Sr Mary Pat Garvin RSM to be presented with the LCWR Outstanding Leadership Award today

Sr Mary Pat Garvin, RSM has been selected as the recipient of the 2025 Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR) Outstanding Leadership Award. She will be presented with her award today as part of the LCWR assembly in Atlanta.

Mary Pat, a Sister of Mercy of the Americas, serves as an educator, consultant, and facilitator for national and international institutes and conferences of religious. She has a particular interest in working with formators of religious, recognizing the need to prepare newer members for a religious life that is global and culturally diverse. Her ministries and service to religious life and other organizations has have included: a member of the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas Institute leadership team (2011-2017), co-designer of and teacher in the UISG international program for the preparation of formators, interim co-executive director of the Religious Formation Program, and a faculty member of the Institute of Psychology at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome.

Mary Pat holds a doctorate in psychology from the Pontifical Gregorian University where she served on the faculty for eight years. She was a fellow in human formation with Saint Luke Institute in Silver Spring, Maryland. Her research interests include the interplay of spirituality and psychology in promoting a healthy and holy living of religious life.

Mary's reaction to the Award - grace of resilience flourishing

We asked Mary for her reaction to the award and she said, "Ministering in initial and ongoing formation for the past 30 years has been a great blessing. Accompanying women from every continent has been a beacon of hope and grace. Contributing to the education of those becoming vocation and formation ministers has been at the heart of my ministry.

"As I have walked with those who have been in religious life for years, I have witnessed the grace of resilience flourishing. 

"I have also offered the retreat “Catherine’s Suscipe: Prayer of a Social Mystic” several times at Baggot Street and in England, Kenya, South Africa, Australia, Canada, Peru, Argentina, and in the US."

Congratulations from all at MIA

We offer our congratulations to Mary Pat from from all of us at Mercy International Association.

We also extend our gratitude for this recognition to the LCWR awards committee who oversaw the selection process: Anita Baird, DHM; Anna Marie Espinosa, IWBS; Jane Helmlinger, CSJ; Rose Marie Jasinski, CBS; Vicky Larson, PBVM; Anne Munley, IHM; Constance Phelps, SCL; Sharlet Wagner, CSC; and Carol Zinn, SSJ.

ENDS