There has yet to be a comprehensive and integrated account of the history of the religious congregations for women in the Philippines. ""To Love and to Suffer"" hopes to help fill this big gap. Their collective story is a long saga of courageous struggles and commitment to their cause, magnificent sacrifices, human weaknesses and failures, and unique accomplishments, which invested them with moral authority and charisma that have strengthened and nurtured their presence and influence through the decades.