The Provincial Council is the leadership team of the Central Pacific Province. The Council provides governance, planning, spiritual guidance and day-to-day leadership of the sisters who make up the province. The term of the current School Sisters of Notre Dame (SSND) Central Pacific Provincial Council ends June 9, 2019.
The purpose of leadership within the congregation is to foster unity and to enable sisters to proclaim the good news. As stated in “You Are Sent,” our constitution, “Our government is based on two interrelated principles: the vital participation of all sisters and the exercise of authority. Sisters with the ministry of authority animate and direct us in following Christ as apostolic women religious. Together we seek God’s will and strive to reach consensus decisions, especially in those matters that give direction to our common life and mission.” (YAS, C62)
The sisters of the province are in the process of discerning their future leadership. Sisters approach the election of new leadership as a process of discernment. Discernment is calling on the Holy Spirit to lead or give direction on a matter. As sisters discern together, they pray and ask questions about what qualities are needed in leaders at this time, listen to each other, speak about their own insights and reflect on what has been learned in order to know God’s will. The process is very different from secular elections.
A provincial election assembly of 80 sisters will elect six provincial council members and one provincial leader between March 10-16, 2019, at Our Lady of Good Counsel in Mankato, Minnesota. The election process is a prayerful and spiritual event characterized by a search for the will of God and authentic dialogue to determine who is needed for leadership now and into the future.
Learn more about our current Provincial Council.