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Sr. Antoinette Gutzler
President, Maryknoll Sisters, Ossining
The mission of the Maryknoll Sisters is a response to the Gospel, to be in service to the poor and mar-ginalized of the world. Though we began in the U.S., from the beginning women of other cultures have joined us. This is something that we have to contribute in a world that is very fragmented: to live in a community that is very intercultural.
I entered Maryknoll in 1964, when I was 18. I studied for a bachelor’s degree in theology, then in 1971 I went to Tanzania. After studying Swahili, I taught religion in high school and worked with young students. In 1978 I was assigned to Taiwan. I studied Mandarin and Taiwanese and became director of the Solidarity Young Workers Center in Kaohsiung. I got to know the lives of the workers from the inside. One of the most exciting aspects was helping young women workers, asking, “What are your dreams, and how can you awaken to what you are as women?”
Right now, religious life is on the brink of a paradigm shift. As we Maryknoll Sisters moved out of more tradi-tional work in schools and hospitals, we became more engaged with the marginalized. Where are those to whom no one wants to minister? That’s where we find our call.
It’s important to realize that women are not only part of the Church, but an indispensable part. If we look back at the epistles of Paul, we find him acknowledging women as his co-workers in Christ. That is our inheritance – a discipleship of equals – an inheritance that has become forgotten! As a woman religious with a doctorate in theology, I have a voice that other women are denied. We need to join the voices of all women to bring a new vitality into the life of the Church.
In the Church of the future, the laity – both women and men – will be a more dominant force. I see seeds of hope for the flourishing of the Gospel in communities where people long for a deepening of spirituality and see the link between spirituality and service. In this, I believe the role of religious sisters will still be vital.
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