Sister Barbara Dawson, RSCJ, Provincial of the Society of the Sacred Heart United States – Canada Province, was elected Aug. 2 as the Superior General of the International Society of the Sacred Heart at the Society’s General Chapter in Nemi, Italy. The General Chapter is composed of delegates from every province and serves as the highest governing body of the congregation.
Sister Dawson (on right in photo) succeeds Sister Kathleen Conan, RSCJ, who has served for eight years as the Superior General, and becomes the third superior general from the United States in the Society’s 216 years. In her new role, Sister Dawson will oversee the communities and ministries of her religious order in 41 countries and six continents from the Society’s international headquarters in Rome.
A native of San Francisco, Sister Dawson’s ministries have included service in education, administration and immigration in both the U.S. and Indonesia. For the past four years, she has served as the Provincial of the United States – Canada Province based in St. Louis. Sister Dawson earned her bachelor of arts from Lone Mountain College, a law degree from the University of San Francisco, and a master of arts in international comparative education from Stanford University. She is a member of the bar in both California and Missouri and served on the board of trustees for various academic institutions.
