Archbishop Lori highlights enduring witness of women religious in American life

By Jenny Kraska A standing ovation is a rare thing at any conference. It is even rarer among women religious whose lives are marked by humility, contemplation, and a preference for substance over spectacle. Yet that was precisely the response Archbishop William Lori received following his address to the 2026 National Assembly of the Council of Major Superiors of Women Religious (CMSWR), held under the theme, “250 Years of Freedom: Daughters of the Church from One Generation to the Next.” Freedom, Faith, and the American Experiment Addressing major superiors from across the United States, Archbishop Lori framed the 250th anniversary of American independence not merely as a celebration of the past but as an invitation to examine the future.

He challenged attendees at the conference taking place on September 17-20 in Florissant, Missouri, to ask a fundamental question: “What has become of freedom?”and argued that the answer is ultimately spiritual before it is political. The Archbishop praised the remarkable achievements of the American experiment while also acknowledging the fractures visible in contemporary society—polarization, loneliness, declining trust, and a diminished capacity for genuine dialogue. Yet his message was not one of pessimism. Rather, it was a call to renewal rooted in holiness. “Before there can be renewal of institutions, there must be renewal of persons,” he reminded the assembly. Why Women