In the Tradition of Sister Madeleva : The Convergence 2000 gathering leads to a proclamation of hope.

CONVERGENCE 2000 began appropriately with a meal at the guest house and ended with the reading of "The Madeleva Manifesto: A Message of Hope and Courage." The warm welcome and hospitality of Saint Mary's College in Notre Dame, Ind., surrounded us during the entire weekend of April 27-30, as did the memory of Sr. Madeleva Wolff, C.S.C., in whose name and honor Keith Egan designed the Madeleva Lecture series inaugurated in 1985. All but one of the 16 Madeleva lecturers came to pool their wisdom about women in the church.

For some it was a reunion with friends and colleagues. Others were meeting for the first time. We knew one another's writings--not just the Madeleva Lectures, but the significant corpus of work that each has produced. Thus, it was a kind of homecoming--connecting, communicating, expressing gratitude for the opportunity to gather. Trust and laughter emerged in short order. Opinions were voiced clearly and with conviction and received with care and attention. Disagreements were expressed honestly and respectfully. It was an experience of both ecclesia and collegium at their best.

The exchange that took place was not just among the lecturers and those who came to hear and discuss what they had to say. The context was a crucial factor informing the manifesto, proving once again that feminist spirituality is an embodied spirituality. We delighted in an exchange with Mother Nature. She wore a lavish, colorful gown, decked with flowers exuding various perfumes, and I think the birds said more than we did! We were also grateful for an exchange of generations. Some of the oldest Holy Cross sisters stepped or rolled out in wheelchairs to enjoy the afternoon sun, while others prayed and followed the proceedings from a distance. We joined the college's administration, board of trustees and Madeleva Society for meals, and each of the lecturers was gifted (and I do not use this term lightly) with a Saint Mary's College student who broke bread with us and made sure we arrived in the right building at the right time. The Spirit of God was invoked in our hearts, at our sessions and in our joyful worship Saturday afternoon.

On Friday evening, we gathered (900 strong) in O'Laughlin Auditorium to hear Sandra Schneiders, I.H.M., deliver the 16th Madeleva…