Edited by Annmarie Sanders IHM Published by CreateSpace Independent Publishing, 2018 Reviewed by Jane O’Carroll

The Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR) USA came under scrutiny from the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith from 2009 to 2015. In 2012 the doctrinal congregation required reforms that challenged the organisation whose members are leaders of about 80 per cent of the women’s Religious Congregations in the country and held wider implications for the laity and the role of women within the Church.

In However Long the Night, former presidents of LCWR, members of the organisation's executive staff and members of a lay support group share their experiences and insights from this critical moment in their history.

This book tells how the Sisters navigated the LCWR through the doctrinal assessment to an amicable resolution with the Vatican in April 2015. Ten essays detail the approaches and practices used, such as communal discernment, relationship-building, a commitment to nonviolence, lessons in humility, governance methods adopted by Congregations after the Second Vatican Council and a lot of prayer. The essays convey what the Sisters learned in moving from a reaction "immersed in our confrontational culture" to "discovering another way of being". While some overlap occurs in the stories, this is to be expected given the essay format and the personal perspectives.

The book also gives the facts and chronology of the doctrinal assessment through different lenses. It explores themes such as personal and institutional integrity for an organisation during a time of crisis; understanding the roots of perceptions and stereotypes that can lead to polarisation and a "cultural chasm"; how to use influence and manage the media spotlight responsibly; and how leaders and members find renewal and personal growth even in pressure-filled times.

The essays provide insight into how LCWR reacted to the crisis and offers insights to other organisations. It is a story of a spiritual journey in humility and which brought unexpected blessings for all involved.

I was inspired by how deeply negative and sometimes devastating experiences of Church were transformed by the Sisters’ attitudes into a deep spiritual peace. It illustrates the ongoing gift that Religious Life is in the world and Church. Many will love this book and I recommend it to pastoral Church groups for reflection and inspiration.

Tui Motu Magazine. Issue 234 February 2019: 27