They were not all in the room where it happened, but certainly in the Zoom where it happened – the unification of seven institutes of the Sisters of the Incarnate Word and Blessed Sacrament was transmitted online. All the sisters and many friends worldwide celebrated this special day when after more than 150 years, the sisters are one order again.
The separation happened during the French Revolution. The Foundress, Venerable Jeanne Chézard de Matel, originally initiated the Order in 1625. However, the total legal dissolution of any religious establishment or structure during the French Revolution (1789-1799) forced the Sisters to hide, and eventually, nine different congregations developed.
“We see ourselves as returning to our original status,” says Sr. Annette Wagner, Superior General of the Sisters of the Incarnate Word and Blessed Sacrament of Corpus Christi. “Our legal status for the last 150+ years has been a congregation. An Order has a much broader scope of possible relationships; it can include both laity (women and men) and ordained members,” she explains. Part of the Foundress’ original plan included Incarnate Word priests, which is beginning to happen with the first seminarians of the “Society of the Incarnate Word” in Mexico and Kenya. She also planned a special relationship with married and single laypeople like the Associates, established in 1985.
All Incarnate Word Sisters share the same charism – bringing the presence of the Incarnate Word to those who do not yet know or experience Him through their effort to love and nurture full life in those they encounter.
This new order allows the sister to identify as a global player. Currently, the order is present in 13 countries. “We have always been in a relationship with these other Incarnate Word congregations; now, we will be ‘legally’ free to interact in support of all in fulfilling our call together,” adds the Corpus Christi superior.
With the reunion, the Incarnate Word Sisters are finally one order again. “Two sisters of each of the seven congregations were present at the in Lyon, where the Decree from the Vatican was read and therefore enacted,” says Sister Annette Wagner. The annals from the period of persecution indicate that sometimes violent invasions of convents and monasteries included physical attacks and even the deaths of some members. Sisters who survived either went into individual exile to continue living their religious consecration or returned to their homes.
In 1817, the first convent marked the Restoration of an Incarnate Word foundation. From that one foundation, other houses sprang up. In 1851, Bishop Odin, Bishop of Texas, visited France and requested that IW Sisters join him in Texas to assist in evangelization. Two years later, four IW Sisters established the first IW foundation in Brownsville, TX, “which we call ‘the cradle of the Order in the New World.’ They opened our first school within weeks of their arrival,” adds Sister Annette.
To Brownsville, more Sisters arrived from France; from Brownsville, in response to requests from various bishops, Sisters were sent to other areas in Texas and dioceses in Mexico.
The process that brought the congregations together took more than 20 years. “During that time, much work was done to prepare documentation required by the Holy See,” so the Superior.
Through that ongoing process, two of the congregations that had originally voiced interest discerned through prayer and shared reflection that God is calling them to another manner of living the Incarnate Word presence. “Even though they will not be members of the Order, they are still part of the Incarnate Word family,” shares Sister Annette.
While unifying leadership and other structures will take time, the Incarnate Word Sisters look forward to a richer sense of community, living in unity with the diversity of their cultures and languages. “Like Jesus the Incarnate Word Himself, we pledge our presence and service to feed the deepest hunger of humanity so that—in His words—"they may have life and have it to the full.” (Jn. 10:10)