Former Trustee Elected Society of Sacred Heart's Superior General

Former Trustee Elected Society of Sacred Heart's Superior General

Sister Barbara Dawson

Sister Barbara Dawson, RSCJ, Provincial of the Society of the Sacred Heart United States-Canada Province, was elected on August 2, as Superior General of the International Society of the Sacred Heart. Sister Dawson was elected by the Society’s General Chapter, which is currently meeting 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, a member of the University of San Diego’s Board of Trustees from 1993-99, succeeds Sister Kathleen Conan, RSCJ, who has served for eight years. Sister Dawson 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 Jakarta, Indonesia. For the past four years, Sister Dawson has served as the Provincial of the United States-Canada Province, based in St. Louis, Mo. She also held the position of Provincial for the U.S. Province from 1993-1999. In addition to leadership, Sister Dawson has served as a teacher and administrator for schools including St. Martin de Porres in Oakland, Calif.; Lone Mountain College in San Francisco; and others throughout the U.S. She was in administration for various Catholic Charities and has addressed public policy and immigration issues in the San Francisco Bay area.

Sister Dawson earned a BA from Lone Mountain College and a JD from the University of San Francisco. She earned an MA in international comparative education from Stanford University. She is a member of the bar in both California and Missouri.

— Donna Heckler, Society of the Sacred Heart