Declaration of Commitment
- Benedictine Sisters of Chicago
- 5 minutes ago
- 2 min read
We signed on to this declaration, which was delivered to Congress on June 25, 2026. Our branch of the Benedictine Sisters arrived in the U.S. from Germany in 1852 "to serve where there is need".
Leadership Conference of Women Religious Declaration of Commitment
In preparation for the 250th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, the Leadership Conference of Wo men Religious has entered a period of reflection on nearly 300 years of our presence, service, and leadership in the United States.
In a spirit of prayer, discernment, and fidelity to the values that inspired women religious, beginning in 1727, to respond to the humanitarian needs of those they encountered in the United States, the Leadership Conference of Women Religious makes this Declaration of Commitment.
We, the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, affirm our commitment to:
Upholding the inherent right to life of every human being and the dignity of each person
Embracing the gospel call to love, welcome, and care for all people, especially those who are most vulnerable
Welcoming immigrants and providing care and assistance to all who reside in our nation, while advocating for comprehensive immigration reform
Standing against violence in all its forms
Dismantling racism in all its manifestations
Caring for our common home, Earth, through attentive stewardship and decisive action
Respecting and supporting every person's journey toward the fullness of their humanity
Working to alleviate poverty in all its forms
Exercising the responsibility to vote and advocating for the protection of this opportunity for others
Promoting dialogue, negotiation, and mutual understanding as the path to lasting peace, rather than the use of force and the destruction of life
As bearers of hope:
We commit ourselves to living compassion, communion, and nonviolence as members of one global community.
We remain steadfast in our belief in the inherent right to life of every human being and the dignity of each person.
We proclaim the urgent necessity of nonviolence in both word and action.
We embrace our responsibility to make choices that support the good of all life on this planet.
We pledge to live our call to be courageous witnesses of love — refusing to surrender our moral authority or succumb to despair.
We make this Declaration of Commitment in light of our vocation as Catholic Sisters: to be women of God living amid the profound challenges of our world, fearless in embracing and embodying the priorities of the Gospel.
