by NZ CATHOLIC staff
MELBOURNE — Sr Berneice Loch, RSM, OAM, has been elected as the new president of Catholic Religious Australia.
Sr Berneice was elected at the 2014 CRA national assembly held in Melbourne from June 23 to 27.
Sr Berneice is the leader of the Institute of Sisters of Mercy of Australia and Papua New Guinea and received the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in 2013. Notable among her leadership achievements was her central role in the establishment of Mercy Partners (2004-2011) and, more recently, the Institute of Sisters of Mercy Australia and Papua New Guinea.
She replaces Sr Annette Cunliffe, RSC, who has served the two-year term of the CRA Executive Council.
The assembly featured Cardinal João Braz de Aviz, the head of the Vatican’s Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, Sr Carmen Sammut Msola, president of the International Union of Superiors General (UISG) and Archbishop Paul Gallagher, Apostolic Nuncio to Australia. Their global perspective on the future and nature of religious life informed the issues that are facing congregation leaders in Australia and New Zealand and which were discussed widely at the assembly.
Sr Berneice will be supported by the following members of the council: Fr Tom McDonough, CP, Sr Sally Bradley, RSM, Br Jeff Crowe, FMS, Fr John Mulrooney, MSC, Sr Monica Cavanagh, RSJ, and Sr Megan Brock, RSJ. State representatives on the council are Sr Annette Arnold, RSJ (Queensland), Sr Stancea Vichie, MSS (Victoria), Sr Ruth Durick, OSU (NSW), Sr Bernadette Kiley, OP (South Australia) and Sr Marie Therese Ryder, FNDN (Western Australia).