Women Religious Congregations Commit to Joint Endeavors 

Contact: 
Mary Kay Gilbert 513-347-5466 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – June 16, 2002

Cincinnati — More than 60 leaders from women religious congregations that trace their roots to St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, St. Vincent de Paul and St. Louise de Marillac accepted a new vision statement at their annual meeting June 13-16 that emphasizes their commitment to making the world a better place. The leaders represent more than 5,000 women religious in 13 congregations in the United States and Canada that form the Sisters of Charity Federation in the Vincentian-Setonian Tradition. The meeting was hosted by the Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati and the Sisters of Charity of Our Lady of Mercy, Charleston, S.C., and was held at Mount St. Joseph, the Motherhouse of the Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati.

The leadership members agreed to “embrace the reality of our lives both in the context of membership and mission. And, in solidarity with the poor, to intentionally use our corporate energy as a Federation for witness, advocacy and system change on a global and local level.” 

Originally formed in 1947 to work for the canonization of Elizabeth Seton, the Federation has continued through the years to sponsor joint projects. In conjunction with the acceptance of this vision statement, the Sisters took steps to facilitate their pursuit of the mission: 

• The members gave the Executive Committee the power to hire an administrative assistant to provide ongoing support and a central point of contact for the members. 
• The Sisters agreed to seek a part-time volunteer to assume fiscal responsibilities. Until now there was no centralized financial record keeping for the Federation. 
• Each congregation will assume the costs of the Federation projects according to the number of members in their North American congregations. 
  
  

“Each of the congregations is doing wonderful things to promote the Gospel imperative of love,” said Sister of Charity of Cincinnati Maureen Heverin, Federation president.  “By taking these steps to formalize our commitment to work together, we hope to maximize our efforts, energy and resources. Together we can do more than any one group alone to make the world a more loving, peaceful, equitable place for all people.”

One of the joint endeavors of the Federation has been sponsorship of a non-governmental organization (NGO) representative to the United Nations. Sister of Charity Marie Elena Dio (Halifax, Canada), who has been the NGO representative since 1997, now has an intern working with her in New York, and following last’s year’s approval of additional staff, is adding two associates this summer. Sister Marie Elena works with a committee of representatives from each of the Federation congregations. At the annual meeting the leadership agreed to accept the NGO committee’s recommendation to commit to working “toward the UN Millennium targets of: halving the proportion of people who suffer from hunger and eradicating extreme poverty by 2015.”

The annual meeting also provided the leaders an opportunity for sharing good news about their congregations and celebrating the charism of their founders. Each year the host congregation(s) brings local culture into the meeting. Since both the Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati and the Sister of Charity of Our Lady of Mercy, Charleston, S.C., are river towns, water, sand, shells and lighthouses carried out the “Down by the Riverside” theme. A boat ride on the Ohio River Friday night was a perfect blend of celebration and relaxation, and was beautifully punctuated with a double rainbow following a sudden storm.

As the last order of business the members voted on officers for next year: Sister Judith Fitzgerald, NDSC (Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada), president; Sister of Charity of New York Elaine Owens, vice president; Sister of Charity of Cincinnati Maureen Heverin, secretary; and Sister of Charity of Leavenworth Barbara Aldrich, treasurer. The annual meeting for 2003 will be held in Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada, June 12-15.

The members of the Federation are committed:

• To working collaboratively, sharing their traditions and gifts for the good of the Gospel.
• To participating in social, spiritual and educational experiences that strengthen their identity.
• To further understanding and expression of their common heritage rooted in Vincent, Louise and Elizabeth as expressed in the traditions of the various member congregations.