Loretto Link is a community rooted in the Loretto Community’s values of acting for justice and working for peace. We seek to be a home for social justice activists and for people whose spirituality calls them to attend to the pressing needs of a hurting world. Our strength lies in our relationships with one another and our commitment to service and mission.
Loretto Link is grounded in the principles of democratic member participation. We carry out our mission through member-formed working groups. We meet annually to review the well-being and growth of our organization, and we have other gatherings throughout the year. We seek to develop a supportive community which encourages creative action for peace and justice locally and globally.
We welcome people wherever they are on their journey, regardless of age, race, class, gender identity, sexual orientation, physical ability or any other identities that may have marginalized their participation in society or in any organization, whether secular or faith based.
Loretto Link practices an inclusive and expansive understanding of and connection with spirituality. Our members represent a wide range of spiritual identities, faiths and practices of justice.
History
Loretto Link emerged from and seeks to continue the spirit and work of the Loretto Community, which is both a congregation of women religious and persons who have joined as Co-members.
The Congregation was founded in 1812, initially supporting teaching and later promoting the mission to “act for peace and work for justice because the Gospel urges us.” The mission priorities of the Loretto Community are care of the earth, immigration justice and abolition of nuclear weapons. Throughout its history, the Loretto Community has advocated for full equality and participation of women in all aspects of church, government and society.
Loretto Link and the Loretto Community have many members in common and we work together often. Like many religious orders, the Congregation of the Sisters of Loretto is diminishing in numbers. Loretto Link, founded in 2017, is part of the exciting future of Loretto. Our members are steeped in Loretto's values of peace, justice, and hospitality. Together, we seek new ways to be of service to a hurt and damaged world.
We welcome inquiries from people who want to be part of creating a diverse community which celebrates our differences and finds joy and comfort in the values that bind us together as we work to build a more inclusive and loving world.