New leaders elected at general chapter in Caleruega

From left: Sister Anne Marie Geffroy (France), general councilor; Sister Carmen Lanao (Spain), prioress general; Sister Frances Thibodeau (USA – Chicago), vicar/general councilor; Sister Rosa Maria Barboza (Brazil), general councilor.
From left: Sister Anne Marie Geffroy (France), general councilor; Sister Carmen Lanao (Spain), prioress general; Sister Frances Thibodeau (USA – Chicago), vicar/general councilor; Sister Rosa Maria Barboza (Brazil), general councilor.

From July 18 to Aug. 10, 39 members of the Dominican Sisters of the Roman Congregation from 11 countries met in Caleruega, Spain for a general chapter. Attending from the United States were Jacqueline Provencher, OP (outgoing prioress general), Monique Belanger, OP (USA Provincial prioress ), Frances Thibodeau, OP (USA delegate) and Therese Demers, OP (USA delegate).

Being in such a holy place where Dominic was born, baptized and lived was a blessed experience for all. One of the tasks at hand was to elect a new general council. The following sisters were elected: Sister Carmen Lanao (Spain), general prioress; Sister Frances Thibodeau (USA – Chicago), vicar/councilor; Sister Anne Marie Geffroy (France), councilor; and Sister Rosa Maria Barboza (Brazil), councilor. The chapter thanked the newly elected council for accepting this service for the next six years.

The members of the outgoing council were also thanked for their faithful presence and commitment of the last six years. Going out of office are: Sister Jacqueline Provencher (USA), former general prioress; Sister Ysabel Barroso (Benin-Africa), former vicar/councilor; Sister Therese Marie Boillat (Italy), former councilor/secretary; and Sister Elizabeth Tassel (France), former councilor.