New Notre Dame leadership to begin July 12 |
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Written by ANGELA KESSLER, Chronicle Editor
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Friday, 10 July 2009 01:00 |
TOLEDO—New leaders for the Toledo Province of the Sisters of Notre Dame are being installed July 12. The group of five women is being led by Sister Mary Delores Gatliff, who has served as the community’s vocations director for the past three years.
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The new leaders for the Sisters of Notre Dame are being installed July 12. They are, from left, Sr. Margaret Mary Faist, Sr. Mary Cheryl Darr, Sr. Mary Delores Gatliff (provincial), Sr. Mary Carol Gregory (provincial assistant) and Sr. Christine Marie Foos. (Photo courtesy of Sisters of Notre Dame)
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Serving with Sr. Gatliff are Sister Mary Carol Gregory, provincial assistant, and councilors Sister Mary Cheryl Darr, Sister Margaret Mary Faist and Sister Christine Marie Foos. The women are to be installed by Notre Dame superior general, Sister Mary Sujita Kallupurakkathu, during the province’s annual assembly.
Of her the new role as provincial, Sr. Gatliff says it is “an awesome responsibility. And I know I can only do it trusting in God to provide all that I am lacking. We have a wonderful province of sisters, though, so I count on their prayer and support also.”
After attending Notre Dame Academy and living there as an aspirant, Sr. Gatliff graduated from Mary Manse College and worked as an elementary teacher in Fostoria and Toledo and later at the high school level at Notre Dame Academy. In 1980-1981, she attended Duquesne University where she earned a master’s degree in ongoing formation. Later, she earned a spiritual direction certificate from the Manresa Jesuit Retreat House.
Sr. Gatliff worked in the Diocese of Toledo vocations office and developed the campus minister position at Notre Dame Academy, serving in that capacity for 17 years.
What she says she lacks in experience is what the other members of the council bring to the table. Primarily, she says, they bring the administrative experience she has not had.
Sr. Gregory is serving as full-time provincial assistant, leaving her post as director of Central City Ministry of Toledo Catholic School. The three councilors continue in their present ministries: Sr. Darr is a teacher at Lial School in Whitehouse, Sr. Faist teaches in New Orleans and Sr. Foos is a religion teacher at Toledo Regina Coeli School.
One of the first priorities of the new council is to prepare for the Provincial Chapter, which is scheduled for December. The Chapter, which is held every six years, helps set a direction for the future as it surfaces concerns and visions for the province, Sr. Gatliff says. In addition the Chapter will help the community prepare for the international congregation’s General Chapter to be held in Rome in 2010.
“So we’re looking to the Provincial and General Chapters to set a direction for our future,” Sr. Gatliff says. “It’s exciting, too, knowing that you can look to the future with hope and be part of the vision and planning for what will be.”
One concern she expects to emerge from the Provincial Chapter meeting is health care. Four religious communities in the diocese — Sisters of Notre Dame, Sylvania Franciscan Sisters, Tiffin Franciscan Sisters and Ursuline Sisters — have already begun working together on a collaborative approach to health care. A meeting is scheduled in October among the four communities.
Other issues Sr. Gatliff expects during the Provincial Chapter include preparations for the General Chapter meeting and continuing the group’s mission in Papua New Guinea.
Another part of her job as provincial, Sr. Gatliff says, is to continue to encourage the entire community of sisters to promote vocations. The entire international congregation is doing very well, she says, explaining the numbers in Europe and the United States are down, but those in developing nations continue to increase. In the United States, there are about 15 women in formation, with continued interest locally, she says.
Encouraging vocations is one of the highlights of this summer’s assembly, with the focus being on the fact that all sisters are in formation ministry, Sr. Gatliff says.
“Wherever our sisters are, if they’re living their life with enthusiasm and joy, women will be attracted to that,” she says. “I see it as one of my roles as a leader to continue to raise that consciousness of living our vocation authentically; being a witness to the Gospel in whatever way we can.”
As she looks to the future, Sr. Gatliff is excited about what lies ahead, but at the same time relies on God’s providence to help her along the way.
“It’s sometimes a little scary … but then I say, ‘God, this is your community and so it’s in your hands,’ ” she says, adding, “I sometimes pray, ‘use me as your instrument and use me to accomplish your will.’ I trust in God’s promise: ‘I will be with you always.’ Those are comforting words for me.”
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Last Updated on Thursday, 10 September 2009 15:44 |
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