Sisters Elect New Congregational Leadership

IPSWICH, Mass. - Oct. 2, 2014 - PRLog -- Ipswich, MA, USA – October 2, 2014– From July 12 through August 2, 2014, Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur (SNDdeN) gathered at Trinity University in Washington, D.C., USA.They accepted the challenge of being “called to be women of justice and peace in the midst of the inequality and violence in our world.”  Members of leadership teams and elected delegates from 18 provinces from fourteen countries on five continents decided unanimously “to stand with people made poor in a world marked by increasing divisions and inequalities.”Every six years, this Congregation of Roman Catholic women religious convenes a General Chapter as the highest decision-making body for the Sisters internationally.

On July 26, 2014, the General Chapter delegates re-elected Sister Teresita Weind (USA), a member of the Ohio Province, as the Congregational Leader for second term of six years. They elected also a new Leadership Team, Sisters Patricia O’Brien (Britain), Liliane Sweko, re-elected, (Democratic Republic of Congo), Masheti Wangoyi (Kenya) and Maureen White (USA) to serve the Congregation from 2014-2020.

Chapter delegates shaped future directions, with concrete steps for implementation, and determined priorities for the Life in Mission during the next 6 years for more than 1300 members. Considering the diminished value of human life, the destruction of Earth and intolerance towards people perceived to be different, the Sisters included personal and collective responsibility in movement forward through action for justice.

Founded in 1804 in Amiens, France by St. Julie Billiart (1751-1816), the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, serve in a variety of ministries with associates, co-workers, and volunteers in Africa, Asia, Europe, North, Central and South America. The Congregation strives to respond, through education and programs for social justice, to the needs of people around the world, especially those living in poverty. The Sisters staff offices/centers in Rome, ITALY, Namur, BELGIUM and Ipswich, MA, USA.They maintain a website at www.sndden.org