Women in apostolic religious orders have much to offer young Catholics searching for a deeper spirituality and prayer life, according to Mary Johnson, a sociologist familiar with young adult Catholics and with women’s religious orders, but have to learn to express, in words young Catholics can relate to, the depth of their relationship with God, the radical nature of their vows and the connection between prayer, ministry and community.

	Mary Johnson, sociologist and sister of Notre Dame de Namur, points to a chart showing categories of adult Catholics shaped by different generational forces. Johnson was the keynote speaker for the conference.
	A panel of young Catholic women talk frankly to conference participants about their views on religious life, church and spirituality. Conference facilitator Nancy Kehoe, RSCJ, is fourth from right. Panelists, from left, are Carolina Fojo, Heidi Wilbershied, Margaux Soukenik, Margaret Mulvihill, Itza Martinez, Beth Spangenberg and Katherine Messmer
	This table served as a centerpiece for prayer during an international conference that featured weaving as a symbol of  the hopes and proposals of six provinces.
	RSCJ, gathered around tables in the library of Academy of the Sacred Heart in St. Charles, Missouri, share hopes for vocation ministry.
	Mary Finlayson, left, and Anne-Marie Conn, both of Canada, decide to be bold in proposing strategies for reaching young women in their country. Sister Conn is provincial of Canada.
	Conny Mateos, RSCJ, of the province of Mexico/Nicaragua and Cecile Meijer of the U.S. Province look over displays prepared by each of the six provinces participating in the conference.
	Kathleen Conan, provincial of the U.S. Province, right, serves as translator for Sofia Baranda of Chile during the conference.
	Muriel Cameron of New Orleans, Nancy Koke, director of vocation ministry for the US Province and Mary Pat White of San Francisco discuss one of the proposals.
	Imma De Stefanis, left, one of the conference organizers, talks with Itza Martinez, a member of the panel of young Catholics, and Nancy Kehoe, conference facilitator.
	Reyna Gonzalez of Mexico and Janine Siegel of  the U.S. Province up from their work at the conference.
	A group of RSCJ gathered around one of the tables enjoys a presentation.
	RSCJ dance with banners used in prayer throughout the conference before placing them on the altar for liturgy on Saturday evening in the Shrine of St. Philippine Duchesne.
	A group of RSCJ carries the gifts to the altar during the Saturday evening liturgy.
	An international group of RSCJ takes a break during a post-conference tour of historic sites familiar to St. Philippine Duchesne. Margaret Munch was the tour leader. From left, RSCJ taking the tour are Nilda Gutierrez of Puerto Rico, Conny Mateos of Mexico, Judith Vollbrecht of Haiti, Sofia Baranda of Chile and Muriel Cameron.

About forty RSCJ gathered December 9 to 11 in St. Charles, Missouri, to explore new ways of inviting young Catholics to learn more about religious life.

Participants came from five provinces of the Society of the Sacred Heart, bringing with them a hope of revitalizing and strengthening vocation ministry. They included more than thirty RSCJ from the U.S. Province of the Society of the Sacred Heart, as well as sisters from Canada, Chile, Haiti, Mexico/Nicaragua and Puerto Rico.

Mary Johnson, a Sister of Notre Dame de Namur, is a sociologist at Emmanuel College in Boston, with expertise in young adult Catholics and in women’s religious orders. In her talk, she spoke frankly about issues that apostolic religious orders face. Vocation ministry needs to examine generational differences, Johnson said.  She noted that the majority of women in active ministries today were formed by the Second Vatican Council in the early 1960’s, while young Catholics, in contrast, may know little or nothing about the Council.

In order to gain new perspective, women religious need to “unlock the concept of generation,” Johnson believes. “In sociological terms, as a generation moves across the life course, as it enters into the coming of age years, ages 15 to 25, large sociological events sweep across that generation, and many operate out of that imprint for the rest of their lives.” As a result, people who came of age during Vatican II have expectations and perspectives that many younger people do not share.

“We always have to take this imprint seriously, to ask what forces converge to make this imprint, and we have to realize that no two generations can be the same because the sociological forces that sweep across a generation are different.”

Apostolic religious women are in a wonderful position to offer young people what they need: connections with the church after graduation from college, methods of discernment that would help them make critical life choices, methods of prayer that would lead to a deeper relationship with God, and the mature sociological and theological perspectives they yearn for, Johnson said. She added: “Every group has to be constantly talking about identity … about the essence of apostolic religious life so that the mission can continue.”. Johnson is the co-author of Young Adult Catholics, a national study of the beliefs and practices of Catholics between the ages of 20 and 39.

In addition to Johnson’s talk, RSCJ attending the conference listened as a panel of young women discussed their perspectives on religious life and on the church and talked about their own spiritual lives and needs.

Conference participants adopted a variety of proposals aimed at strengthening ties with young Catholic women. The proposals are as follows:

• To send teams of RSCJ around the country to do “discernment training” programs for young adults in transitional stages of their lives;
• To invite young women to a year-long “pilgrimage” during which they would engage in ministerial experience and theological reflection with an RSCJ, learn about the history, spirituality and mission of the Society of the Sacred Heart, and spend a culminating weekend at Academy of the Sacred Heart in St. Charles, where St. Philippine Duchesne lived and taught, and where her shrine is housed;
• To invite young women to join in panel discussions in various parts of the country ( similar to the panel discussion by young Catholics during the December 9-11 conference) as a way of giving them opportunities to express their views and RSCJ opportunities to learn more about their perspectives and needs;
• To develop a “spirituality leadership training program” in which students would learn to minister to their peers in Sacred Heart schools about the mission of the Society of the Sacred Heart;
• To develop a PowerPoint presentation about the Society to be used by RSCJ when giving talks about the Society.

In a homily during the conference , Lisa Buscher, RSCJ, called on RSCJ to “testify to the light,” as John the Baptist had witnessed to the truth of Jesus. In the manner of that messenger, whose mission was future-oriented, RSCJ “must clarify who we are and what we have to say about ourselves in the 21^st century.”

“The U.S and other provinces around the world, have spent the past few years in actuarial studies and elder care discussions,” she said. “We have been ensnared in the web of crucial and essential conversation about survival that is past oriented. To stay here is to miss this moment, this time, this place where God calls in the wilderness. Our energies must shift to focus on the vision that is emerging. With the ‘fate of the society in our hands,’ there is no other road, no other way.”

Conference facilitator was Nancy Kehoe, RSCJ, a psychologist from Boston.

Photos were taken by Muriel Cameron, RSCJ, of New Orleans; Karen Olson, RSCJ, of Washington D.C.; and Pamela Schaeffer, director of communications and public relations, U.S. Province.