by Romilda Ferrauto
The most well-known is undoubtedly her: Sister Simona Brambilla, the first woman to serve as prefect of a dicastery in the Roman Curia. A Consolata missionary, Sister Brambilla belongs to one of the institutes founded specifically for the first proclamation of the Gospel, now present in 17 Countries. But she is not the only one. In fact, several missionary sisters hold positions of responsibility.
Sister Rebecca Nazzaro is the first woman to lead the Opera Romana Pellegrinaggi, the Pilgrimage Pastoral Office of the Vicariate of Rome. Her path is quite unique: trained at the Conservatory of Santa Cecilia in Rome, the ORP director was once a promising mezzo-soprano in the RAI Opera Choir, Italy’s national television. After a life among notes and scores, she joined the Missionaries of Divine Revelation – the sisters in green habits who chose to convey Christ’s love through the path of beauty. Sister Nazzaro is the creator and coordinator of the “Catechesis through Art” project in Roman churches, and under her leadership, ORP continues to combine beauty, faith, and hospitality – countering the trend of overtourism. On March 7, at the Capitoline Hill, seat of Rome’s City Hall, she received the RomaRose award alongside other women – a tribute to female talent.
Also on the list is Sister Regina da Costa Pedro, a dynamic Brazilian sister of the Immaculate Conception, director of the Pontifical Mission Societies of Brazil and the first woman ever appointed to this role. Her name made headlines when Pope Francis invited her, along with two other women, to speak before the C9, the Council of Cardinals he established, in April 2024. The goal: to hear female voices and reflect on the presence and recognition of women in the Church. A truly unprecedented move, noted Sister Regina, who has an extensive academic background in Italy: a Master’s in Dogmatic Theology, degrees in Theology and Psychology, a diploma in Missionary Spirituality, and experience in Cameroon.
Another missionary deeply connected to Africa is Sister Neide Lamperti, a Brazilian Scalabrinian dedicated to evangelization and missionary service among the most vulnerable migrants and refugees. After spending 11 years in Angola, she now coordinates both the Migrants and Refugees Office and the Human Trafficking Office of the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference (SACBC). An evangelical traveler with few possessions and no special means, she fights against prejudice and discrimination. Being on mission with migrants, Sister Neide emphasizes, also means resisting the construction of barriers and the spread of fear toward others. In a book, she passionately recounts true stories of women who crossed borders fleeing war. Being a woman is already a challenge in Africa due to cultural, social, and other factors, she explained in an interview—and a woman who is a migrant or refugee is doubly victimized.
However, Sister Lamperti is not the first to hold a top position within SACBC. Back in 2012, Sister Hermenegild Makoro, a South African member of the Sisters of the Precious Blood, was appointed Secretary General of the conference, which brings together the episcopates of three Countries. Sister Makoro served in this role for three consecutive terms. And not only that – she was also recognized in the Vatican, serving from 2015 to 2022 as a member of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, a space where the contribution of women is considered indispensable.
Because influence doesn’t always require governance roles. Take Sister Birgit Weiler, a German member of the Medical Mission Sisters, appointed theological advisor to the presidency of the Ecclesial Conference of the Amazon, established in 2020 in response to the cry of the poor and of Mother Earth. Living in Peru since 1990, where she teaches theology, Weiler is also a member of the theological advisory group of CELAM (Latin American Episcopal Council) and serves on the council of the General Secretariat of the Synod.
There’s also Mother Yvonne Reungoat, a French religious of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, who – though not in a top leadership role – holds a position of great significance. Her appointment to the Dicastery for Bishops in 2022, alongside two other women, was hailed as a small revolution. For the first time, women were involved in the important task of selecting bishops. Mother Reungoat brought with her the missionary experience of having served as superior of the African Province “Mother of God”, based in Lomé, Togo.
A missionary also leads the UISG (International Union of Superiors General). Since May 2025, the organization is headed by Sister Oonah O’Shea, an Australian of Irish descent and member of the Congregation of Notre Dame de Sion. The new president brings extensive missionary experience from the Philippines, where she helped found an NGO focused on empowering poor rural women.