On 4 November 2025, it was announced that, following prayer, reflection and engagement of members, the two congregations of apostolic women religious, Congregatio Jesu (CJ) and the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary (IBVM-Loreto) are merging.
The merged congregation will be known as Congregatio Jesu and is formed by approximately 1,800 sisters worldwide who will continue to honour the legacy and charism of its foundress Venerable Mary Ward.
The merger of the two congregations became a canonical and legal reality on 4 November, and was publicly proclaimed at a special Mass in Loyola, Spain, presided over by the General Superior of the Jesuits, Fr. Arturo Sosa SJ.
Sr Veronica Fuhrmann CJ, General Superior of Congregatio Jesu, said, “We are very happy that we can finally fulfill Mary Ward’s dream of a united congregation of women religious with the same constitutions as those of the Society of Jesus. Seeing this union now realized not only in sisterly and spiritual but also in canonical and legal terms fills us all with great joy and deep gratitude.”
Sr Carmel Swords CJ, former Institute leader of the IBVM, said, “In a fractured world, our members have freely chosen to become one congregation as a witness to Christ’s gospel message of peace and harmony. We believe that together we are stronger. We move forward filled with gratitude and a desire to serve God’s people in freedom and joy.”
Sr Gemma Simmonds CJ, Senior Fellow and Director of Religious Life Institute at the Margaret Beaufort Institute in Cambridge, said, “It’s a day I’ve hoped for over many years, so to see it happen now is wonderful. Religious life is well and truly alive, and the most important thing for us is that we’re stronger together than we are apart.”
Reflecting on the founder of Congregatio Jesu, the Venerable Mary Ward, Sr Gemma continued, “Mary Ward is one of the key figures in the Catholic Church in this country. We hope to see her beatified as an acknowledgment of her visionary leadership. Anything that’s going to be strengthening women in the Church is great for women and girls now, and for the Church of the future.”
Recordings of the merger Mass on 4 November and the symposium held the following day are both available via the Congregation’s website.
