Rome (Italy). On 8 July 2019, the Vatican Press Office announced that the Holy Father has appointed new members for the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, including Mother Yvonne Reungoat, Superior General of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians.
The presence of women as members in the Dicasteries is one of the signs that Pope Francis wants to give more responsibility to women in the Church.
The Congregation, led by Cardinal Joao Braz de Aviz, is composed of five offices and is responsible for promoting and regulating the forms of consecrated and monastic life in the Catholic Church.
Mother Yvonne Reungoat is the 9th Superior General of the Institute of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians. She animates and governs the Institute in a spirit of authentic Salesian fraternity and service to life and nourishes everywhere the joy of being FMA and of being called to give her life for the proclamation of the Gospel especially to the little ones, to the poor, to women.
Among her lines of animation there are some priority considerations: the missionary dimension, vocational animation, the path to holiness, the shared mission with young people and lay people, collaboration with the various groups of the Salesian Family, openness to the Church.
In 2018 she was elected President of the Union of Major Superiors of Italy (USMI).
There are 7 General Superiors of women’s orders among the new members of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life and, among these, a consecrated laywoman. They are: Kathleen Appler, F.d.C., Superior General of the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul; Yvonne Reungoat, F.M.A., Superior General of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians (Salesians of Don Bosco); Françoise Massy, F.M.M., Superior General of the Franciscan Missionary Sisters of Mary; Luigia Coccia, S.M.C., Superior General of the Missionary Sisters, Pie Madri della Nigrizia (Comboni Missionaries); Simona Brambilla, M.C, Superior General of the Consolata Missionary Sisters; M. Rita Calvo Sanz, O.D.N., Superior General of the Order of the Company of Mary Our Lady; and Miss Olga Krizova, President General of the Volunteers of Don Bosco Secular Institute.
