Time Magazine has announced its 2010 list of  “the 100 most influential people” who shape our world.

Although the Vatican has revved up its PR tactics, Pope Benedict did not make it in any category. In fact no Roman Catholic bishop made it in any category: neither among leaders, nor heroes, nor thinkers, nor leaders in social networking; nor even among artists, although we all know that our pope and bishops are indeed colorful actors.

This American Catholic is delighted to point out however that SISTER Carol Keehan, however DID make the list! Remember Sister Carol? She is the one denounced by so many high-placed US bishops.

I love what Victoria Reggie Kennedy writes in Time about Sister Carol:

Courageous and purposeful, Sister Carol Keehan, 66, is a deeply religious Catholic woman dedicated to carrying out the healing ministry of Jesus Christ on earth. Her leadership of the Catholic Health Association of the United States (CHA) has been defined by advocacy for the poor and an unwavering respect for human dignity. Her fight to reform health care was an extension of her concern for the most vulnerable in our society and was as integral to the mission of CHA as providing medical services. Undeterred by her critics, she refused to back down as she fought for reforms that would include prenatal and maternity care and coverage for uninsured children. She fought for those who couldn’t fight for themselves.

Leadership is not about doing what’s easy. It’s about doing what’s right. Last March, my husband, Senator Edward Kennedy, said he looked forward to being a foot soldier in the fight for reform and vowed that, this time, we would not fail. Sister Carol was a vital foot soldier in that fight.

And this time, we did not fail.