US Federation of the Sisters of St. Joseph: Continuing to Refine the Process of Contemplative Dialogue at LCWR

Sr. Liz Sweeney, SSJ

This year Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR) expanded on a process of contemplative dialogue that they have been using for several years. Led by Sr. Liz Sweeney, SSJ, (Philadelphia) the participants began each of three presentations in a contemplative mode.

The presenters Sr. Gloria Schaab, SSJ (Philadelphia) began with her presentation entitled, “In the Image of the Trinity: To Be is To Be in Relation.” Click here to read her address. The new twist was that the other keynote speakers, Heidi Russell and Simon Pedro Arnold, OSB, responded to what they heard. They were followed by a panel of LCWR members who also responded and then engaged in dialogue about what the presentation might mean to

Sr. Gloria Schaab

them as leaders. This powerful new dynamic seemed to really help the process go deeper.

After a short break, LCWR participants went to contemplative dialogue groups as has been done in the last few LCWR Assemblies. In these groups, gatherings of six engaged in contemplative silence and then followed a contemplative dialogue process to hear what was emerging. There were four to six groups of six in each room. After two listening processes, the groups of six shared what was emerging with the other groups in the room. In my group there was a powerful convergence of energy as each group shared their reflections.

Sr. Judy Donovan

In each room was a listener who led the process. When the whole body reconvened 4 listeners shared what they heard emerging so that the body began to get a sense of the communal dialogue of the whole. Three Sisters of St Joseph, Srs. Judy Donovan, Joan Gallagher, and Janet Lander served as listeners.

Sr. Janet Lander

Sr. Joan Gallagher

LCWR committed to a several year process to use communal dialogue as a mode of hearing God’s voice in their seeking direction for the Conference. Each year it does seem that the process has allowed them to go deeper into understanding their movement together.