LCWR ASSEMBLY 2018
“Being the Presence of Love: The Power of Communion”
August 7-10 in St. Louis, Missouri
Summaries. highlights, and videos of the Assembly:
Tuesday, 8/7/18 evening: Assembly Opening
Wednesday, 8/8/18 morning – Presidential Address by President Sister Teresa Maya, followed by Deepening Groups (contemplative small-group dialogue)
8/8/18 afternoon - Keynote address: “In the Image of the Trinity: To Be Is To Be in Relation” – Sister of St. Joseph Gloria Schaab, professor of systematic theology and chair of the department of theology and philosophy at Barry University, Miami - followed by responses and then by small-group contemplative dialogue (Deepening Groups)
Thursday, 8/9/18 morning – Keynote address: “Trinity as Source, Word, and Spirit of Love: Relationship to the Core of Reality” – Heidi Russell, associate professor in the Institute of Pastoral Studies at Loyola University Chicago - followed by responses and then by small-group contemplative dialogue (Deepening Groups)
Friday, 8/10/18 morning – Keynote address: “The Mystery of the Incarnation: Revelation of the Triune God as a Vulnerable God” – Benedictine Brother Simón Pedro Arnold, renowned Belgian theologian who has worked in South America for 40 years; decades; professor of theology and communications sciences in Peru. His keynote was followed by responses and then by contemplative small-group dialogue for all Assembly participants.
Friday, 8/10/18 noon – Being in Communion: Standing Against Racism – Assembly resolution and silent procession to the Old Courthouse where the Dred Scott case was heard in the 1840s-50s. For background, see the "Black Sisters" section of our Sisters - History page.
Friday, 8/10/18 afternoon -- Blessing of new LCWR officers 2018-2019
Friday, 8/10/18 evening -- LCWR Outstanding Leadership Award: Tribute to recipient Sister Anita Baird, who has worked to combat racism, especially in the Diocese of Chicago. (Hear her at Catholic Women Preach.)
- Assembly intro and overview from LCWR
- Assembly agenda
- Order audio or video of LCWR 2018 Assembly sessions now.
- LCWR Narrative Summary: "LCWR Assembly Explores the Call to Foster Communion in a Fractured World"
- LCWR brief video overview of the assemby
- Contemplative dialogue process: a deeper look at what it was like, via a blog post from LCWR member Sr. Patty Johnson, "Continuing to refine the process of contemplative dialogue at LCWR"
- Media coverage:
- Interview with incoming LCWR president Sister Sharlet Wagner, whose work overseas and as a US-based immigration lawyer – plus her international childhood and many other experiences – have made her a “citizen of the world” as well as a listening leader and a balanced human being.
- Overall conference plans and context: “Upcoming LCWR assembly will continue the call to communion” by Soli Salgado at Global Sisters Report
- Presidential address: "Sister Teresa Maya challenges LCWR to go forth amid changing times" by Soli Salgado at Global Sisters Report
- The rich, diverse insights of the first two keynote speakers, Sister Gloria Schaab and Heidi Russell: "We are patterns that connect: LCWR reflects on Trinity, physics, racism" by Soli Salgado of Global Sisters Report
- LCWR Assembly anti-racism resolution and action, "LCWR Assembly reaffirms commitment to addressing 'the sin of racism,'" by Soli Salgado of Global Sisters Report
- LCWR Assembly's final keynote (Br. Simon Pedro Arnold), reflections on anti-racism action, and Sr. Anita Baird's acceptance of the Outstanding Leadership Award: "LCWR wraps up assembly with reflection on the Trinity and diversity," by Soli Salgado of Global Sisters Report
- Sr. Anita Baird's work to change structures that reinforced racism, by Dan Stockman and Soli Salgado in Global Sisters Report
- Sisterhood behind the scenes at the Assembly - translators, confronting racism at home, mobilizing against the death penalty, more, by Soli Salgado of Global Sisters Report
- Q&A with Sister Jayne Helmlinger, president-elect
Tuesday, 8/7/18 evening: Assembly Opening
- LCWR president Sr. Teresa Maya, Assembly facilitator Sister Catherine Bertrand, Assembly contemplative guide Sr. Liz Sweeney, and Fr. Hank Lemoncelli representing the Vatican Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life (CICLSAL)
- Tweets thanks to Global Sisters Report @sistersreport
Wednesday, 8/8/18 morning – Presidential Address by President Sister Teresa Maya, followed by Deepening Groups (contemplative small-group dialogue)
- Full text
- Media coverage: "Sister Teresa Maya challenges LCWR assembly to go forth amid changing times" by Soli Salgado in Global Sisters Report
- Tweets from Global Sisters Report unless attributed to others
8/8/18 afternoon - Keynote address: “In the Image of the Trinity: To Be Is To Be in Relation” – Sister of St. Joseph Gloria Schaab, professor of systematic theology and chair of the department of theology and philosophy at Barry University, Miami - followed by responses and then by small-group contemplative dialogue (Deepening Groups)
- Full text
- Media coverage: "We are patterns that connect: LCWR reflects on Trinity, physics, racism" -- Report on the first two keynote speakers, Sister Gloria Schaab and Heidi Russell, by Soli Salgado of Global Sisters Report
- Tweets from Global Sisters Report (Scroll up and down as needed to see all tweets.)
- Superb thread of tweets covering Sister Gloria Schaab's keynote address
- The other two keynote speakers and LCWR leaders respond to Sister Gloria's presentation
Thursday, 8/9/18 morning – Keynote address: “Trinity as Source, Word, and Spirit of Love: Relationship to the Core of Reality” – Heidi Russell, associate professor in the Institute of Pastoral Studies at Loyola University Chicago - followed by responses and then by small-group contemplative dialogue (Deepening Groups)
- Full text
- Tweets from Global Sisters Report unless attributed to others:
- Heidi Russell's keynote address
- Brother Simon Pedro Arnold responds to Heidi Russell's keynote address
- Gloria Schaab responds to Heidi Russell's keynote address
- Sisters respond to Heidi Russell's keynote address (Thanks to Global Sisters Report for tweets.)
- Sister Susan Francois, CSJP @susanfrancois: What it means to be person is ultimately to unfold the love that has been folded into us" (by God). -Heidi Russell #LCWR2018
- Media coverage: "We are patterns that connect: LCWR reflects on Trinity, physics, racism" -- Report on the first two keynote speakers, Sister Gloria Schaab and Heidi Russell, by Soli Salgado of Global Sisters Report
Friday, 8/10/18 morning – Keynote address: “The Mystery of the Incarnation: Revelation of the Triune God as a Vulnerable God” – Benedictine Brother Simón Pedro Arnold, renowned Belgian theologian who has worked in South America for 40 years; decades; professor of theology and communications sciences in Peru. His keynote was followed by responses and then by contemplative small-group dialogue for all Assembly participants.
- Full text (also in Spanish)
- Tweets from Global Sisters Report (will be posted here by end of day, we hope)
- Report on LCWR Assembly's final keynote (Br. Simon Pedro Arnold), reflections on anti-racism action, and Sr. Anita Baird's acceptance of the Outstanding Leadership Award: "LCWR wraps up assembly with reflection on the Trinity and diversity," by Soli Salgado of Global Sisters Report
Friday, 8/10/18 noon – Being in Communion: Standing Against Racism – Assembly resolution and silent procession to the Old Courthouse where the Dred Scott case was heard in the 1840s-50s. For background, see the "Black Sisters" section of our Sisters - History page.
- The LCWR 2018 Assembly Resolution and Statement of Commitment: "In the presence of constant and painful reminders of the deep roots of racism in our country, we the Leadership Conference of Women Religious reaffirm the 2016 assembly resolution and pledge to go deeper into the critical work of creating communion, examining the root causes of injustice and our own complicity, and purging ourselves, our communities and our country of the sin of racism and its destructive effects." (Adopted unanimously)
- Video of sisters singing at the courthouse thanks to Communicators for Religious
- Tweets from Global Sisters Report
- Photos, video, and tweets from Soli Salgado of Global Sisters Report
- Media coverage : "LCWR Assembly reaffirms commitment to addressing "the sin of racism" and reflections after anti-racism action
Friday, 8/10/18 afternoon -- Blessing of new LCWR officers 2018-2019
- In the three-person presidency, Sister Teresa Maya is now Past President, Sister Sister Sharlet Ann Wagner, CSC is President (interview: “Incoming LCWR president Sharlet Wagner sees herself as a ‘citizen of the world’”), and Sister Jayne Helmlinger is President-Elect (interview and youtube). Sister Mary Pellegrino, CSJ (Past President 2017-18) joins the awesome ranks of the former presidents.
- Tweets from Global Sisters Report
- Report on LCWR Assembly's final keynote (Br. Simon Pedro Arnold), reflections on anti-racism action, and Sr. Anita Baird's acceptance of the Outstanding Leadership Award: "LCWR wraps up assembly with reflection on the Trinity and diversity," by Soli Salgado of Global Sisters Report.
- Q&A with Sister Jayne Helmlinger, president-elect.
Friday, 8/10/18 evening -- LCWR Outstanding Leadership Award: Tribute to recipient Sister Anita Baird, who has worked to combat racism, especially in the Diocese of Chicago. (Hear her at Catholic Women Preach.)
- Text
- About Sister Anita Baird's work against racism
- Tweets from Global Sisters Report
- Report on LCWR Assembly's final keynote (Br. Simon Pedro Arnold), reflections on anti-racism action, and Sr. Anita Baird's acceptance of the Outstanding Leadership Award: "LCWR wraps up assembly with reflection on the Trinity and diversity," by Soli Salgado of Global Sisters Report