UISGPLENARY: Supporting Global Sisterhood
Sr. Rosemary Nassif, Conrad N. Hilton Foundation
The global sisterhood is created by partnerships—not only in what we do, in our works, but also in our relationships – how we think, plan, organize, learn, believe and hope. Collaboration is a true sign of vitality of religious life today! How can we do more together than the sum of our individual parts? How can we believe more together than the sum of our individual beliefs? How can those of us in the global north learn from the youth and vitality in the global south; and those in the global south learn from the maturity of those in the global north?
The second essential quality that drives our global sisterhood is COMMUNICATION!
Our tools for communication today are so broad and expansive than ever before. When I first entered, religious life international conversations were rare, much less audio and video together. Today, Skype, social media, and online information are so powerful and effective in assuring that our message, our influence, our wisdom and insight have impact across the globe. I am not just referring to communicating with each other, but, also, communication with all those who can magnify the work we do and the love we have for others. Who is the voice for the disadvantaged and vulnerable, if not us? We are often so engrossed in doing the work that we do not think about communicating what we are doing and experiencing. Media is powerful. Our true example is in Pope Francis, called the tweetable Pope. His message, his following and his impact are so much more universal through his ability and willingness to capture a broader audience. This is not boasting or pride. We have a spiritual call – even a moral obligation—to tell our stories in ways that capture the hearts and spirits of others who can multiply our efforts. Let’s COMMUNICATE!!!
The third essential quality of our global sisterhood is COMMUNION! Inter-cultural communion!
Today, more than ever, we need to model love of differences and permit those differences to change us, empower us and make our hearts bigger and wiser!!! Throughout our world today, in so many instances, our cultural and religious differences divide us. Many of your sisters live and minister across cultures and across religions. We cannot be a global sisterhood without being united in spirit and love across our diverse realities—within our own congregations and also across congregations and our world – becoming a global community of sisters who are informed and empowered and mutually supportive!!