Sr. Maureen Geary Reflects on 3 years of LCWR Leadership
A member of the Dominican Sisters of Grand Rapids, Sr. Maureen Geary, recently completed her term in the presidency of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR), a national organization representing the vast majority of Catholic sisters in the United States. During her three years in leadership, she helped guide LCWR through a time of transformation—marked by reflection on the evolving realities of religious life, engagement in global synodal processes, and renewed commitment to Gospel-rooted service in a complex world. In this conversation, Sr. Maureen reflects on the blessings and challenges of her time in leadership, what she has learned about the vitality of religious life today, and the hope she carries forward for the future of consecrated life in the Church and society.
1. What were the most significant challenges you faced during your three years in LCWR leadership?
During my service in the LCWR presidency, we continued deep conversations about the current reality of our religious institutes, with our blessings and challenges. We completed a report on our national initiative called Discerning Our Emerging Future built on interviews with more than 90% of our members (congregational leaders) and worked to have the results of these interviews shape our programming and services. We began a national conversation called Living into Our Emerging Future to engage sisters-at-large in our members’ congregations. We began a process to better understand what our members need from LCWR, engaging the National Board and Region Chairs in strategic conversations. We experienced the blessing of our three-person presidency model, as during my term one member of the presidency addressed a significant health challenge and another had to attend to congregational matters that required her to step down. LCWR is served by a talented National Board and Region Chairs along with an exceptional national office, and our work continued.
2. How did your perspective on religious life in the U.S. evolve during your service?
My service in the LCWR Presidency afforded me a very broad exposure to religious life in the U.S. In the United States of America, we enjoy conversations and good relationships with many groups, including the Religious Brothers Conference, the Council of Major Superiors of Women Religious and the Conference of Major Superiors of Men, along with committees with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. More broadly, we also connect frequently with our contemporaries in the Canadian Religious Conference and the Confederation of Latin American Religious as well as UISG and conferences of women religious around the world. These relationships broadened my appreciation for the many ways the Gospel is preached through consecrated life, domestically and internationally, across charisms, and in collaborative endeavors. Religious life is alive and inspirited!
3. What do you see as LCWR’s most important role in the Church and society today?
LCWR is blessed to serve at the intersection of many conversations and relationships within the Church. We have long engaged in synodal processes (small “s”) within our living of religious life, and in recent years we have embraced Pope Francis’ call to be a Synodal Church and participated in the Synod as a conference and within our congregations. I would also say that LCWR is a listening conference. We are listening deeply to our members, our Church, and our world – both humanity and the created world – to understand where the Good News of Jesus Christ can bring solace and hope. Through broad collaboration, we are serving our members and helping our members to accompany each other.
4. How did your congregation and your own spirituality sustain you during your time in leadership?
My congregation has been deeply involved with LCWR for many decades. In my three terms of service in congregational leadership, we participated in LCWR regionally, nationally, and through many program offerings. When I was elected to the LCWR National Board and then to the LCWR Presidency, this level of support for the mission of LCWR allowed me to fully invest in LCWR leadership and commit the time needed for these roles. My years in Dominican religious life have been lived in a time of broad collaboration within the Dominican Family and this approach to Dominican mission and life sustained me in my time in LCWR leadership.
5. What personal lessons or insights are you taking forward from this experience?
My life was incredibly enriched by my service with LCWR. I worked with so many women religious who live the life joyfully and with deep purpose. I witnessed generosity of spirit and resiliency in the face of challenge and loss. I saw courage in facing the unknown. I saw dedication to addressing internal issues that never allowed the work of mission to be compromised – the work of preaching the Gospel in a country and world experiencing injustice, violence, racism, climate crisis, disregard for human dignity and a crisis in meaning. In my congregation, we respond to our annual missioning, “Go in confidence; God will give you the gift or preaching.” In short, live religious life faithfully, and God will provide.
