By S. Mary Luke Baldwin, SSND, Central Pacific Province
Mother Georgianne Segner, SSND, General Superior, (1968-1977) had great concern for her Sisters living behind the Iron Curtain. This was written at the time of Mother Georgianne’s death in 2000.
During her nine years as General Superior of the School Sisters of Notre Dame, Mother M. Georgianne Segner showed special concern for the hundreds of School Sisters of Notre Dame, who were still living “Behind the Iron Curtain.” Shortly after assuming office in 1968, she began to visit them wherever it was possible, both to ascertain their needs and situation and to provide encouragement. When she could not obtain visas, she arranged for her general councilors to visit these sisters whenever possible.
Mother Georgianne visited the Sisters in Poland, East Germany, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Yugoslavia, and Romania, often at personal risk and subject to surveillance even after obtaining visas, sometimes with difficulty and delay. In 1971 she was able to visit Romania as an American tourist—the first time a General Superior had been there in 22 years. At the time there were more than 200 sisters, unable to live publicly as religious but remaining faithful and in touch with the larger community.
Each group in Eastern Europe had its own difficulties: some had been officially disbanded, but remained united in secret through their own elected or appointed leaders; others had had their schools and convents confiscated and were literally displaced. These sisters were limited in their ministry, sometimes assigned by the government to care for developmentally disabled children and women, for abandoned infants, sometimes for the frail elderly, or for other women religious in “concentration convents.”
Mother Georgianne did everything possible to have the delegates from these countries attend the international meetings of the congregation in Rome and arranged to provide funds for their needs. She was deeply moved by their unity in diversity and by text of these sisters sharing faith during their very difficult times. She spent many hours simply listening to their stories and praying with them. Whenever possible she also provided direct assistance.
You can read more about Mother Georgianne, including excerpts from her Circular Letters, on the Sturdy Roots website.
