Behind the Scene Ministry
S. Pat Cormack
Photos courtesy of S. Annmarie Sanders, IHM, LCWR Director of Communications
“The thing I like most about my job,” says Sister Pat Cormack, “is that every day is a different challenge.” Sister Pat began her service as Associate Director for Business and Finance at the Leadership Conference of Women Religious in Silver Spring, Maryland, during the summer of 2007. “I succeeded Sister Eleanor Granger, OSF, who served LCWR for six years, and I’m grateful for the orientation that she gave me to my ministry.”
The Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR) is a canonically approved membership organization which exists as a support system and corporate voice for leaders of institutes of women religious in the United States. The conference has approximately 1800 members and associates, who represent about 95 percent of the 67,000 women religious in the United States.
Pam Chiesa PBVM, LCWR Treasurer and S. Pat
The Associate Director for Business and Finance handles the day-to-day financial administration of the Conference. The work can be as mundane as authorizing the checks to pay the bills or as exciting as assisting with the management of finances for the committee planning the exhibit “Women and Spirit: Catholic Sisters in America,” which will open at the Cincinnati Museum Center in May 2009 and which will also be held at the Smithsonian Museum in Washington DC during 2010.
Sister Pat develops and manages the budget for LCWR in collaboration with the treasurer and finance committee of the conference. She partners with the associate director of the Conference of Major Superiors of Men to manage the building that houses LCWR, CMSM, the Religious Formation Conference, the National Association of Treasurers of Religious Institutes and the Legal Resource Center for Religious.
Another major area of responsibility is the visiting and selection of sites for the annual Assembly of the LCWR. Each year in August, 700-800 members of LCWR gather to discuss the business of the conference and to participate in educational sessions focusing on leadership development for the members. Sister Pat is responsible for managing the details of the assembly hotel venue and does so in collaboration with Nix and Associates, an event planning company based in St Louis. Coordinating the needs of the liturgical planners, those designing ambiance, those who provide audio-visual support and the assembly speakers, and the myriad details that make the event happen are all part of this responsibility.
“I’m fortunate that my experience in previous ministries has helped me prepare for these duties. I was co-chair of the youth rally at the Louisiana Superdome when Pope John Paul II visited the United States in 1987. Learning that kind of managing of detail has served me well in my role as event planner for LCWR.” Sister Pat also helps with the site selection and arrangements for several annual workshops hosted by LCWR as well as for the semiannual meetings of the board and executive committee of LCWR.
S. Pat with Carol Crowder, LCWR Membership Coordinator
Sister Pat also works with the LCWR membership coordinator to conduct the annual renewal of membership process for LCWR members as well as LCWR associate members. “Right now we are soliciting renewals by all the member congregations and insuring that LCWR has the funds it needs to be of service to its members. Actually, that is the thing that keeps me going each day—I realize that the behind the scenes work I do on a day-to-day basis makes it possible for LCWR to be of assistance to leaders of religious congregations across the USA. I’m proud of my involvement and the contribution it makes.”
