Liturgy and Installation of IHM Leadership Team

Members of the new IHM Leadership Team were installed at the Eucharistic Liturgy held June 28 at the IHM Center in Scranton. Sister Annmarie Sanders serves as President and Pontifical Commissary, Sisters of St. Casimir, Sister Kathleen Lunsmann, serves as Vice President and Councilor, Sisters Mary Elaine Anderson and Lisa Perkowski serve as Councilors. A festive celebration followed in the Theresa Maxis Center for sisters, associates, families, and friends. Sister Annmarie offered the following reflection at the close of the liturgy.

Dear sisters, friends, family, colleagues, and companions in mission—those gathered here in this chapel and those joining us by livestream,

As Sisters Kathleen, Lisa, Mary Elaine, and I begin this ministry of leadership, we do so deeply aware that we are not alone. Your presence here today reminds us that leadership in religious life is never carried only by those elected to serve. It is sustained, challenged, and blessed by the whole community.

There is something profoundly meaningful about beginning this ministry surrounded by all of you. In a world that often celebrates individual achievement, the Gospel always calls us back to communion—to walking together, discerning together, and serving together.

Our world is hungry for hope. Hungry for mercy and justice. Hungry for truth spoken with compassion. The mission entrusted to us in the Gospel has never been more urgent, and it belongs to all of us.

Each of us has a part to play in carrying that mission forward—through prayer, through service, through listening, through courage, and through the quiet acts of fidelity and love that so often go unseen. This celebration, then, is not simply about installing a new leadership team. It is about renewing our shared commitment to journey together toward God’s sacred horizon.

And so today, Kathleen, Lisa, Mary Elaine, and I ask just three things of you.

          First, walk with us.
          Second, pray for us.
          And third, be honest with us

Encourage us when we need encouragement, and challenge us when we need challenging. Share your wisdom, your hopes, and even your concerns. We will not always see the path clearly, and we will sometimes make mistakes. We will depend on your insight, your honesty, and your prayers to help us remain attentive to the Spirit and faithful to the Gospel.

Our hearts are filled with gratitude for all who have made this day possible: those who planned this beautiful liturgy, our ministers of hospitality, Father Michael, our gifted musicians, everyone who prepared the wonderful meal we will soon share, and all who have worked so lovingly to make the IHM Center and its grounds so welcoming for this celebration.

We also give thanks for every leadership team that has served this congregation throughout our history, many of whom are here with us today. We know that we stand on the foundation you have built. In a special way, we thank our outgoing leadership team—Sisters Katie, Grace, Judy, Suzie, and Terri. We receive this ministry from your hands with profound gratitude for your faithful, generous, and loving service.

And finally, thank you—to each one of you. Thank you for your presence today. Thank you for the countless ways you sustain the life and mission of this congregation. Thank you for believing that the Gospel still matters, that religious life still matters, and that, by God’s grace, love still has the power to transform the world. It is that shared conviction that has brought us to this day, and it is that shared hope that will lead us, together, toward God’s sacred horizon.

As we begin this new chapter, please remember our three requests: walk with us, pray for us, and be honest with us. We entrust ourselves to your prayers, your wisdom, and your companionship as together we journey toward God’s sacred horizon.