One of the results of the renewal of religious life called for by the Second Vatican Council was the deepening and growth of interrelationships among congregations of religious. In the Americas, this was a time of strengthening national religious conferences, encouraging inter-congregational experiences, and increasing the numbers of religious serving in countries other than their own.
As a result of these changes, the conferences of religious of the whole continent decided to begin meeting together, beginning in 1971. These meetings have continued over the years and have involved LCWR, the Conference of Major Superiors of Men (CMSM), the Canadian Religious Conference (CRC) and the Confederation of Latin American Religious (CLAR) -- the confederation of national conferences of religious of Latin America and the Caribbean. The InterAmerican Committee, made up of the presidents and executive directors/secretaries of each of these four entities have meet annually. Periodically, InterAmerican Assemblies have been held in which delegates from all the conferences of the continent participate. These assemblies have helped religious throughout the continent know one another and the situations in which they minister. The assemblies have dealt with topics of common interest to religious life in the Americas. These assemblies have taken place in various countries so that the participants can experience the local situations where religious minister.
