Every year, on the feast of the Presentation of the Lord (February 2nd), the Church celebrates a day of prayer for consecrated life. As St. John Paul II stressed when he introduced this event in 1997, its purpose is threefold: “In the first place, it answers our need to praise the Lord and to thank him for the great gift of consecrated life, which enriches and gladdens the Christian community by its many charisms and by the fruits of so many lives totally given to the cause of the Kingdom. Second, it is intended to promote knowledge of and esteem for the consecrated life by the entire People of God. Consecrated life, in its many forms, is at the service of the baptismal consecration of all the faithful. The third reason regards consecrated persons directly. They are invited to celebrate together the marvels which the Lord has accomplished in them, to discover the rays of divine beauty spread by the Spirit in their way of life, and to become more conscious of their irreplaceable mission in the Church and in the world.”
“Our brothers and sisters in Christ living consecrated lives make great contributions to our society through a vast number of ministries,” said Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz of Louisville, president of the U.S. Bishops’ Conference. “They teach in our schools, take care of the poor and the sick and bring compassion and the love of Christ to those shunned by society; others lead lives of prayer in contemplation for the world.”
Pope Francis has proclaimed 2015 a Year of Consecrated Life. The year also marks the 50th anniversary of Perfectae Caritatis, the Vatican II decree on religious life. We at St. Monica’s have been blessed – and continue to be blessed - in so many ways by the gift of consecrated religious in our midst. From the presence of the Congregation of Notre Dame at our parish and school through the 1950s and 1960s, up to the 26 years of Holy Names Sister Beverley Wattling’s ministry as pastoral associate, and by the witness of so many others, too numerous to be named, we “make a grateful remembrance of the past” while embracing “the future with hope.” And so, we pray:

God our Father, we thank you for calling men and women to serve in your Son’s Kingdom: in active and contemplative life; in poverty, chastity, and obedience; as sisters, brothers, religious priests, and in Secular Institutes; as consecrated virgins, associates, and members of ecclesial lay movements. We pray in a special way for all who have committed themselves to the many forms of consecrated life here at St. Monica’s Parish. Renew their knowledge and love of you, and send your Holy Spirit to help them respond generously and courageously to your will. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, who celebrates life with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.