Theology of religious life done by consecrated women: this is the vision guiding the third international cohort of UISG Women Religious Theologians, who gathered online in November. Over the coming months, the group will continue to meet as they prepare for their in-person symposium in June 2026.

There were two sessions to accommodate the different time zones. Both the morning and afternoon sessions began with a prayer led by Sr. Shalini Mulackal pbvm, UISG Formators Programme Coordinator. She invited the participants to be aware of God’s presence, encouraging them to begin this journey with concentration and spiritual depth.

In the morning, Sr. Mary Kudiyiruppil ssps, UISG Associate Executive Secretary, underlined the importance of grounding theological reflection in real-life and its contexts. She invited participants to name the “key challenges and opportunities for the life and mission of consecrated women” emerging from their contexts.

Sr. Maria Cimperman rscj, UISG Synodal Initiative Coordinator, and co-founder of this initiative together with the former UISG Executive Secretary, Sr. Patricia Murray cj, offered an overview of how the Women Religious Theologians program has developed in recent years.

She described three central aims:

•    Building a global theological community capable of articulating a contemporary theology of consecrated life

•    Creating spaces for networking, collaboration, and mutual enrichment among women religious engaged in theology

•    Becoming a resource for leaders, formators, congregations, and the wider Church - especially in a time when synodality needs the crucial contribution of consecrated life.

The personal sharing of the sisters highlighted the richness and diversity of voices, experiences and interests that emerged as one of the cohort’s greatest gifts. The group presented a beautiful mosaic of contexts, backgrounds, cultures, charisms, and theological disciplines – an image that reflects both the vitality and the hope carried by this global initiative.

Turning to the steps ahead, Sr. Paula Jordão fmvd, UISG Formation Coordinator, emphasized that the group is “journeying together toward the symposium,” where theological engagement, sharing and discussion will be at the heart of the gathering. Over the coming weeks, participants will propose themes they consider most urgent for reflection on consecrated life today, which will later be prioritized and developed.

The session concluded with expressions of gratitude for all who made the gathering possible. Participants expressed a shared enthusiasm for the collaborative path ahead – grounded in theological depth, global sisterhood, and a commitment to contributing meaningfully to the future of consecrated life worldwide.

Let us pray for the success of this initiative, so that consecrated life can continue to renew itself as it deepens its roots in the Word of God, spirituality, and in solid theology, facing and responding with courage to the challenges of today’s world.