in the autumn of 2015, coinciding with the visit of pope francis in the united states, nearly a dozen nuns began their tour in st. louis as part of their travel through seven states: missouri, kansas, arkansas, tennessee, indiana, ohio, west virginia. the theme of the 2015 tour was "bridge the divide" with a focus on transforming politics. the end of their tour purposely coincided with the pope's visit to washington, d.c. sister simone was one of a group of individuals invited to welcome him at the white house.