Learnings and Wisdom of Hope

by Angela Chioma Ogu, SSL

Sisters of St. Louis

It is six months since the beautiful experience of HOPE 2025 in Rome, organized by the Leadership Collaborative. The gathering, which brought together 300 sisters under 65 from different countries and congregations for 5 days, has remained memorable and fresh for me.

Angela Chioma Ogu, SSL at HOPE 2025

Looking back at the learnings and wisdom drawn from the various conversations, I found myself resonating again with these facts: each one’s vulnerability, lamentation, mourning, and celebration as we lead, minister, and live out our calling.

The theme of this reflection, which came from one of the participants’ sharing, has continued to evoke thoughts and call for more connection with other religious women, towards building a more positive relationship as part of bridging the gap in our space. It has also continued to remind us that we are on a journey -- a journey that is still unfolding, a journey in the midst of journeys like the current changes the world at large is facing and the changes and innovation in the church like the Synodality – the awesome call and reminder of Pope Francis to the church that we are all called to live out our lives together. And thus, we are today called to collaboration within the Church.

With this invitation, the question that came up was: could this reminder be connected to the question “what if the greatest gift to the religious life has not happened?”* Could it be demonstrating that our interculturality is an invitation to openness, attentiveness, and a consciousness that the journey is unending?

We are reminded that we are to live out our calling in more ways worthy of our state of life, called to the invitation for advocacy, to the need to become more visible in our missions and ministries through speaking out, showcasing in more practical ways our unity in diversity, breaking the barriers, finding different ways of making the religious life more attractive to the young people, and creating safe space where we can share our truth irrespective of where we come from or our religious congregation. And lastly, we are reminded to see ourselves as one and respect everyone, bearing in mind that we are people of HOPE.

The answer remains what each of us is probably being called to respond to, based on one’s willingness to contribute towards creating a space where the listed invitations could be practiced, experienced, and nourished with the HOPE that the greatest gift of the religious life could happen if it had not happened.

My special thanks to all the sponsors of HOPE 2025.

*This quote is from Sister Teresa (Terry) Maya, CCVI, who first offered the question during a lecture at Boston College in March 2017.