CWR Post-Conference Webinars

Pitching the Story of Women Religious
Gail DeGeorge – Editor, Global Sisters Report
Global Sisters Report Staff

Catholic women religious have good stories to tell – so how do you get them told? Whether you are an experienced public relations professional, or new to the role of communications for a congregation, you’ll benefit from this session on how best to pitch your story, avoid pitfalls and make the encounter a pleasant one for the sisters, yourself and the reporter. Learn (or revisit) best practices for news releases, the art of timing and how to prepare the sisters and others for interviews. Meet the team of reporters, editors and sisters at Global Sisters Report. Hear about trend stories and how the congregation you represent can be included, and how to make best use of GSR’s “Community News” venue and other features. While GSR focuses solely on sisters, much of what is discussed during this session could be applied to other media as well – but why it’s advantageous to get your story told in GSR first.

Gail DeGeorge became editor of Global Sisters Report in January 2016. This position, which Gail considers one of the best jobs in journalism, melds her experience in international reporting, her passion for storytelling and her Catholic faith. She spent much of her career as a reporter or editor focusing on economic, business and labor market issues for global media companies (Bloomberg News, BusinessWeek) and regional publications (The Miami Herald, South Florida Sun-Sentinel.) She taught eighth grade and Confirmation classes for more than 10 years at parishes in South Florida and Silver Spring, Maryland, helped revitalize the Rosary Guild ministry at St. Bonaventure in Davie, Florida, and has served on parish councils and numerous parish activities.

Amplifying Justice
Kristen Whitney Daniels – Associate Director, U.S. Federation of the Sisters of St. Joseph
Maria Elena Perales – Director, St. Joseph Justice Center of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange

This session discusses how you can effectively use communications to share your Charism and stories to amplify your justice work across different mediums. The presenters discuss bridging the gap between communicators and justice coordinators, using their real-life experience collaborating on justice issues and emphasize practical applications.

Kristen Whitney-Daniels is the associate director of the U.S. Federation of the Sisters of St. Joseph, where she focuses on communications and justice. Prior to working at the Federation, she was an intern for the National Catholic Reporter, where she cultivated her award-winning reporting on the death penalty. Kristen is also a fierce healthcare advocate and chapter leader for Connecticut #insulin4all, a group that advocates for affordable and equitable access to insulin and healthcare. Her testimonies have been featured at the Connecticut capitol and the U.S. Senate floor. In 2020, she attended the Presidential State of the Union as a guest of U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro. She has been featured in and/or written for: BBC, Berlingske, CBS Evening News, Global Sisters Report, Financial Times, NPR, U.S. Catholic Magazine, and more. Kristen is a proud graduate of Quinnipiac University and member of the St. Joseph Worker community.

Maria Elena Perales is the director of the St. Joseph Justice Center of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange. In her position, she leads local and national advocacy and awareness efforts to address social justice issues of our time. She strives to represent the sisters in their quest to engage and partner with other congregations, nonprofit organizations, interfaith leaders and community advocates to bring about systemic change and create opportunities for dialogue. She takes advantage of her participation in working groups, advocacy groups, committees and boards to learn and collaborate while creating opportunities for awareness, action and service. She has been working in the field of social justice for over 25 years. As an immigrant from Mexico, she can relate to the hardship and anguish immigrants face today from the anti-immigrant political climate to the inequalities the COVID-19 pandemic has surfaced. She is a graduate of Mount St. Mary’s University in Los Angeles and a member of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange Family of Joseph.

Data You Need to Know for Vocation Communications
Charlene Herinckx, SSMO – Director of Membership, National Religious Vocation Conference
Carol Schuck Scheiber – Publications Editor, National Religious Vocation Conference

This session focuses on key findings from NRVC’s 2020 study, including who was studied, the response to the call to religious life, what the appeal is now, attributes of those responding, and outlook for the future.

Charlene Herinckx, SSMO, rejoined the National Religious Vocation Conference team in January 2021 as the director of membership. She previously served as the NRVC coordinator of programs and projects from 1999-2005. A Sister of St. Mary of Oregon, her ministry experience includes middle and high school teacher, school administrator, community vocation director, assistant archdiocesan vocation director and community leadership. Sr. Charlene holds a Master of Education degree from the University of Portland (Oregon) and a Master of School Administration from the University of San Francisco. Her hobbies include photography and card-making.

Carol Schuck Scheiber is the publications editor for the National Religious Vocation Conference. She edits and writes for HORIZON, the professional quarterly of the NRVC, and VISION, the annual guide to Catholic religious vocations. She’s been happily involved with Communicators for Women Religious for over 15 years. The mother of three young adults, she has had an up-close view of the Millennial and Gen Z “discernment journey.”