2009 LCWR Assembly:
A Report and Some Reflections

A view of St. Louis Cathedral, which withstood Hurricane Katrina

The annual Assembly of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR) was held in New Orleans, Louisiana, from August 11 through 14, 2009. Over 800 leaders discussed with speakers and one another some of the most critical issues facing Catholic orders, the Catholic Church, and the people they serve. The theme, “Women of Spirit: Creating in Chaos,” was chosen because of the wholesale destruction New Orleans suffered from Hurricane Katrina. In fact, LCWR co-sponsored a recovery project that raised more than $7 million, which enabled sisters to remain in New Orleans and restore their works in education, healthcare, and social services. Prior to the opening ritual, 250+ LCWR members toured the work sites and housing of Catholic sisters that had been destroyed by Hurricane Katrina.

 
Women of Spirit: Creating in Chaos
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Cokie Roberts gives Keynote.
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The opening ritual was as solemn as it was beautiful and inspiring. It began with a calling forth of Sisters by region (there are 14). As each region number was called, the Sisters in that region gathered at the outer edge of the large ballroom. Once all were called, we held hands forming a large circle and we sang the following hymn:

Guide My Feet
Guide my feet, Lord, while I run this race
For I don’t want to run this race in vain.

The second time we sang the hymn, we changed ‘my’ to ‘ours’, and placed our hands on each other's shoulder, demonstrating physically the palpable feeling of solidarity among all present.

ABC News and NPR analyst, Cokie Roberts, a New Orleans native, was our keynote speaker. Educated by Catholic sisters (the Sisters of the Sacred Heart), she offered a historical perspective on the resiliency and creative contributions of Catholic sisters to the nation. Her mother had been the Ambassador to the Vatican under President Clinton, an experience which also gave her some unique perspectives. She referenced the Vatican study being conducted on the quality of life of Catholic sisters, saying that ‘while she was not qualified to speak on the quality of life of these women, she could speak with authority to the quality of life of those changed by them’ and solidly endorsed the spirituality and mission of sisters today.

The assembly body also discussed the Vatican study, as well as a separate inquiry being conducted by the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith on the position of LCWR in matters pertaining to Catholic Church doctrine. The LCWR leaders noted that this study of their lives has drawn national and international attention and provided them the opportunity to explain the substance and focus of religious life, not only to those conducting the probes, but also to the public. Sister Tiziana has spoken about her experience at the beginning of this article.

In a presentation on a recently conducted national study on vocations to religious life, Brother Paul Bednarczyk, CSC and Sister Mary Bendyna, RSM, emphasized the need to increase public understanding of religious life. Bednarczyk, executive director of the National Religious Vocation Conference, and Bendyna, executive director of the Center for Applied Research for the Apostolate (CARA), addressed the assembly on the findings of the national study their two organizations conducted over the period of two years on vocations to religious life. Among their major findings are significant generational gaps, especially between the Millennial Generation (born in 1982 or later) and the Vatican II Generation (born between 1943 and 1960), especially in questions of community life, the wearing of a habit, and styles and types of prayer. In Addition:

• New members are drawn to religious life primarily by a sense of call (78%) and a desire for prayer and spiritual growth (74%).More than anything else, they were attracted to their particular religious institute by the example of its members, and especially by their sense of joy (85%).

• Younger respondents are more likely than older respondents to say they were attracted to religious life by a desire to be more committed to the Church and to their particular institute by its fidelity to the Church.

• Younger members became acquainted with their institute in a variety of ways: through the recommendation of a friend or advisor, often a priest; through online information, i.e., many found out or learned more about their institute online; through direct experience with the institute and its members (working with a member of the institute, through a friend in the institute); through “Come and See” experiences, discernment retreats, and other opportunities to spend time with members - an especially important factor..

The LCWR Outstanding Leadership Award was presented to two sisters at the closing banquet:

• Sister Sharon Holland, IHM, a canon lawyer who served for 21 years at the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life and was one of the highest ranking women in the Vatican. Sr. Sharon has worked with our Sisters for many years.

• Sister Helen Maher Garvey, BVM, who served in leadership in her own Congregation, served as president of LCWR, and also as the US delegate to the International Union of Superiors General. She is the director of the Women and Spirit: Catholic Sisters in America exhibit. This exhibit has also been shown in Cincinnati.

I attended the LCWR Assembly with Sisters Tiziana Merletti, Marilyn Trowbridge and Anna Ingoglia. I experienced a deep sense of solidarity with our Sisters and with all the other Sisters present at this Assembly. I am very grateful for this experience and for this precious time spent together.

- Sister Joanne Schuster, SFP
CCA, US Area

SOME REFLECTIONS ON THE LCWR ASSEMBLY . . .

Beautiful evening scene in New Orleans

Another Step Forward in our Healing Charism: Working for a More Inclusive, Comprehensive, Compassionate and Caring Church

As we moved through the update on the Apostolic Visitation and the Doctrinal Assessment, I experienced mixed feelings. I felt sadness because these are not easy tasks to be accomplished, especially since no previous conversation and consultation occurred between Vatican Officials and the LCWR Presidency to make the process move as smoothly as possible. I also felt perplexed and uncomfortable since we did not receive prior notification nor collaboration from the Vatican about these projects. This would have been helpful and collegial, especially considering that we are already living in difficult times:

• Times of many challenges to find new ways for open dialogue among our membership and new generations;

• Times of tension between personal and the common good in every institution and group;

• Times of violence and wars when contact with people from other denominations and religions is critical and urgent;

• Times of economic crisis when the needs of our ministries for poor people are difficult to meet.

Though we are called through our vow of obedience to be accountable to the Vatican for our life, it was surprising to be contacted without warning. Why are both the Visitation and the Doctrinal Assessment happening now? Why in this way? Why are we being called in two different and yet so related interventions about religious life in the USA? For what purpose? I told myself: I respectfully disagree with the way the Visitation and the Doctrinal Assessment are happening: as a woman, as a woman religious, as a Franciscan, and even as a canon lawyer.

During these four years I have been living in the USA, I have come to know better both our US Sisters and women religious from other Congregations. I appreciate more and more their contribution to the life within the Church and society, their courage to embrace new horizons, their fidelity to the call to be at the side of the less fortunate. So I know they will be able to handle this, but at such a great cost!

In the meantime, my personal prayer and the faithful surroundings at the LCWR Assembly led me into a space of hope and confidence. Despite our human failures, I hear a call coming from God to slow down, to enter into a contemplative space, to work through disillusionments, disappointments, impasse experiences and another invitation: to try to figure out what must just fall away and what must be continued and supported in all of this.

The Apostolic Visitation will pass away. We will comply with the Questionnaire in Phase II. We will welcome the on-site Visitor in case we will be chosen among those Congregations during Phase III. We will support each other in this effort. However, at the end of the day, what I think will stay with us is our attitude to remain focused on the greater vision for the future, in faith, compassion and hope.

Since the beginning of our religious community we have been working as “messengers” for a more inclusive, compassionate, and caring Church. This is the time for another sincere step forward in our healing charism. May Jesus in our midst show us how to become more and more the instruments of his healing power among those who are looking for a better life. Our loving God will take care of the rest.

- Sr. Tiziana Merletti, SFP
Congregational Minister

To read the presentations given at the Assembly, click here: lcwr.org