worked in hospitals, schools, and poorhouses, and were referred to as secular sisters or nuns. Today, in addition to teaching and working in healthcare settings, nuns run orphanages, assist immigrants, and serve in various other social justice-related causes. They are also involved in advocacy work, such as lobbying to expand access to affordable healthcare and address issues like poverty and abortion.
While the term "nun" is often used interchangeably with "religious sister", there are technical differences according to the Church. Nuns typically live under vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience in a monastery or convent, dedicating their lives to prayer and contemplation. Religious sisters, on the other hand, may take simple vows but lead more active lives, engaging in charitable work and missionary projects connected to the Church's mission. They are members of institutes of consecrated life, dedicating themselves to the service of the Church and considered "mystically betrothed to Christ".
In conclusion, nuns play a vital role in carrying out the Catholic Church's mission of charity and social justice. Through their dedication and service, they embody the values of the Church and make a positive impact on the lives of people in their communities and beyond. While the specific roles and perceptions of nuns have evolved over time, their commitment to helping others remains a constant thread in the fabric of the Catholic Church.
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The nuns are considered lay people within the Catholic church
Nuns on the Bus is a tour founded by Sister Simone Campbell and the NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice. The organisation puts itself explicitly in the Vatican II tradition, aiming to "create a society that promotes justice and the dignity of all in the shared abundance of God’s creation".
Sister Simone Campbell is an American Roman Catholic Religious Sister, lawyer, lobbyist, and executive director of NETWORK. She has been targeted by Pope Benedict XVI in his investigation of American nuns. However, Pope Francis put an end to the investigation and welcomed their representatives to a conciliatory meeting.
Now, who are lay people in the Catholic Church? Lay people, or laity, in the Catholic Church are the ordinary members of the Church who are neither clergy nor recipients of Holy Orders or vowed to life in a religious order or congregation. They are believers and affiliates of the Church, but are not ordained as clergy. They are the common folk, and their mission is to sanctify the world and be ambassadors of Christ in the secular world.
The laity forms the majority of the over one billion Catholics in the world. While they do not have executive or juridical powers in ecclesiastical affairs, they are still an important part of the Church. They have a call to leadership and are encouraged to be involved in their parish community, seeking to be of service to the Church as needed. They can take on various roles such as custodians, youth leaders, administrators, event planners, financial managers, Sunday school teachers, guest speakers, and entertainers.
Therefore, nuns are considered lay people within the Catholic Church as they are not ordained clergy and their primary role is to serve the Church and its mission. They are dedicated followers of Christ and promoters of Catholic social justice, reflecting the light of Christ in their lives.
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The tour aims to hold congressional Republicans accountable for votes on taxes and healthcare
The Nuns on the Bus Tour, an outreach programme of the NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice, aims to hold congressional Republicans accountable for their votes on taxes and healthcare. The tour is led by Sister Simone Campbell, an American Roman Catholic Religious Sister, lawyer, lobbyist, and executive director of NETWORK.
In 2019, Sister Simone travelled to New Mexico as part of the tour to address statewide poverty and teach people how to use the powers in their possession. The NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice, founded by Sister Simone, aims "to create a society that promotes justice and the dignity of all in the shared abundance of God’s creation". The Nuns on the Bus Tour seeks to make these goals of "justice and dignity" a reality through advocacy to reverse Donald Trump's 2018 tax bill and revive and expand the Affordable Care Act.
In 2025, congressional Republicans passed a sweeping tax-cut and spending bill that included significant tax cuts and aggressive healthcare cuts. The bill, dubbed the "Big Beautiful Bill" or the "Big Beautiful Betrayal", was expected to eliminate health coverage for millions of people and add at least $3.3 trillion to the national debt. Senate Republicans' actions were criticised as an abdication of leadership and an attack on the most vulnerable members of society, including children.
The bill included cuts to low-income health and nutrition programs, green energy incentives, and consumer protections. It also included a contentious AI moratorium that would gut state laws aimed at protecting minors from intimate deepfakes and maintaining data privacy. Despite concerns within Trump's party and the public about the bill's cost and impact on lower-income individuals, only two House Republicans ultimately voted against it.
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Frequently asked questions
The Nuns on the Bus is a nun-led bus tour created by Sister Simone Campbell, a lawyer, lobbyist, Sister of Social Service, and executive director of NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice.
The Nuns on the Bus tours are designed to "hold congressional Republicans accountable for their votes" on taxes and healthcare. The tours aim to spread the message that individual works of charity cannot solve structural problems and that Catholic social justice is about more than just the Ten Commandments.
One example is the Tax Justice Truth Tour, which was launched in 2018 to expose the lies about the Republican tax law and hold accountable the elected officials who voted in favor of it. Another tour in 2019 focused on reversing Donald Trump's 2018 tax bill and reviving and expanding the Affordable Care Act.
Yes, the nuns on the bus are considered Catholic. They are part of a progressive Catholic group and their work is rooted in Catholic social justice teachings.
