This year's assembly is co-hosted by three LCWR regions. Holy Family Sr. Greta Jupiter, at podium, is chair of the LCWR's Region 5. Catholic Felician Sr. Rose Marie Jasinski is chair of Region 4, and Congregation of St. Joseph Sr. Rosemary Brennan is chair of Region 1. (GSR/Dawn Araujo-Hawkins)
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On Tuesday night -- from a stage lined with LED candles and backlit with the Leadership Conference of Women Religious' signature green and blue -- LCWR president Sister of St. Joseph Marcia Allen officially kicked off the conference's 2016 annual assembly in Atlanta.
LCWR leadership planned for contemplative dialogue to be the focus of this year's assembly, and the opening night was no exception. After a brief contemplative exercise, School Sister of Notre Dame Catherine Bertrand and Sister of St. Joseph Liz Sweeney chronicled the contemplative dialogue process that will guide sisters of the next four days. After the keynote speeches on Wednesday and Thursday, LCWR members will meet in "deepening groups" of six to process what they've heard. In addition to this structured dialogue, a contemplation room will be available to sisters throughout the assembly.
"I sense [the Spirit] already in this room as a light right in front of us," Sweeney said in her remarks. "The Spirit is the allurement that brought us to this assembly. Spirit is the mystery asking for our complete yes so that we might be broken open and transformed."
