The Diocese of Orlando Sisters' Council celebrated its 50th Anniversary. The coalition is composed of a group of religious sisters from different orders within the Diocese. 

In a report with The Florida Catholic, Bishop John Noonan said he was grateful for the coalition. He also praised them for their efforts and contributions to the Church. 

Servant leadership

The Bishop addressed a letter to the "Sisters of Consecrated Life" to show his appreciation. He thanked the nuns for choosing their vocation to consecrated life. 

In the letter, he said that he praised the Blessed Mother and the saints for helping the sisters with their vocation. 

Bishop Noonan also called the sisters a "stellar example of servant leadership." He commended their hospitality as they continued to support and guide each other. 

The Bishop said he admired how much they supported one another through the years. He prayed more people would emulate them. 

Establishing the council

The council was established in 1971. Bishop William Borders, who was the leader of the Diocese at the time, celebrated a Mass to inaugurate its planning. 

According to the Diocese of Orlando website, Bishop William Borders was the first Bishop in the Orlando Diocese. The Sisters' Council was considered to be one of his achievements during his service. 

He was also a native of Indiana and a former military chaplain.

He admitted that the Church could not succeed in its apostolate without asking help from the experts. 

Bishop Borders explained it was necessary to have most of their people involved on a personal level in the Church's works. He explained that they needed to understand the weight of their responsibilities. 

Such tasks involved planning and decision-making. 

"The Sisters' Council is not just a Council for the Sisters. It is a Sisters' Council for the Diocese," he said of the coalition. 

The Bishop tasked the council of religious sisters to work with migrant workers. He also assigned them to schools where they would help form students in their faith life. 

The religious sisters in the Diocese managed to surpass expectations. They became police and hospital chaplains. They also became involved in the educational sector, where they served as teachers and principals. 

They also established family and marriage ministries and assisted in the work of the tribunal.

Supporting each other through the years

Sister Maria Teresa Acosta is the president of the council. She serves the Servants of the Pierced Hearts. 

Sister Acosta said that they made sure that the sisters felt welcomed when they entered the Diocese. 

She told the news outlet that the purpose of the sisters' council was to provide for the spiritual and physical needs of all the nuns in the Diocese. 

The council president added that the sisters made sure to support and help each other. 

Franciscan Sister Catherine Noecker acknowledged that the Diocese had no motherhouses. Because of this, all the sisters came from different orders from around the country. 

Sister Noecker serves as the moderator for the religious women. She said the council became a gathering space for the sisters to share their variety of charisms. 

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