The sisters

Women of dialogue
Women of justice
Women of Biblical vision & hope

Our Congregation is a body of people who share a vocation to religious life under Notre Dame de Sion’s guiding principles. Our backgrounds and characters are diverse, yet we experience the challenges, adventures, sorrows and joys of being human primarily as sisters of Our Lady of Sion.

We live as community all over the world, and support each other in prayer, activity and a mutual commitment, to each other and to those we serve. Encountering the mystery of “the other” enriches our ministry and keeps us connected with the world.

We share a set of goals that we pursue throughout our communities. Some of us respond to a call of absolute commitment to God through a contemplative life of prayer. Others are dedicated to an active life of work, sustained by prayer.

As we journey through life and the stories mapped out for us unfurl, we’re thankful for God’s grace every step of the way. Not knowing what’s around the corner is part of the adventure.

Here are just a few of the stories of our journeys so far.

Moved by the love we nurture in our hearts, each one of us seeks her own balance of interiority and activity, bringing our shared Biblical inspiration to everything we do.

Sisters Stories

I have known the Sion sisters since I was a child. They had a community in my parish, …

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“What a joy it was when I was told, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord!’” …

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It is possible for me, at this stage, to look back at what a very precious gift life …

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The Word of God. I love the Word of God as I love God himself, as I love …

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As a Religious, I undertake to pray daily, using the Breviary which contains the Biblical Psalms, and reading …

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Spiritual accompaniment means “walking with”. We are, indeed, all pilgrims; like Abraham, at the call of the Lord, …

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A world where justice and peace embrace

By Sr Arlyne Del Valle Casas

For a sister of Sion living in the Philippines, the call of God to do justice in a …

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I want to begin by saying that spiritual direction has not been my main ministry but has always …

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I have been involved in the field of education for many, many years, and one of my great …

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Though I am originally from Alexandria, I’ve spent many years in Cairo. After a long career in education, …

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I had been teaching for almost five years in a parish school in North London when I was …

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A teacher at heart

By Sr Christiane Marie Formant

I was always a teacher. Ever since I could read, I wanted to “do school” – starting with …

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At home with the Word of God

By Sr Claudia Muresan

“If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love…”  (John 15,10a) If I am a sister …

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Transforming to a culture of dialogue

By Sr Cristiane Dos Santos

I can trace the first stirrings of my inspiration for ministry in Jewish-Christian and interreligious dialogue to the …

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Ask any sister of Sion in which three places one should look to find nourishment and guidance for …

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Remembering and treasuring

By Sr Diane Willey

The introduction to our founder Théodore Ratisbonne’s Memoirs draws attention to the two principal elements that “forged his …

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Born in 1946, after the Second World War, I was marked as a child by articles about the …

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Reaching out at school

By Sr Maria Jilvaneide dos Santos

Working in the area of education, and specifically in Pastoral Care and Religious Education at the Colégio Sion-RJ, …

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Walking the big Pilgrimage

By Sr Juliana Baldinger

The word “charity” appears over and over again in our founder Théodore’s vocabulary. He writes in one of …

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My spirituality in daily life

By Sr. Katherine E. Wolff

How to write about a whole life in so few words?! A challenge and obviously incomplete! Every day …

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A lifetime in dialogue

By Sr Lucy Thorson

I have been involved in the area of Jewish-Christian relations for many years. They are one of the …

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The ongoing journey of Biblical formation

By Sr Margaret (Marge) Zdunich

My first encounter with the Sisters of Sion was as a student at Sion Academy High School in …

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I grew up in Indonesia, where the majority of the population are Muslims, so I am used to …

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Story of a vocation

By Sr Marie Lise Adou

It was in the midst of my work as a secretary at the Notre Dame de Sion secondary …

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Naturally my Christian commitment and my life as a sister are intertwined. The charism of the sisters of …

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A choice for life

By Sr Marie-Luc Champot

I have been living in an elderly people’s home in the south of France for some years, with …

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My call to religious life

By Sr Maureen Cusick

I grew up in a close-knit, warm family with deeply Catholic roots, immersed and involved in parish life. …

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Born into a Jewish family that emigrated to France, it was while hiding in an orphanage run by …

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How did I feel the presence of our Lord in my life? Before I answer this question, I …

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The Philippines are are an archipelago of islands in South East Asia, facing the Pacific Ocean. They experience …

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A call within a call

By Sr Oonah O’Shea

When I joined the sisters of Sion in 1968, little did I think that a little over 20 …

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I have to admit, I did not come from an “activist” family, but I did come from a …

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Born and raised in Canada, I have been living in Jerusalem at Ecce Homo Convent since 1997. Our …

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My name is Rosemarie and I am a physician. For almost 20 years I worked as an anesthesiologist …

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It all began with the fact that my best friend at school was Jewish; not that I ever …

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Counselling as a sister of Sion

By Sr Therese Fitzgerald

My counselling practice is based in Dublin, with some appointments online. My approach lends itself to working with …

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I have always been interested in psychology and liked caring for people in need – the sick, the …

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Where we are

Sisters and friends of Sion are present in many countries.

Argentina
Australia
Austria
Belgium
Brazil
Canada

Congo
Costa Rica
Egypt
El Salvador
France
Germany

Ireland
Israel
Italy
Nicaragua
Philippines
Poland

Romania
Spain
Türkiye
UK
USA