- December 9, 2022 Community
Prayer. Reflection. Conversation. Direction. Action.
This is what our Province Chapter of Elections was about, a sacred time and space for our communal discernment process of imagining together our emerging future direction and inviting leadership to take us there.
Day One’s conversations and sharings, both deep and impactful, were focused on exploring this emerging future direction.
With a recognition and self-awareness that the sisters are aging brought to the surface, the sisters also heartily affirmed their energy for mission. But our mission, our future, is more than just “ours.” There was great support expressed for leveraging collaborations and partnerships with the People of God to further our priorities.
As partners in mission, the value of the associates in living community, spirituality and justice. However, the discomfort that surrounds the sister/associate relationship was named. There is a desire to both clarify and reconcile this relationship to effectively and justly move forward.
Also heard was a great desire to influence systemic change. An important aspect of bringing about change will be addressing our complicity and our role in all the unjust systems we are part of – including our own. There is a strong drive to take action, which will require the sisters to better define what “systemic change” means for us and to further flesh out the actions that will be needed to bring it about.
Some of the challenges ahead to acknowledge: our grief for the losses we are experiencing, our tendency to avoid conflicts and hard conversations, and those times we fell short of being inclusive and welcoming.
Within these realities, desires and challenges is a feeling of hope - hope that we can be inspiring women of change that bring unifying love to a divisive world today and tomorrow.
Day Two focused on moving us forward in defining our direction and next steps – what have we named as priorities and who has the gifts to move us forward with them?
Communal discernment continued with a deep dive into leadership competencies in five cluster areas: intrapersonal, interpersonal, decisional, influential and spiritual. The sisters considered and shared which competencies they believe are most needed at this time. The ten sisters in leadership discernment were given the opportunity to share their personal competencies as well as their challenges along with what model of leadership they envision.
The year-long chapter process culminated in the election of the Province Leadership Team, which spanned across Days Two and Three. The sisters elected a five-member team whose five-year term begins July 2023 (l-r): Sisters Linda Straub, Mary Margaret Lazio, Jeanene Yackey, Kathleen Karbowski, Maureen Freeman. Sister Mary Margaret was affirmed as province director. We are grateful they have offered their gifts to the province at this time. Please hold them in prayer as they prepare for their time of service in leadership.
Also, a province directional statement was affirmed, compiled by Sisters Patrice Coolick and Mary McGlone. The statement is designed to encompass priority desires and directions that have been shared throughout the chapter process. Participants were able to respond and give feedback. The statement calls the community to recognize some truths about ourselves and our attitudes as well as accept the risk and radical commitment required to live into our hoped-for future.
Click here to read the full 2022 Province Chapter Directions Statement.