June 2019

Building Bridges and Breaking Down Stereotypes

by Sharlet Wagner, CSC -- LCWR President

Canon law is not a topic that typically causes the eyes of women religious to light up. It is generally seen as dry and dogmatic, with a focus more on rules than on spirit and heart. I recently told some of our sisters that I find a great deal of wisdom and inspiration in the Code of Canon Law. They looked at me in a way that suggests they were mentally making plans to have me assessed for early-onset dementia!

Yet, there was a palpable energy in the room last month as 100 women religious gathered in Chicago to address the topic of Canon Law and Temporal Goods. It was not the agenda that led to the air of excitement, but rather the fact of the gathering itself. The participants were 50 members of LCWR and 50 members of CMSWR (Council of Major Superiors of Women Religious) and the day was jointly planned by the two conferences. The room was filled with introductions and joyful greetings and an underlying sense of the significance of the event. (Download PDF below to continue reading)