A growing number of U.S. Catholic sister congregations are relying on Vatican-appointed commissaries as aging memberships strain leadership.
Newsroom (20/07/2026 Gaudium Press ) An increasing number of Catholic sister congregations across the United States are finding themselves unable to elect or provide their own leaders, prompting a growing reliance on Vatican-appointed superiors known as commissaries.
What was once an extremely rare intervention has become a significant trend within women’s religious communities. In January 2015, there was only one congregation in the United States led by a superior appointed by the Vatican from outside its own membership. Today, at least 20 congregations have an appointed superior rather than an elected one, and religious leaders say the true number is likely higher.
The development reflects a broader demographic reality confronting Catholic religious life. As congregations continue to shrink and members age, many communities no longer have enough sisters who are physically or mentally able to participate in the formal governance processes required by church law.
A commissary is appointed when a congregation lacks a member capable of serving as leader or when the community cannot convene the chapter process required to elect a superior. While qualified leaders may still exist within some congregations, the inability to gather enough members for a canonical election is becoming increasingly common.
“The need is great,” said Sr. Sharon Euart, executive director of the Resource Center for Religious Institutes (RCRI), an organization that provides guidance and resources to religious congregations.
Euart described the role as a highly individualized ministry.
“Each situation is different, but the essence of what they’re doing is caring for these sisters,” she said.
The scale of the challenge is becoming clearer. Statistics shared at the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR) assembly in 2022 indicated that one-third of all congregations in the United States have fewer than 50 members. Leaders expect the number of communities capable of holding chapters and electing leaders to decline sharply after 2025.
RCRI is currently working with approximately 15 congregations requiring governance assistance, and Euart said five additional communities have recently begun searching for commissaries. LCWR’s virtual gatherings already include around a dozen commissaries, with more expected to join.
Recognizing the emerging leadership shortage, LCWR began compiling a list of former congregational leaders willing to serve in the role after receiving requests from the Vatican for assistance in identifying candidates. In March, the organization hosted training and information sessions for prospective commissaries, congregations asked to provide them, and communities considering requesting one.
“We realized there are issues around the future capacity for leadership,” said Immaculate Heart of Mary Sr. Anne Munley, who is helping coordinate LCWR’s efforts alongside Our Lady of Victory Missionary Sr. Mary Jo Nelson. “The rate of change is accelerating.”
Munley believes the demand will continue to expand.
“We’re in the first wave of this right now,” she said. “The learnings of this time are going to be helpful to the second and third wave.”
Diocesan Communities Facing Similar Pressures
The governance challenge is not limited to congregations under direct Vatican authority. Diocesan congregations, which operate under the authority of local bishops, are increasingly encountering the same difficulties.
According to Euart, diocesan communities often benefit from a more streamlined response because bishops can appoint commissaries without navigating the Vatican’s lengthy bureaucratic process.
“The beauty of it is they’re known by the bishop,” she said. “He knows them and cares about them and is quick to help.”
Yet even congregations that appear numerically stable may be approaching a critical point. Euart cautioned that aging demographics affect many communities regardless of size, meaning leadership shortages may emerge sooner than expected.
“We’re certainly not coming to completion,” she said of her own Mercy congregation. “But we need to look at the future.”
Preserving Identity Through Shared Leadership
Finding suitable commissaries remains a challenge. Congregations are often asked to submit multiple potential candidates for consideration, and geography can further complicate the process, particularly in regions where few religious communities remain nearby.
For the Our Lady of Victory Missionary Sisters in Huntington, Indiana, commonly known as the Victory Nolls, the arrangement has provided both stability and continuity. Their commissary is the superior of the Sisters of Providence of St. Mary-of-the-Woods, Sr. Dawn Tomaszewski, who delegated much of the responsibility to Sr. Jenny Howard after her appointment in 2022.
One of the most significant advantages of the commissary model, Tomaszewski said, is that it allows a congregation to maintain its distinct identity rather than merging with another institute or entering a more complex partnership arrangement.
“The mission of the Victory Nolls hasn’t changed. The charism of the Victory Nolls hasn’t changed. Only how we do things has changed,” she said.
She described the arrangement as mutually enriching.
“One of the great joys for both communities is that we, the Sisters of Providence, are enabling them to be Victory Nolls.”
Despite being outsiders initially, commissaries frequently develop deep personal bonds with the communities they serve. Euart recalled one commissary becoming emotional during a virtual meeting after experiencing multiple deaths within the congregation she was assisting.
“They were her sisters,” Euart said. “They do become part of the pastoral care for the sisters and they care for the dying.”
Munley believes the phenomenon reflects a growing sense of solidarity among women religious.
“We share a broader charism of religious life. We share a ministry of community and synodality,” she said. “Part of the sisterhood now is to assist one another through the governance form of commissary.”
New Models Emerge for the Future
Beyond individual appointments, some congregations are creating collaborative structures designed to address future leadership shortages collectively.
A notable example is the newly established Dominican Sisters Association. The initiative began in 2019 when Caldwell Dominican Sr. Patrice Werner invited leaders from five other Dominican congregations in the northeastern United States to discuss how to sustain their missions amid declining membership.
By 2022, five congregations had formed an association and requested Vatican recognition. Approval arrived in July 2025, officially establishing the Dominican Sisters Association as a public association of the faithful of pontifical rite.
The organization is designed to provide shared canonical governance and support member congregations that may eventually lose the capacity to govern themselves independently. It will also help identify and provide leadership for communities facing vacancies.
Blauvelt Dominican Sr. Theresa Rickard said most member congregations likely have enough capacity remaining to conduct at least one more chapter.
“But probably by 2030 and after, I think we’re all going to start needing help with this,” she said.
A similar effort has emerged among Franciscan congregations. Inspired by the Dominican model, Tiffin Franciscan Sr. Edna Michel helped pursue the creation of the Franciscan Association, which received Vatican recognition in January and now includes nine member communities.
“The inability to provide leadership for ourselves is looming on the horizon for many of us,” Michel said.
The association plans to hold its first assembly in October and elect leaders, creating a framework through which congregations can support one another as leadership challenges intensify.
A New Ministry for a Changing Era
As religious communities confront declining numbers and advancing age, commissaries are becoming an increasingly important feature of Catholic religious life in the United States. What began as an unusual solution is evolving into a widespread ministry focused on governance, pastoral care, and preserving congregational identity.
For those serving in the role, it represents more than administrative leadership. It is an expression of solidarity among communities navigating an uncertain future together.
“What a blessing to be part of something that is the future of religious life,” said Howard. “There’s a sense of joy and deep happiness.”
What Is a Pontifical Commissary?
A pontifical commissary is a leader appointed by the Vatican to govern a religious institute when the community is unable to provide leadership through its own normal processes. In diocesan congregations, a comparable commissary would be appointed by the local bishop. The role ensures continuity of governance while allowing congregations to maintain their identity and mission even when membership declines make self-governance difficult.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from Global Sisters Report
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