During this Lenten season, the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, U.S. East-West Province (SNDdeN EW Province) are collaborating with other congregations to take concrete steps to strengthen our collective capacity for civil dialogue.
“Civil dialogue” refers to communication about controversial or complex topics that is based on listening, empathy, and the exploration of different viewpoints.
The program we’ll be participating in, Practicing Respect Across Difference, is a series of reflections and events for women religious that aligns with the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur’s mission-centric priority to foster justice and peace in an often-contentious world.
This new program builds on the momentum of the SNDdeN EW Province’s successful Series of Hope virtual gatherings hosted by the office of Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation (EW JPIC) in 2025.
For more information about this program:
Also, for your consideration:
Weekly Lenten Reflections
Throughout the season of Lent, in collaboration with other women religious across the country, we are participating in a campaign for Practicing Respect Across Difference. Each week, we will share a reflection on best practices for civil dialogue. What can you learn and put into practice to bring more peace into the world?
First Week of Lent
Respect across difference begins with reverence for each person.
The Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur were founded as an international congregation, beginning with our movement from France to Belgium in 1809. Today, Sisters live and work across five continents. Respect for other cultures, experiences, and ideas is central to our work and service to the most vulnerable. This week, take some time to pray for members of your family or community with whom you disagree, even on the most fundamental issues in our world today. Pray for a deeper understanding of their perspectives, but also a deeper recognition of their creation in God’s image.
“Dialogue is born from an attitude of respect for the other person, from a conviction that the other person has something good to say. It assumes that there is room in the heart for the person’s point of view, opinion, and proposal. To dialogue entails a cordial reception, not a prior condemnation. In order to dialogue, it is necessary to know how to lower the defenses, open the doors of the house, and offer human warmth.”
-Pope Francis, On Heaven and Earth, Sudamericana, 2011
Second Week of Lent
Deep listening is an act of faith.
Polarization has been rising for decades, but it seems worse now than ever before. Polling from Pew Research Center has demonstrated that our country is more divided now than ever before. In 2022, 72% of Republicans and 63% of Democrats said that they viewed the opposing party as more immoral than other Americans. In this time especially, authentic listening is not just a skill; it is an act of faith in the goodwill of one another.
This week, take some time to discern your media diet, or even look at websites or TV programs that you do not normally visit. How do internet algorithms and 24-hour news cycles impede our ability to see outside our own “bubble”? How can we disrupt this cycle?
“We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools. Peace is not merely the absence of tension; it is the presence of justice.”
—Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Third Week of Lent
Respect is a communal practice.
The Gospel reminds us to “go out into the world and make disciples of all nations” (Mt 28:19). Dialogue calls us to build respect through active listening and engagement. It requires us to ask uncomfortable questions, especially those that connect to other people’s experiences and values.
This week, challenge yourself to ask questions about someone else’s perspectives (even if you might disagree) without judgment. Try to get to the heart of their experience to understand the value behind their statement.
“Listening is much more than simply hearing. Hearing is about receiving information, while listening is about communication, and calls for closeness.”
—Pope Francis
Fourth Week of Lent
Jesus challenged others by leading with compassion.
In his ministry, Jesus crossed boundaries. He healed the sick, fed the hungry, and cared for the persecuted. But he also befriended the persecutors: the tax collectors, the sinners, the outcasts. When dialogue is conducted in a patient and prayerful space, we can be witness to one another’s transformation.
Reflect on how your life and ministry has changed over time. Many of our sisters model this gift of change. Some members of our congregation entered religious life in a time before Vatican II, but spent their careers in community organizing at home and abroad. How can we offer the same opportunity for transformation to others, living in the hope and joy of the Gospel?
“To live is to change, and to be perfect is to have changed often.”
—Blessed John Henry Newman
Fifth Week of Lent
Difference is not a threat to unity.
Practicing respect across difference does not mean moderating our convictions or taking a “middle of the road” approach. Rather, it is an intentional spiritual and communal practice of listening more deeply, engaging complexity with care, and seeking connection across difference. This practice is rooted in prayer, compassion, and solidarity.
Our differences may not always seem like a blessing, especially when we find ourselves at odds in our political and social messaging. However, diversity is also one of the greatest gifts in our faith tradition. When we allow dialogue to challenge our preconceptions, we can even refresh and renew our mission by visualizing new areas of service and justice.
This week, reflect on how your congregation or organization can promote diversity in all forms, especially in its hiring processes, listening circles, and advisory committees. How can we welcome a diversity of experiences to inform our work in pursuit of justice and peace?
“Our faith strongly affirms that we are responsible for one another.”
—Sister Simone Campbell, SSS
Sixth Week of Lent
Dialogue is an invitation to a deeper communal life.
Civil dialogue might seem like a new term, but it is deeply rooted in our Christian life. Even in the New Testament, we can see the disciples struggling to live in community and make decisions together. In his letters, Paul encourages them to seek unity. We can imagine that they had difficult conversations, perhaps sharing their own frustrations and moments of sadness. In each religious community, we can see this experience reflected as we discern the future of our work and ministry.
Women religious have always been leaders in dialogue — from leading community organizing efforts at home, to traveling to countries where they do not speak the language with the simple intention of learning from others. From participating in synod processes to giving homilies in our churches. Listening, learning and responding to the signs of the times are an essential part of our charism.
Our series on Practicing Respect Across Difference concludes this week.
In these coming weeks, let us continue to dialogue and pray together. We invite all members of our community to participate in upcoming dialogues and reflection opportunities. Contact the Office of Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation at jpic@ewsndden.org for more information.