Spiritual Leadership for Challenging Times
June 7, 2014 - The Catholic University of America, Washington, DC
The conference included a conversation among the first three sisters below -- all past presents of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR) -- and Q&A with them as well as the conference opening speaker, LCWR's associate director for programs. Here are their bios:
Sister Pat Farrell, OSF
Pat Farrell, OSF is a Franciscan Sister of Dubuque, Iowa. Early in her religious life she was part of a religious
education team for a county in rural Iowa and taught English and theology at
the high school level. Subsequently she served for five years in pastoral work
and community organizing with the Hispanic community in San Antonio, Texas. For
20 years, Pat worked in Latin America, first in Chile and later in El Salvador,
in the areas of parish ministry, human rights, women’s issues, mental health,
and holistic healing. She has also worked in the behavioral health field predominantly
with Spanish-speaking people in Chicago and Omaha. Pat’s work as a
psychotherapist has led her to serve a variety of immigrant and refugee groups,
survivors of war and torture, as well as women and men religious. She is currently
completing her term on the leadership team of her congregation. She served in the presidency of LCWR from 2010-2013. Pat earned a
Master’s Degree in Social Work from Loyola University, Chicago and a B.A. in
English from Briar Cliff University.
Sister Helen Maher Garvey, BVM
Helen Maher Garvey, BVM is a Sister of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Dubuque, Iowa. She is an organizational consultant for religious congregations. Presently she serves on the Board of the National Catholic Reporter. She was the director of the LCWR History Exhibit, Women and Spirit: Catholic Sisters in America, which toured the USA 2009-12, including the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC. Helen was Director of the Office of Pastoral Services for the Diocese of Lexington for ten years. She served in the presidency of the LCWR from 1986-89 and was a U.S. Delegate to the International Union of Superiors General. Helen also served as president of her congregation. Helen earned her master’s and doctorate in Organizational Development from Columbia University, New York and her B.A. in English from Clarke College.
Sister Mary Hughes, OP
Mary Hughes is a Dominican Sister of Amityville, New York. Her ministerial history has been in the field of education. She has been a teacher educator at St. Francis College, Brooklyn, and Iona College, New Rochelle, NY, as well as an Assistant Principal, a Principal, and a project developer for a program for academically talented students. Twice, Mary was elected to leadership in her congregation to serve as Prioress and it was during the last term that she was called into the presidency of LCWR, where she served 2009-12. Internationally, she has served as the North American representative for Dominican Sisters International and as an invited member of the Directorium for the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome. Mary earned a master’s and doctorate from Teachers College, Columbia University; a Certificate in Public Administration from St. John’s University; an M.S. from Hunter College in Early Childhood Education; and a B.A. from Molloy College in English, Elementary Education.
Sister Marie McCarthy, SP
Marie McCarthy, SP has been a Sister of Providence of St. Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana, for 54 years. She has spent her life as an educator – first in the field of music, then in the interface between psychology, theology and the arts. She served on the faculty of Catholic Theological Union (CTU) in Chicago, and on the clinical and training faculty of the Center for Religion and Psychotherapy of Chicago, before being elected to leadership within her congregation. Marie served a total of 17 years in elected leadership. Following a sabbatical in 2012 she accepted the position of Associate Director of Programs for the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR). Marie has a passion for religious life and for fostering human flourishing in all whom she encounters. She earned a Ph.D. in Religion and Psychological Studies from the University of Chicago, Divinity School, an M.A. in Theology from CTU, an M.M. in Music from Butler University in Indianapolis and a B.S. in Music from St. Mary-of-the-Woods College.