Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR)

The Leadership Conference of Women Religious condemns racism and sexism in all their harmful forms whether the violent acts of white supremacists and misogynists or the daily acts of hate and discrimination that diminish us all.

We grieve with the citizens of Atlanta and the Asian-American and Pacific Island communities. We mourn with those who have lost loved ones to hateful acts of violence, with all who live in fear, and with all whose dignity is threatened by xenophobia and chauvinism. We lament the racism and sexism that continue to afflict our communities, threaten neighbors and denigrate all we hold dear.

We acknowledge our own complicity in institutional racism and sexism. We commit ourselves to cleanse our hearts and rid our land of these twin evils. We promise to continue to use our voice and our energy to build God’s beloved community where all are one.

LCWR is an association of leaders of congregations of Catholic women religious in the United States. The conference has more than 1300 members, who represent more than 38,800 women religious in the United States. Founded in 1956, LCWR assists its members to collaboratively carry out their service of leadership to further the mission of the Gospel in today’s world.

We invite you to view the various materials available for you on the LCWR website following this year's assembly (https://lcwr.org/calendar/lcwr-assembly-2017). You are encouraged to share these widely with your own members, associates, or anyone else who might benefit from them. While some materials are still in process, eventually you will have available to you:

1. The texts of the presidential address by Mary Pellegrino, CSJ and the keynote addresses of Chris Pramuk and Jan Richardson. Thanks to the generosity of the Sisters of Bon Secours and the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word of San Antonio, all three addresses will be translated into French and Spanish and will be posted on the website.
2. The remarks of Constance FitzGerald, OCD after receiving the LCWR Outstanding Leadership Award. These too will be translated into French and Spanish.
3. The press release about the assembly. Please feel free to use or adapt this release as you share with your own members and publics about the assembly. (https://lcwr.org/media/lcwr-assembly-explores-call-embody-love-sake-world)
4. The public statement issued by LCWR on the escalating tensions between the governments of the United States and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. (https://lcwr.org/media/lcwr-assembly-statement-us-dprk-crisis)
5. Information on ordering CDs and DVDs of various assembly events.
6. A short video capturing highlights of this assembly. Please feel free to share this video on your own social media platforms. (https://animoto.com/play/WMAxoiTam4bAoBDcLeGD5A?autostart=1)

You will receive a separate message that contains the link to the evaluation of this assembly. Please be sure to complete it since your feedback is invaluable as we plan future assemblies.

Please contact us if you have any questions.
 
National Office
Leadership Conference of Women Religious

The Provincial Leadership Team of the Marie de la Roche Provinces supports the LCWR statement on diversity. As stated in our Directional Statement of our 2016 Provincial Chapter, "…we commit ourselves to be in right relationship with one another and all of creation…Mindful of the brokenness within our global community, we commit ourselves to be prophets of hope and agents of healing…"

We are living at a moment when society is discovering the vast breadth and depth of both the richness and the challenges inherent in the diversity that exists within the human family. That diversity entails a rich mix of differences and encompasses all the dimensions that make each person unique including: ethnicity, race, age, gender and gender identity, beliefs, sexual orientation, and more.

As the world community grapples to understand diversity, we, the members of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, wholeheartedly join in this exploration. We recognize that this is a difficult journey that requires enormous capacity to transcend ideas that may have shaped our thinking over the course of decades, if not millennia. We acknowledge our need to continuously educate ourselves to understand differences – informed by science as well as theology, to patiently listen in a non-judgmental way to people who suffer because of who they are, and to commit to an unceasing reconsideration of our own ethical judgments in light of new understandings. Furthermore, we recognize that we must grow in our capacity and willingness to experience the pain and struggle of people who have been excluded or subjected to violence by others because of who they are. We know that the more we can see life from the perspective of others, the greater will be our capacity to grasp what they experience and learn from it.

As we work to understand the differences among us, we also pledge ourselves to work towards both inclusion and equity. We believe that all people need to feel valued and connected, and that they belong. All people thrive in environments where their inherent worth is respected, and where they are safe to express their authentic selves. Inclusion helps us all know that we belong to something bigger – the reign of God, in our view as religious. At the same time, we will work to guarantee a society marked by fairness, equal access and opportunity, and justice for all people.

As we continue this lifelong work of non-judgmentally walking along side persons whose ways of being may differ from our own, we anticipate that at times we will fail. We ask for forgiveness when we close our hearts, unconsciously exclude, or speak or act in ways that disrespect another. Like many in society, we know that we do not yet fully understand the diversity among us and that we have much work ahead of us. We believe, however, that the work to comprehend and appreciate what it means to be human in all our glorious diversity -- each one made in the image of God -- may be one of the most important contributions we can make at this critical moment of evolutionary change and growth for the entire global community. As women of faith, we are committed to it.

The facilities of several congregations of women religious have sustained damages from the fury of Hurricane Harvey. We thank the members of Region XII who have provided us with the contact information for congregations that need assistance and the names of congregations that are offering assistance.

Damage varies in the extent of severity, and the capabilities of the congregations to deal with the expenses vary, also. Most of those who have damaged facilities are still reaching out to help those who have been more severely impacted.

1. At this point, we are aware of these Congregations sustaining the worst damage due to the hurricane Harvey disaster:    Cenacle Sisters, in Houston, whose facilities are still underwater and have lost everything. They are now housed at Holy Name Retreat Center in Houston.

•     Carmelite Missionaries of St. Teresa, in Houston, who have three inundated convents and no flood insurance.
•     Dominican Sisters of Mary Immaculate, in Houston, who have roof damage.
•     La Salle Sisters, in Houston, who lost everything.
•     Missionary Catechists of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, in Victoria, who have two inundated convents.
•     Schoenstatt Sisters of Mary, in Lamar, TX, whose convent and retreat center were badly damaged.

2. Congregations responding directly to the needs of those impacted by hurricane Harvey are:

•     Sisters of the Incarnate Word and Blessed Sacrament (CVI) in Houston and Incarnate Word Academy
•     Sisters of the Incarnate Word and Blessed Sacrament in Corpus Christi
•     Sisters of the Incarnate Word and Blessed Sacrament in Victoria
•     Missionary Catechists of the Sacred Hearts in Victoria Sisters of the Incarnate Word and Blessed Sacrament in Beaumont
•     Cenacle Sisters in Houston

Contributions may be made directly to the congregations needing assistance and we provide the contact information for your reference.

Congregation of Our Lady of the Retreat in the Cenacle
(Sr. Pamela J. Falkowski, RC, pamelajeanrc@gmail.com Local Superior)
430 Bunker Hill Road, Houston, TX 77024-6399

Carmelite Missionaries of St. Teresa
(Sr. Victoria Alvarez, victoriaalvarez14@yahoo.com.mx Provincial Superior)
9548 Deer Trail Drive, Houston, TX 77038-3902

Dominican Sisters of Mary Immaculate Province
(Sr. Angela Pham, OP, srangela2012@gmail.com Provincial Superior)
5250 Gasmer Drive, Houston, TX 77035-5716

LaSalle Sisters
(Sr. Thoa Thi Ta, Ls.S, balaovn@yahoo.com Local Superior)
13115 Dogwood Blossom Trail, Houston, TX 770665

Missionary Catechists of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary
(Sr. Midory Wu, MSCH, wumidory@hotmail.com Provincial Superior)
203 E. Sabine Street, Victoria, TX 77901

Schoenstatt Sisters of Mary, SchoenstattLamar@gmail.com
(Donate with Credit card or PayPal account on website Schoenstatt-texas.org or schoenstattlamartx@corpus.twcbc.com )
134 Front Street, Rockport, TX 78382-7800

Contact information for the congregations responding directly to the needs of those impacted by hurricane Harvey follows:

Sisters of the Incarnate Word
(Sr. Lauren Beck, CVI, lbeck@incarnateword.org President, Incarnate Word Academy)
3400 Bradford Street, Houston, TX 77025

Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund
(Sr. Anne Marie Espinosa 361-774-4910)
Sisters of the Incarnate Word and Blessed Sacrament
5201 Lipes Blvd., Corpus Christi, TX 78413

Sisters of the Incarnate Word and Blessed Sacrament
(Sr. Stephana Marbach, IWBS, srstephana@yahoo.com )
1101 NE Water Street, Victoria, TX 77901

Missionary Catechists of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary
(Sr. Midory Wu, MSCH, wumidory@hotmail.com Provincial Superior)
203 E. Sabine Street, Victoria, TX 77901

Sisters of the Incarnate Word and Blessed Sacrament
(Sr. Annette Wagner, IWBS, sawagner@iwbscc.org [for Beaumont])
5201 Lipes Blvd., Corpus Christi, TX 78413

Congregation of Our Lady of the Retreat in the Cenacle
(Sr. Pamela J. Falkowski, RC, pamelajeanrc@gmail.com Local Superior)
430 Bunker Hill Road, Houston, TX 77024-6399

Congregation of Divine Providence
(Sr. Anita Brenek, CDP, abrenek@cdptexas.org )
515 SW 24th Street, San Antonio, TX 78207

Know that whatever support you can offer will be deeply appreciated. We now hold in our thoughts and prayers all who have been and will be affected by hurricane Irma.

Joan Marie Steadman, CSC
Executive Director

The following is a joint statement issued by The National Black Sisters’ Conference (NBSC) and the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR) in response to the conviction of former police officer Derek Chauvin for the murder of George Floyd.

We, the National Black Sisters’ Conference and the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, stand together in our commitment to the sacred dignity of each human person as emphasized in Catholic Social Teaching.

In the aftermath of the guilty verdict in the trial of Derek Chauvin for the murder of George Floyd, we recommit to working for real and sustained systemic change in the struggle to end institutional racism in every aspect of our society.

Sadly, we know that the trend of fatal police shootings has only escalated in this country over the last four years. The rate of fatal police shootings among Black Americans is much higher than that of any other ethnic group. Starting with the savage beating of Rodney King in Los Angeles in 1991 up to the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, the trend of abuse at the hands of law enforcement has alarmingly increased. 

In 2020 there were 1,021 fatal police shootings, and in the first three months of this year 213 people have been shot by the police; 30 of whom were African Americans. Police brutality is only one of the many manifestations of systemic racism; but it is one that too often ends in the death of too many young African Americans.

We believe that we are at a crucial moment in race relations in this country.  We must acknowledge and work to eradicate the sin of White Privilege that seeks to affirm the false superiority of Anglo-Saxon culture and way of life. 

We must as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. admonished us “learn to live together as brothers (and sisters) or perish together as fools.”  Therefore, we call upon all people of good will and especially people of faith to join us in working for real and sustainable solutions to the racial divide in our country.

We will not rest and our work will not be done until the belief that all people are created equal and entitled to the promise of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, is a lived reality for every American citizen.

Discerning Our Emerging Future is an initiative created by LCWR to support institutes of women religious as we explore together how collectively to organize for mission at a time of dramatic change. The initiative provides a path into the future marked by collaboration and creativity, as well as support and solidarity.

The accelerated pace of change in religious institutes points to an urgent need to work across religious institutes to create new sustainable structures that assure a future for religious life. Leaders are strongly urged to seriously consider the implications of the current reality of large numbers of aging members in religious communities, along with the entrance into religious orders in the United States of approximately 200 women each year. There is a clear call to our generation of leaders to create new ways to organize the body of US women religious for mission and service.

For more information, visit: https://lcwr.org/discernment-future-religious-life

This year LCWR is able to make recordings of the major LCWR assembly presentations available for viewing on the public side of our website: https://lcwr.org/2021-lcwr-assembly. The recordings are of:

• Presidential address and responders 
• Keynote address (in Spanish) and responders
• Testimonials by three LCWR members
• Role play for the Discernment of Our Emerging Future
• Lifetime Achievement Awards

Also on the site are texts from the addresses in English and Spanish, a summary of the assembly you can use for your own communications, and a 4 ½ minute video of the assembly highlights.