The First Theological Forum of the UISG took place online in late September. Its subtitle was Walking Together in Hope in reference to the Jubilee 2025: The Pilgrims of Hope. Five religious theologians presented papers focused on the Bible exegesis, changes of consecrated life and on religious women in India.

The idea was to reflect on the prophetic voice of consecrated women and its relevance for the Church and the world. More than 600 people followed the webinar. We bring you testimonies of the two sisters who took part in the forum.

Reflections for a religious, theologian, and Superior General

As a religious, I am aware I must be prophetic, Sr. Christiane Baka shared in her reflection on the Forum. She is Superior General of the Congregation of Our Lady of Peace (in French Congrégation Notre Dame de la Paix). We must not be afraid to proclaim Christ and his for the world:

“We will also have to make sure to denounce abuses wherever they come from: marginalization of all kinds, abuses, the exploitation of the poor, of natural resources (an ecological crisis that calls for respect for the earth, our common home).”

As a theologian, I am challenged in my work, the Superior General of her Congregation confessed. Theological thinking cannot be just based on books:

“It is necessary to nourish thinking by concrete life, the life that the poor, the vulnerable, women, etc. are grappling with. Contextualization is required for theological production.”

Sr. Christiane left the Forum with unanswered questions like: “As an African theologian and philosopher, how can we work towards a Church that is more inclusive in its actions, its life and its thought? What intellectual contribution can promote the visibility of the female contribution to the theology of religious life?”

As a leader of her congregation, Sr. Christiane finally mentioned how important it is for Superiors General to offer or provide a formation of quality to the members of their congregations.

Reflections on a theology that sustains hope and spirituality with open eyes

Sr. Michelle Lesher, Sister of Saint Joseph of Philadelphia, found the experience of participation in the Forum as “profound, humbling, and enriching”. She suggested more spaces like this webinar should be opened to “foster a shared path of study, prayer, and discernment” to discover “what we are to do as consecrated women for the life of the world at this time”.

The religious woman mentioned quotes by two participants who resonated with her. The first is “Theology cannot continue working only with itself.” She expanded on the citation, since “theology must nourish faith, speak to questions, sustain hope, and inspire commitment”, and “to live and share a theology that transforms, engages, and brings the Gospel alive for our time”.

Another quote underlined that it is essential "to cultivate a spirituality with open eyes”. Sr. Michelle explained it should see “both the suffering and the beauty of the world and summons a response fueled with courage and hope.”

To sum up, Sister from Philadelphia was grateful for the “witness and leadership of these remarkable women and challenged to find ever more creative and meaningful ways to put theology at the service of consecrated life”.

Below, you find the two testimonies:

Full Testimony of Sr. Christiane Baka:

On September 25, 2025, I had the joy of participating in the UISG online forum for women religious theologians. This meeting, meticulously prepared through several programmatic meetings, was a success that I welcome with joy. My congratulations go to the members of the UISG Women Theologians' Group's leadership team, who, along with their management, made this activity possible.

It should be noted that holding this online training responds to the wish expressed by the second cohort of UISG Women Religious Theologians: to create a broad space for theological reflection on religious life, a space where several people can interact in order to nourish theological thought with a feminine contribution.

Two highlights marked the forum itself: one in the morning (from 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. / Rome time), with four presentations, and the other in the afternoon (from 5:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. / Rome time), also with four other presentations. Each moment was introduced by a time of prayer led by knowledgeable theologians.

My purpose here is not to reiterate the various presentations that took place. It is simply to share the points that struck me and that created convictions in me, first for my religious life, then for my theological reflection, and finally for my mission as a Congregational leader.

As a religious, the various conferences made me aware of my prophetic role in the Church and in society. Faced with the ever-changing challenges that present themselves, we must be alert. How can we be? We must not be afraid to proclaim Christ and the hope he came to offer the world. We will also be keen to denounce abuses wherever they come from: marginalization of all kinds, abuses, the exploitation of the poor, the exploitation of natural resources (an ecological crisis that calls for respect for the earth, our common home).

As a theologian, I am challenged in my work. What vigilance must I exercise to ensure that my theological thinking is not solely bookish? It is necessary to nourish thought with concrete life, the life that the poor, the vulnerable, women, etc., are grappling with.

Contextualization is a prerequisite, a requirement for theological production. In the presentations given, I was particularly touched by the situation of women theologians in India and those in Africa. As an African theologian and philosopher, myself, the question that resurfaced in me was: how can we work towards a Church that is more inclusive in its actions, life, and thought? What intellectual contribution can promote the visibility of women's contributions to the theology of religious life?

Finally, as the leader of my Congregation, this forum made me more aware of the importance of providing quality training to the members of our congregations. The promotion of women's religious life requires the formation of Sisters. It is through training that we can make our voices heard not only as consecrated women, but also the voices of those who are not heard in the Church. Knowledge is a gift from God, and it must be used as such.

We offer a huge thank you to the UISG, to all the speakers, and to all the forum participants. It was a wonderful adventure! A wonderful experience to be continued!

Full Testimony of Sr. Michelle:

What a profound, humbling, and enriching honor it was to participate in UISG's Women Religious Theologians Online Forum. It was a privilege to witness expressions of theological insight deeply rooted in the lived experience of consecrated life. This global gathering of women religious brought together voices that offer a vital perspective for both the Church and the world, voices shaped by study, dialogue, experience, and profound wisdom.

The unity in diversity expressed by those voices—presenters, responders, and small group participants alike—powerfully revealed the many ways God's love is active across our world. There was something deeply sacred about tending to the essential elements of religious life together, while making space to understand and reverence the unique cultural, social, and ecclesial contexts that shaped each woman's experience.

Our time together embodied a global sisterhood, creating space for honest and meaningful conversations. More spaces like this symposium, which foster a shared path of study, prayer, and discernment, are necessary as we seek to discover who we are to be and what we are to do as consecrated women for the life of the world at this time. Listening to the presenters and responders, the vital role of next-generation religious theologians became clear.

They challenge us to reimagine how we live our vows and express our prophetic and mystical call in today's world. They invite us to embody the theology we learn by being present, responsive, and prophetic, living authentically the charism of religious life in response to the signs of the time. 

The UISG, through this symposium, is imploring women religious theologians to bring theological studies into the places where we live—into the heart of the world’s realities, responding to the signs of the times in ways that are relevant today. As one participant shared, “Theology cannot continue working only with itself.”

Theology must nourish faith, speak to questions, sustain hope, and inspire commitment. The mission before us is to live and share a theology that transforms, that engages, and that brings the Gospel alive for our time. In the words of one of the responders, consecrated life today is called "to cultivate a spirituality with open eyes”—a spirituality that sees both the suffering and the beauty of the world and summons a response fueled with courage and hope. 

I left the forum inspired, deeply grateful for the witness and leadership of these remarkable women and challenged to find ever more creative and meaningful ways to put theology at the service of consecrated life. Doing so will enable us to remain prophetic witnesses of hope in a world that yearns for it.