Sister Debra Sciano Named New President of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious



Sr. Debra Sciano, age 68, is the new president of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR) on August 14, succeeding Presentation Sr. Vicky Larson. The LCWR represents approximately two-thirds of the nearly 35,000 Catholic sisters in the United States. Sciano steps into the role after serving as an LCWR region chair, national board member, and president-elect.

Background and Leadership Profile

  • Religious Life: A member of the School Sisters of Notre Dame since 1977, Sciano served as provincial leader of the order’s Central Pacific Province, guiding the community through the complex process of merging four provinces into one.

  • Legal Career: Before entering full-time congregational leadership in 2001, Sciano earned a law degree from St. Thomas University. She spent nearly 13 years as an assistant district attorney in Wisconsin representing abused and neglected children, successfully arguing a landmark child welfare case before the Wisconsin Supreme Court in 1998.

  • Church Engagement: During her year as LCWR president-elect, she engaged in high-level dialogue with church officials, including a trip to Rome for meetings with Vatican dicasteries and Pope Leo XIV to foster collaboration and open communication.

  • Leadership Style: Colleagues describe Sciano as an attentive, empathetic, and inclusive leader who prioritizes active listening, collaboration with lay partners, and a global perspective on the church.

An avid Milwaukee Brewers fan known for hand-writing paper scorecards at baseball games, Sciano brings a detail-oriented, grounded approach to her new national leadership position.

Source https://www.globalsistersreport.org/news/meet-sr-debra-sciano-new-president-leadership-conference-women-religious

Image Sr. Sciano with Pope Francis in 2023 



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