Sister Juliana Seelmann is the new General Superior of the Franciscan Sisters in Oberzell, Germany. Delegates from Germany, South Africa, and the United States elected the 42-year-old on June 12 during the congregation’s 30th General Chapter.
Supporting her in the newly elected General Council are Sisters Beatrix Barth, Rut Gerlach, and Teresa Weimert. The previous General Superior, Sister Dr. Katharina Ganz, had informed the congregation several months ago that she would not stand for re-election after a total of 18 years in leadership roles—12 of them as General Superior. The official handover of office is scheduled for fall this year.
Sister Juliana Seelmann is originally from a small town near Würzburg. After graduating from High School, she trained as a nurse at the Würzburg Missionary Medical Clinic. From 2007 to 2008, she served as a temporary missionary in Ntabankulu, South Africa.
The congregation of the Sisters of the Holy Childhood of Jesus currently has 86 members: 68 sisters live in Germany, 5 in the U.S., and 13 in South Africa. The General Chapter is the highest decision-making assembly of the sisters and takes place every six years. In two phases, a total of 19 elected delegates gathered in the convent in Oberzell from May 25th to May 31st and again from June 10th to 18th to reflect on the future of the congregation. Leadership positions within the Oberzell Franciscan Sisters are assigned democratically and for a limited term. While the first part of the Chapter focused on reviewing the past and discharging the previous leadership, the second part centers primarily on the future of the community.
The newly elected leadership team of the Oberzell Franciscan Sisters (from left): Councilors Sr. Teresa Weimert and Sr. Rut Gerlach, General Superior Sr. Juliana Seelmann, and Vicar Sr. Beatrix Barth
Photos: Anja Mayer