Sisters of Charity Attend LCWR Annual Assembly in Atlanta

“Be diligent in serving the poor. Love the poor, honor them, my children, as you would honor Christ Himself.”

St. Louise de Marillac

From Aug. 12-15, members of the Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati Leadership Team joined 860 participants in Atlanta, Georgia, for the annual assembly of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR). This year’s gathering brought together 570 leaders of women’s religious congregations, representing 18 countries. For the first time, chief administrative officers, communicators, and justice promoters who serve congregations were also welcomed to attend.

The assembly opened on the evening of Aug. 12 with a prayer service led by liturgist Julie Tragon, introducing participants to the theme, Hope Unbroken: Journeying in God’s Promise. Greetings from Vatican and Church leaders helped set the tone for the days ahead, which were filled with prayer, ritual, keynotes, and opportunities for deep reflection. On the assembly’s first full day, LCWR president S. Kathy Brazda, CSJ, offered an opening address, followed by a keynote from S. Simona Brambilla, MC, prefect of the Dicastery for Consecrated Life, who invited participants to reflect on the future of consecrated life and the call to live with unbroken hope. Small group processing gave leaders time to consider how these messages could be lived out in their own communities.

A particularly moving moment came on the morning of Aug. 14, when hundreds of participants joined a Pilgrimage of Hope through the streets of downtown Atlanta. With an escort from the Atlanta Police Department, the one-mile walk incorporated prayer, song, and silence, with pauses for reflection on three pressing issues: forced migration, climate change, and racism. The pilgrimage echoed LCWR’s commitment to justice and its call to live out the challenges of Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si’.

As the assembly drew to a close, participants heard from Sisters Barbara Beasley, RGS; Pat McDermott, RSM; and Sara Postlethwaite, VDMF, who shared how they remain grounded in leadership during challenging times and where they find hope. A ritual of commitment followed, inviting each participant to name the ways they will continue to engage with hope in their ministries.

The assembly also marked the transition of LCWR’s leadership. Outgoing president S. Maureen Geary, OP, was thanked for her service, and blessings were offered for the incoming officers: Sisters Vicky Larson, PBVM (president); Debra Sciano, SSND (president-elect); and Kathy Brazda, CSJ (past president). The closing banquet honored S. Mary Pat Garvin, RSM, with LCWR’s Outstanding Leadership Award.

Recordings of many of the assembly’s presentations are now available on LCWR’s website: https://www.lcwr.org/calendar/2025-lcwr-assembly.

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