Southern Nebraska Register
The School Sisters of Christ the King held their Chapter of Elections Monday, March 3, at Villa Regina Motherhouse in Lincoln.
Mother Margaret Mary was reelected to a second term as Mother General. The new Vicar General is Sister Mary Angela, and the three Councilors are Sister Mary Gabriel, Sister Peter Marie and Sister Mary Agnes.
In a religious community, a general chapter’s principal duty is to safeguard the charism proper to the institute, and to promote renewal in accord with the vision of the founder.
“Chapter is a beautiful time to express unity in charity, and to promote a greater vitality to the nature, purpose, spirit and character of the institute,” Mother Margaret Mary said.
Father Gary Coulter, co-vicar for religious in the Diocese of Lincoln, said generally, the superior of a Religious Institute (also called a Supreme Moderator in Canon Law) is thought of as the highest power in governing a religious order.
“And that is correct insofar as superiors are solicitous for the daily decisions in running their order, always of course exercising their authority in a spirit of service and docile to the will of God,” he said.
The “supreme authority” in an institute of consecrated life is not the superior, he explained, but the general chapter (Canon 631 §1). The general chapter is a body representing all the members of the entire institute – or in a smaller institute, all of the fully professed members in final vows. The general chapter meets to treat affairs of greater importance, such as changing the constitutions of the institute or to elect the supreme moderator.
In addition, superiors do not govern and act alone; they are to have one or more vicars, who can act in the place of the superior when needed. Superiors also have a council, who assists them in carrying out their function.
“Thus,” he concluded, “there is to be suitable consultation and listening by the Superior who governs with concern and the participation of all the members, for the good of the entire community.”
The School Sisters of Christ the King, founded by Bishop Flavin in 1976, held their first General Chapter in 2001. In 2017, the School Sisters of Christ the King were established as a Religious Institute of Diocesan Right in the Diocese of Lincoln. They have a contemplative spirituality of totally belonging to the King, and a specific active mission of Catholic education.
Father Coulter said the March 3 elections at Villa Regina Motherhouse were conducted with great solemnity and prayer.
“The sisters have been praying to the Holy Spirit for almost a full year leading up to the elections,” he said. There is discretion about such elections, and to ensure everyone is free, voting is secret using a written, unsigned ballot. Tellers who will count and tally the ballots are elected, then the election of the superior takes place, by absolute majority of more than half the votes.
Finally, there is the election of each of the offices, a vicar and three councilors who will govern with the superior for a six-year term.
“Pray that all the leaders elected will be examples of virtue, diligent in carrying out their offices, and ‘strive to build a community of brothers or sisters in Christ, in which God is sought and loved before all things’ (Canon 619),” he said.
For more information about the School Sisters of Christ the King, visit their website at www.cksisters.org.
