Sister Ellen Dauwer, a member of the Sisters of Charity of St. Elizabeth in the Convent Station neighborhood of Morris Township, is this year’s recipient of the Mary Emil Penet IHM Award from the Religious Formation Conference (RFC).
The award recognizes those who have made a significant contribution to formation ministry. It honors someone who demonstrates a substantial commitment to and investment of energy and insight into the formative journey of religious sisters and brothers.
Sister Dauwer served two terms as the RFC’s executive director of RFC from 2014 to 2022. She oversaw the development of the InterCongregational Collaborative Novitiate and the Together program, a collaboration with the Catholic Theological Union.
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In the July 2022 news release announcing Sister Dauwer’s departure, the RFC board co-chairs called her leadership “exemplary.”
“As executive director, she worked with the board and staff to create strategic plans that guided the conference on an ongoing basis. Additionally, she’s been instrumental in cultivating new programs. Sister Ellen’s dedication to collaborating with those accompanying newer members in religious life today is admirable,” the co-chairs said.
Currently, Sister Dauwer ministers full-time in various governance and sponsorship roles. She serves on the boards of CommonSpirit Health, a national healthcare system; St. Joseph’s Health in Paterson, N.J.; and Mount St. Mary’s University in Emmitsburg, Md.
Sister Dauwer is also engaged in sponsorship formation at the Catholic Health Association and will join the SOAR board! (Support Our Aging Religious) this summer. Sister Dauwer also gives presentations and writes on topics such as religious life, charism, and sponsorship.
The honoree served two terms in leadership for her congregation. During this time, she was on several boards and committees of sponsored works in healthcare and education, including Bon Secours Charity Health System in New York and Bon Secours St. Francis in Charleston, S.C.
In 2008, Sister Dauwer was elected secretary of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR). She was a member of the LCWR board and executive committee from 2008 to 2011. She later served as an LCWR regional chairperson from 2013 to 2015 and on the conference’s board.
Sister Dauwer earned a bachelor’s degree in education and mathematics from the College of St. Elizabeth in Convent Station, now St. Elizabeth University, and a master’s degree in measurement and evaluation and a PhD in management of computer resources from New York University.
The honoree spent many years in educational ministry as a high school math and computer science teacher, an undergraduate and graduate college professor in computer information systems and educational technology, and a college administrator at the College of St. Elizabeth and Fordham University.
For 20 years, Sister Dauwer was an adjunct professor at Thomas Edison State College in Trenton, a college for adult learners, and president of its Academic Council for two terms. She has particular interests in adult and online learning and has presented professionally.
