Rome, 13 May 2025 - From 5 to 9 May 2025, over 900 Superiors General from 75 countries gathered in Rome, at the Ergife Palace Hotel, for the XXIII Plenary Assembly of the International Union of Superiors General (UISG), which also marked the 60th anniversary of the organisation’s founding.

Guided by the theme “Consecrated life: a hope that transforms”, the participants experienced a deep sense of communion, strengthened by the practice of “conversation in the Spirit”, aimed at fostering a synodal culture within their Congregations.

During the Assembly, The Anna Trust was officially launched – a new foundation established to support elderly sisters, especially in vulnerable contexts. The UISG Strategic Plan 2025–2031 was also presented: the fruit of a synodal journey, it is designed as a “toolkit” to face future challenges with confidence and continued openness to the action of the Spirit.

In the Assembly’s concluding message, the Superiors General committed themselves to becoming:

• Women of peace, capable of standing alongside the wounds of the world;
• Women who keep watch in the night, bearing hope in dark places;
• Synodal women, builders of evangelical and inclusive communities;
• Prophetic women, who—despite fragility—become signs of expectation and light.

Following the Plenary, on 12–13 May, the Assembly of Delegates' Council was held in Rome, with the participation of over 45 Delegates representing the 36 UISG constellations. It was a time of shared discernment, reflecting on statutory updates and the future direction of the Union.

During the Delegates’ Assembly, the new UISG Executive Board was elected, which will serve until 2028.
The new President is Sr. Oonah O’Shea, Superior General of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Sion; the Vice President is Sr. Graciela Francovig, Superior General of the Daughters of Jesus.

The new board for 2025–2028 includes:

• Sr. Miriam Altenhofen – Missionary Sisters Servants of the Holy Spirit
• Sr. Anna Josephine D’Souza – Missionary Sisters of the Catholic Apostolate
• Sr. Angela Kapitingana – Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of Africa
• Sr. Dolores Lahr – Sisters of Saint Joseph of Chambéry
• Sr. Priscilla Latela – Religious of Mary Immaculate “Claretian Missionary Sisters”
• Sr. Chiara Lorenzato – Franciscan Missionary Poor Clares
• Sr. Sylvette Mané – Sisters of the Congregation of Mary – "Marist Sisters"
• Sr. Maria Filomena Mendoza – Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart
• Sr. Maria Yaneth Moreno Rodríguez – Sisters of the Divine Savior
• Sr. Rita Calvo – Company of Mary Our Lady

At the close of the Delegates’ Assembly—which marked the end of the XXIII Plenary and the beginning of a new governance cycle for the UISG—the words of the three Presidents (outgoing, current, and Vice President) expressed the spiritual and missionary heart of consecrated life today.

Sr. Mary Barron, outgoing President, expressed her gratitude for the journey shared:

“I conclude my service as UISG President with deep gratitude for the journey we have shared over these past years. It has been a time of grace, during which we have experienced the strength of communion and collective discernment. The opportunity to participate in the Synod on Synodality was a special gift, which strengthened our awareness of the unique contribution that religious life can offer to a Church on the move. I thank all the sisters for their trust and support, and I continue to pray that the UISG may courageously and hopefully carry forward its mission in service of consecrated life throughout the world.”

Sr. Oonah O’Shea, newly elected President, offered words filled with hope and vision:

“This Plenary made visible a hope that is not mere optimism, but a spiritual energy born of the Gospel that generates transformation. It is this hope that enables us to continue serving, with creativity and boldness, in a wounded and changing world. It is this hope that makes us women on the journey, capable of guarding and generating life where everything seems extinguished.”

Sr. Graciela Francovig, new Vice President of the UISG, emphasised the historical significance of this moment, in tune with the path of the Church:

“We have lived this Plenary in a historic moment for the Church, marked by the election of the new Pope. We feel deeply the connection between our journey and that of the universal Church: both are called to renewal in the spirit of synodality. As consecrated women, we commit ourselves to nurturing and sustaining this synodal way of life, both in our Congregations and on the frontiers of the world.”

These voices reflect a continuity of generative leadership, rooted in communion, faith, and a desire to serve the Gospel in the most fragile and complex contexts of our time.

The 2025 Plenary left a deep mark: an experience lived as a network of “cords of hope”, weaving bonds among consecrated women from all over the world, capable of reflecting the light of the Gospel and animating the Church’s mission today.