What is the Call to Leadership?

The new Springfield Dominican Sisters' leadership team reflects on their roles and responsibilities as they work together to implement the decisions made at General Chapter.

Read what they have to say, then use the flip boxes to learn more about each of them.

Solidarity: Sister Mila Díaz Solano, OP

Leadership, in light of A Prayer for the Life of the World, calls me to turn my life to God to be transformed, freed, and expanded. It urges me to journey in this service in solidarity with the rostros concretos of the marginalized. It challenges me to listen deeply to my sisters and learn from each situation, conversation, and encounter. It also moves me to find ways in which we, as a team, promote participative decision making and walk together to nurture our common effort to be the Holy Preaching.

Shared Decision-making: Sister Rose Miriam Schulte, OP

A call to leadership is humbling and challenging. It is not a self-determined role, but a response to the movement of the collective. In a religious congregation, leadership is exercised as a contemplative action of mutuality and accountability within a shared decision-making model. It is incumbent upon leadership to balance the common good with the individualized needs of members. Within a collegial context, the backdrop for all decisions is the furthering of the mission, the preaching of the gospel of Jesus.

This personalized notion of leadership is enfleshed and inspirited within me when I pray A Prayer for the Life of the World. The clarity of its truth and the passion of its intent beckons me. I am humbled and challenged to respond to a call grounded in Holy Mystery.

Through contemplation I am pulled into a deeper understanding of my participation in an ever-expanding consciousness of creation with the realities of interconnectedness and solidarity.

In trust, I pledge mutuality and accountability with others who share our charism as together we listen deeply to brokenness and attend to Christ hidden in unexpected places. In, with, and through the expansive Christ may the offering of our testimonio de vida be fruitful.

Invitation: Sister Rebecca Ann Gemma, OP

The call to leadership is a movement of the Spirit in which we are to respond with generosity, humility, and openness to God’s abundant grace. As I pray daily A Prayer for the Life of World, I ask Christ to allow these words to find a home in me and be the guiding force for how I listen, respond, act, and grow. The call to leadership is more deeply expressed by inviting others to use their gifts, providing opportunities for this to take place, and promoting the common good. It is a call to be leaven in bringing about the reign of God.

Recognition: Sister Marie Michelle Hackett, OP

Reflecting on our recent Chapter fills me with hope and a vision of a future filled with new possibilities as we walk into an unknown but exciting tomorrow. As I pray our Chapter Prayer each day, I am filled with gratitude to our sisters in Community and the Spirit who led us each step of the way. As a member of the Leadership Team, I will work toward nurturing the graced life of each individual in our community. It is important to recognize the gifts of our Sisters by honoring where and how they live their lives for the Life of the World.

Sister Kristin Crawford, OP, a member of the JUST Words editorial board, assisted with this story.