Reverend Joseph E. Kurtz, D.D. Bishop | Archdiocese of Louisville

Passionist Sister Catherine Marie Schuhmann, a Louisville native, has completed her six-year term as the first mother president of the Congregation of the Nuns of the Passion of Jesus Christ. At 82 years old, she has returned to St. Joseph Monastery in Whitesville, Kentucky, where she previously served as mother superior.

Sister Catherine Marie has been part of the Passionist community in the Diocese of Owensboro for 64 years. Her early life included attending Holy Name and St. John Vianney schools and Presentation Academy in Louisville, where she helped pay tuition by playing organ at St. Philip Neri Church.

Reflecting on her time as mother president, Sister Catherine Marie said, “I and my dear council members were united in our Passionist charism. We all believed in what the Church was asking us to do." She added, “I always say, ‘This is not our work — this is God’s work.’ ”

The Holy See established the Congregation of the Nuns of the Passion of Jesus Christ on June 29, 2018. This move brought together female Passionist communities worldwide into one congregation to address issues such as declining membership and financial challenges that had been identified through a global questionnaire sent out four years earlier.

“When the answers began to come in, there was a state of alarm throughout the Dicastery for Consecrated Life,” said Sister Catherine Marie. The survey results indicated significant declines and even risk of extinction among some religious congregations. In response, all female Passionist monasteries were unified under a single monastic congregation.

Despite initial concerns about how these changes would affect their contemplative way of life, Sister Catherine Marie explained that her community sought understanding rather than resistance: “Our community had the grace of God not to rebel — but to try to seek understanding.”

During her leadership at St. Joseph Monastery prior to becoming mother president, Sister Catherine Marie helped foster new vocations at a time when many other communities struggled. In 2018 she was called to serve temporarily as superior at a struggling monastery in Lucca, Italy. Shortly after arriving there, she was elected mother president during the first General Chapter meeting for the newly formed congregation.

“And that’s when the second-oldest person present – me! – was elected, which was mind-boggling,” she said. “But the grace was there!”

Her role involved supporting each monastery as they worked to embody their charism within their own cultures and conducting canonical visitations worldwide with council members.

In her first letter as mother president to Passionist nuns globally, she wrote: “I begged everyone to pray for a new Pentecost. I know it’s going to happen.”

Currently more than 240 Passionist nuns live across 14 countries. Despite undergoing major surgeries during her tenure and being 75 years old at its start, Sister Catherine Marie traveled internationally for visitations—even where language barriers existed—relying on shared faith: “There was such a beauty in each culture that I truly cherished and love,” she said.

She also witnessed acts of unity among communities facing challenges due to aging or lack of vocations—for example when sisters from Genoa joined those in Lucca after discernment: “Everyone was praying their way through, asking ‘what does God want?’ Now they are truly one.”

Some laypeople questioned whether forming one congregation threatened traditional monasteries; however Sister Catherine Marie disagreed: “Quite the opposite... All my experiences with the Holy See were that they were there to help.” She noted increased trust from Church authorities allowing more autonomy for local communities.

Now united under one structure, Passionist nuns can share resources for training and support more effectively across language groups.

This spring saw election of Mother Gertrude Poggio from Italy as new mother president during the second General Chapter meeting—a gathering marked by optimism among participants.

“Now we care!” said Sister Catherine Marie. “And young sisters are leading the way... They are catching fire and taking it up.” Mother Gertrude named her predecessor honorary ‘grandmother’ of their monastic congregation.

“I pray for good solid vocations because without healthy good vocations we cannot go on,” said Sister Catherine Marie from Whitesville. She expressed hope for gradual growth within communities: “If you force a rosebud open you destroy its beauty.”

She concluded with confidence about future leadership: “The congregation is in good hands.”