The General Congregation of the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary will take place from October 4th to 28th 2022 in the Jesuit Centre of Spirituality in Manresa, Spain.
The theme of GC ’22 is the profession motto of Frances Teresa Ball. The logo embodies the embrace and encounter of women who are also embracing our world. It is an expression of the journey of the Institute – celebrating what has been, what is, and what will be – and it reflects the union of our minds and hearts for mission.
The GC ‘22 will give us an opportunity as IBVM to reflect back on our history and to look forward to union with the Congregation of Jesus. We look, too, to the current reality, which is emerging from a global pandemic, war, and violence, with a hope of recovery and renewal.
GC ‘22 will be a moment of synodality, of deep and attentive listening to one another and to the Spirit, to reflect and converse in our listening circles, to share experiences and truth, and to think and vision broadly across Institute boundaries. We all participate in this GC at local and province levels through prayer, conversation, listening, and regional and provincial congregations.
Who attends a General Congregation?
The membership of the General Congregation is composed of:
Ex-officio members – those present by right of office:
- all members of the Institute Leadership team, Noelle Corscadden IBVM (Institute Leader), Igora Pinto IBVM, Judith Nekesa IBVM, Macarena Fernández de Bobadilla IBVM, Brenda Eagan IBVM (Institute Consultors)
- together with the Institute Secretary and Institute Treasurer, Geraldine McAleer IBVM
- all Provincial and Regional Leaders, Wendy Hildebrand IBVM, Jane McDonell IBVM, Lucy Nderi IBVM, Kate Myers IBVM, Carmel Swords IBVM, Thérèse Yaw Kan Tong IBVM, Patricia McLaughlin IBVM, Sabrina Edwards IBVM, Elena Ceirderas IBVM, Judy Illig IBVM.
- former Institute Leader (Sister Marian Moriarty IBVM will be greatly missed at this GC2022. Sister Marian ibvm died 22nd August 2019).
We give thanks for her:
love of Jesus,
fidelity to the Gospel,
example of servant leadership,
attentiveness to each individual,
and appreciation of all that is natural and beautiful. May Marian’s passion for the plight of those made poor
remain in our hearts and minds alongside our memories of, and affection, for her.Jesus say ‘Amen’.
Elected members:
- Members from the different Provinces and Regions elected by the members in that Province or Region on the principle of “just and appropriate” representation of the whole congregation at the General Congregation. We have 27 elected members for GC2022.
Invited members:
- A member invited from an area of the congregation which would otherwise be unrepresented
- Members of the other branch of Mary Ward’s foundation, the Congregatio of Jesu, Veronica Fuhrmann CJ (Newly elected Leader of the Congregatio Jesu), Amadea Puliková CJ, Mariana Ojeda CJ, Poonam John CJ, Pragya Alexander CJ.
The Venue – Cova Sant Ignasi Manresa
In 1522, not long after his conversion, St. Ignatius sat praying on the bank of the Cardoner River near the village of Manresa in northern Spain. In his Autobiography, he describes an extraordinary vision:
He sat down for a little while with his face to the river—Cardoner—which was running deep. While he was seated there, the eyes of his understanding began to be opened; though he did not see any vision, he understood and knew many things, both spiritual things and matters of faith and learning, and this was with so great an enlightenment that everything seemed new to him. It was as if he were a new man with a new intellect.
Autobiography of St. Ignatius of Loyola [30]
We are so excited to have our General Congregation 500 years later at the Cova Sant Ignasi Manresa
GC Prayer
GC Delegates
In preparation for the GC at Manresa in October, the planning group have invited delegates into a journey of reflection in small groups called ‘Emmaus Companions’. The Emmaus companions are named beginning with Mary Ward, some significant women and the pioneers who brought the Institute to different places and countries.
| Mary Ward Jane McDonell Lucy Nderi Amadea Puliková CJ | Stanislaus Murphy Christa Parra Pat Hanvey Poonam John CJ | Gonzaga Gallivan Carmen Diston Sabrina Edwards Orla Treacy |
| Teresa Ball Kate Myers Mariana Ojeda CJ Patricia Mc Laughlin | Teresa Dease Carmel Swords Mary De Souza Brenda Eagan | Borgia O’Shaughnessy Mary Di Girolamo Kathleen Fitzpatrick Antoinette Rodrigues |
| Delphine Hart Elena Cerdeiras Judy Illig Judith Nekesa | Anne Hickey Natalie Houlihan Josette Zammit-Mangion Noelle Corscadden | Conception Lopez Una Coogan Cecilia O’Dwyer Mary Wright |
| Austin Hearne Mary Kamotho Barbara Nelson Macarena Fdz de Bobadilla | Gonzaga Barry Geneviève Maigrot Wendy Hildebrand Pragya Alexander CJ | Baptist Therry Mercia D’Souza Pat Murray Marren Awiti |
| Agnes Walsh Josefina De Miguel Thérèse Yaw Kan Tong Geraldine McAleer | Margaret Mary Jolivet Goretti Tirkey Barbara Murphy Catherine Okari | Ignatia Arthur Monica Suchiang Elizabeth Cotter Veronica Fuhrmann CJ |
| Michael Corcoran Jane Gikonyo Ai Thien Nguyen Igora Pinto |