Sisters from all corners of the world meet in Rome to address the challenges of sustaining our societies and the planet
In 1965, the Vatican II document “Gaudium at Spes, the pastoral constitution on the Church in the modern world was promulgated. It began (in 1960s language) with the opening passage. “The joys and the hopes, the griefs and the anxieties of the men of this age, especially those who are poor or in any way afflicted, these are the joys and hopes, the griefs and anxieties of the followers of Christ. Indeed, nothing genuinely human fails to raise an echo in their hearts. For theirs is a community composed of men. United in Christ, they are led by the Holy Spirit in their journey to the Kingdom of their Father and they have welcomed the news of salvation which is meant for every man. That is why this community realizes that it is truly linked with mankind and its history by the deepest of bonds.”
Religious took these words to heart. They returned to the origins of their founding and recognized their charism (gift) to the Church. They moved from their places of safety to embracing the gospel and seeing in the lives of the poor and powerless the face of Jesus. They prayed, studied, and put into action the call to be at one with their sisters and brothers. At times they were criticized and chastised for their actions. Their prophetic voice spoke out against injustice. Their hearts widened to embrace all they encountered. They have been doing this for an exceedingly long time.
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As the synod on “synodality” wrapped up in September, another group was gathering in Rome. They were not just there to address the needs of the Church but to also respond to the challenges our world is facing. After three years of prayer and study, the UISG (International Union of Superiors General), an association of Catholic Sister congregations with over 1,900 members in 97 countries and representing over 600,000 Catholic Sisters worldwide, joined forces with the Global Solidarity Fund to invite Sisters from all corners of the world, along with representatives from governments, intergovernmental agencies, faith groups, Vatican institutions, academic experts, civil society, the media and the private sector to engage in dialogue with them. Together, they aimed to create a plan for advocacy that can drive systematic change and address the challenges of sustaining our societies and planet Earth. Areas of study and dialogue included climate change, biodiversity loss, unemployment, immigration, poverty, forced migration, human trafficking, issues of health, violation of human rights, and other injustices. It included those on the global level such as NGOs at the United Nations to those who work at the grassroots level. The experiences of the local to the global could empower and bring about systematic change.
“Catholic Sisters are on the frontlines of the world’s most urgent humanitarian and development challenges,” according to Sr. Patricia Murray, IBVM, executive secretary at UISG. “Through centuries of supporting marginalized and vulnerable communities accompanying their suffering and sharing in their struggles for empowerment and justice. Sisters have developed an exceptional model of community engagement, making their grassroots networks a key piece of the international development puzzle.”
UISG believes those networks must be connected with decision-makers at the global level, she said, in order to channel their potential and foster truly sustainable, systematic change: this is the vision that guides advocacy at UISG and underpins our first-ever Advocacy Forum.
Areas of the working groups included: Sustainable Lifestyles, Diversity and Dialogue, Prophetic Advocacy, Activating communities and networks, Building a narrative story, and Engaging decision-makers for change. The two days encompassed the hope of the Synod and encouraged the continuation of the work for advocacy, justice, and the challenge of intentional living and representation for all.
Sister Patricia M. Wormann O.P. is the Delegate for Religious, Archdiocese of Newark.
Featured image: Leaders of the Women’s International Union of SuperiorsGeneral and the Global Solidarity Fund are pictured at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, May 23, 2022. From left are Salesian Sister Ruth del Pilar Mora, a native of Colombia who was worked in Ethiopia for years; Loreto Sister Patricia Murray, executive secretary of the women’s International Union of SuperiorsGeneral; Marta Guglielmetti, executive director of the Global Solidarity Fund; and Sister Mary John Kudiyiruppil, a member of the Missionaries of the Holy Spirit from India and associate executive secretary of the International Union of SuperiorsGeneral. (CNS photo/courtesy Gian Marco Maraviglia, Global Solidarity Fund)
