As announced in recent weeks, the XXIII UISG Plenary Assembly will be held from 5 to 9 May 2025 in Rome at the Ergife Palace Hotel and the theme chosen is ‘Consecrated Life: a hope that transforms.'

We asked the sisters for a personal reflection on the theme of hope: what does ‘hope that transforms’ mean? How does hope transform the sisters' daily lives? What are their hopes related to the upcoming Assembly?

First, we share with you the testimony of Sr. Mary Beth Ingham, CSJ, Superior General of Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange:

I am challenged by 2 Peter 1:19 to a stance of ongoing hope, waiting in darkness for the moment at daybreak when “the morning star rises in our hearts.” In a world so torn by violence, our religious congregations offer a vibrant testimony to human dignity and hope for our beautiful earth, our common home.

The daily celestial reminder of the morning star invites me to recognize the signs of new life all around us, ready to be seen. The emerging energies in religious life, locally and globally, confirm for me the ongoing presence of the Holy Spirit guiding us all into a future filled with hope.

I pray that the upcoming UISG Plenary Assembly in May 2025 bring us all a deeper experience of the hope we share. May we be for and with one another, a sign of hope for the world that Emmanuel, God-with-us, walks at our side.