Congregation Leadership Team Ritual of Transfer of Authority

L to R: Sister Andrea Nenzel, Sister Susan Francois, Sister Sheena George, Sister Margie Fort, Sister Kathleen Pruitt

The new Congregation Leadership Team began their term of office today, July 1:  Sister Andrea Nenzel (Congregation Leader), Sister Susan Francois (Assistant Congregation Leader, and Sisters Margie Fort, Sheena George and Kathleen Pruitt (Congregation Councilors). The Leadership Team was elected at our April Chapter of Election.

 The outgoing Leadership Team invited the community of sisters and staff at St. Michael Villa, where both teams were gathered this week for transition meetings, to join in a moving ritual of transfer of authority. We prayed:

Gracious God, bless these women who have been in discernment and anticipation mode for over a year.  Now is the time as they begin the slow, graced ministry of Leadership.  So often the ministry of Leadership is not recognized as a valid ministry.  The fact that the Congregation spent so much time in discernment reflects the profound nature of this work.  We have only to go to Scripture to understand its profoundness.

Seven sisters who live at St. Michael Villa were "wisdom voices," reading what Scripture says about being a prophetic leader.

The outgoing Leadership Team anointed the members of the incoming Leadership Team and presented each with a beautiful mantle.  A 'mantle' is a scriptural metaphor, a symbol for a calling, a ministry, an anointing, and an office, given to individuals by the call of God.  The mantle was first mentioned in the Old Testament as a garment worn by several prophets, including Elijah and Elisha.  It is a figurative cloak symbolizing preeminence or authority in accepting the mantle of leadership.  when one does pass on the mantle it means to hand over the responsibilities to someone. To accept the mantle assumes a role of leadership that someone else held.  The anointing empowers you to be a blessing, but is the mantle that draws people to you.