Women religious visitations to begin in April

In remarks made on the Apostolic Visitation Web site, the Vatican appointed Apostolic Visitator, Mother Mary Clare Millea, has offered a few more details about the process of the ongoing Vatican look at women religious congregations.

Millea says that a core team from her office is currently analyzing information culled from questionnaires returned to her office by women religious congregations. After examining that information she said she will decide which congregations will receive personal visitations from teams of women and men religious.

According to the plan outlined by Millea, the first congregation visits will take place in April and these will be with selected religious congregation leaders. A second round of visits will take place next fall.

Millea say that there is a lot of good to tell about the history and reality of religious women in the United States. There are also a lot of challenges, she said.