Largest Women's Religious Leadership Assembly in the USA - LCWR Celebrates 70 Years with the Theme "Many Charisms, One Spirit, One Call"


LCWR Celebrates 70 Years at Annual Assembly Focused on Synodality and Continental Justice

The Leadership Conference of Women Religious, includes 1,300 female religious leaders as members who represent about two-thirds (66%) of the United States' women's congregations of nearly 35,000 sisters, held its annual assembly.
Over 1,300 women religious leadership members, justice promoters, and guests gathered in Orlando, Florida, from August 11–14 for the Leadership Council of Women Religious (LCWR) annual assembly, marking the organization’s 70th anniversary under the theme "Many Charisms, One Spirit, One Call."

Key highlights of the 2026 assembly include:

  • Historic Vatican Messages: Attendees received pre-recorded video messages from Pope Leo XIV and Sr. Simona Brambilla, prefect of the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life.

  • Focus on Synodality: Keynote speaker Sr. Nathalie Becquart, undersecretary of the Synod of Bishops, framed the assembly’s focus on synodality ("walking together") and listening as a central call for modern Catholic religious life.

  • Interconnected Social Justice: Continuing a decade-long focus on systemic issues, LCWR paired leadership with justice promoters to address climate change, forced migration, and racism across the Americas.

  • Jericho Walk Ritual: Attendees participated in a "Jericho Walk"—a ritual of lament identifying real-world suffering surrounding detention centers, environmental degradation, and racial injustice.

  • Leadership Transition: Outgoing LCWR President Sr. Vicky Larson delivered a presidential address reflecting on cultural transition, handing leadership to incoming President Sr. Debra Sciano.

  • Day One of the 70th anniversary celebration of the LCWR opened with an inspiring sense of connection, joy, and shared purpose. Though seated across two adjacent ballrooms—“Charism” and “Spirit/Call”—seamless technology united nearly 180 tables, bringing over 1,000 participants together as one community. From the start, the setting reflected the true heart of the gathering: many voices and distinct charisms joining for a singular journey. The opening ritual grounded us in deep reflection. Drawing inspiration from monks’ recent Walk for Peace, they joined in prayer, acknowledged the sacred land beneath us, and answered the call of traditional drums to enter into silent presence. As representatives from visiting conferences and organizations processed to the stage, placing symbols of their communities into a central display, the room became a living mosaic of our shared diversity and rich history. This is just the beginning. There is a tangible energy here: a collective feeling that we are not just honoring 70 years of history, but actively shaping the future together.

    • The second day of the LCWR’s celebration focused on gratitude, discernment, and synodality. Opening messages set the tone: Pope Leo XIV called for unity, listening, and Holy Spirit-led discernment across diverse communities, while Sr. Simona Brambilla emphasized the prophetic beauty of gathering many charisms under one Spirit. Sr. Nathalie Becquart further explored synodality as a relational way of being, highlighting that peace starts within and that religious life relies on mutual collaboration and humble listening. Finally, LCWR outgoing President Sr. Vicky Larson used musical metaphors—melody, harmony, and sacred dissonance—to illustrate how individual charisms combine to form a new path forward, setting the stage for synodal conversations about the future of religious life.

  •  Day Three of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR)  assembly opened with an invocation of the Holy Spirit, setting a prayerful tone for a day focused on communal discernment, hospitality, and active faith.

    Before presenting, keynote speakers Sister Mila Diaz Solano, OP, Sister Mary Gabriel Devlin, SV, and Brother Michael Perras, OFM, received a blessing before the assembly—marking a collective opening to the Spirit.

    Keynote Highlights

    • "Many Charisms: Gifts for a Wounded World" | Sr. Mila Diaz Solano, OP

      Calling charism a "gratuitous and powerful gift of the Spirit," Sr. Mila urged attendees to view a suffering world with hope, highlighting care for creation, the plight of migrants, and the urgent mandate for peace.

    • "One Call: Responding Mystically and Prophetically" | Sr. Mary Gabriel Devlin, SV

      Framing listening as "a form of hospitality" and love, Sr. Mary Gabriel noted, "It’s possible to listen to another person back to life," calling for deep compassion and reverence for every human story.

    • "One Spirit: Listening for God in Our Time" | Br. Michael Perras, OFM

      Quoting St. Anthony of Padua—"Let your words teach and your actions speak"—Br. Michael shared personal stories of radical hospitality to show how ordinary encounters can radiate Christ and reveal God's love.

    Conversation in the Spirit

    Following the talks, participants engaged in three rounds of Conversation in the Spirit.

    • Heart-Centered Connection: Table discussions quickly shifted from intellectual processing to deep spiritual connection, bridging diverse backgrounds.

    • The Gift of Silence: Intermittent periods of silence proved essential, offering sacred space for stories to settle and allowing the Spirit to move quietly among the assembly.

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