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The annual World Day of Consecrated Life will be celebrated in the Archdiocese of New Orleans on Feb. 16 at Xavier University of Louisiana with a 30-minute prayer service led by Archbishop Gregory Aymond and a viewing of “Women in Spirit,” a video that traces the history of women religious in North America starting with the Ursulines.
“Faith and the Consecrated Life” day signifies that this way of life continues, said Sister of the Holy Family Sylvia Thibodeaux, executive director of the archdiocesan Department of Religious, and event coordinator.
“There are still women (and men) who are willing to live out their faith in a radical way,” she said. “In the church, it is one of the few ways women can live as radical Christians – a life of consecration and total self-giving. We give witness that we are continuing to do this and inviting others to follow.”
Vocational call is diverse
Consecrated life can be lived in diverse ways: “monastic life, the orders of virgins, hermits, and institutes completely devoted to contemplation, apostolic religious life, secular institutes, and Societies of Apostolic Life.” (“Vita Consecrata,” pages 6-12)
Sister Sylvia, along with Ursuline Sister Carla Dolce and Blessed Sacrament Sister Monica Loughlin, gathered recently to discuss their own calls to consecrated life and how their orders promote vocations in the community.
Sister Carla had a vivid memory of her religious call at age 5 when a young cousin died. She challenged God to answer the question, why did he make her since she, too, would die? She decided to spend her life making a difference as a religious Ursuline.
Sister Sylvia said she followed a natural path to being a nun, coming from a deeply religious Catholic family who welcomed religious in their home. Her Sisters of the Holy Family cousins would visit, and she wondered what they did when they left.
“The mystery inspired my vocation,” she said. “They seemed good, happy and kind, and the sisters were very good to the people – the poor, especially. It never left me, and the more I desired to live that life.”
Sister Monica was an Irish-Catholic from New York who was taught by the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament. It was in college in Buffalo, N.Y., that she wrote, jokingly, to a friend during a snow storm that “there’s just got to be more to life. I think I will become a nun.” A librarian suggested she explore the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament, and she followed through.
“Every vocation is a unique experience between God and that individual,” Sister Carla said. The Ursulines are contemplative in ministry and walk with young women on their journey by showing love and encouraging a life of self-direction and service.
“How that person lives it out could be in a community or as a contemplative,” Sister Carla said. “Each of our (religious communities in New Orleans) has someone (who promotes vocations), and we try to walk with a woman as she experiences what God is calling her to do.”
The Sisters of the Holy Family’s charism is a commitment to the poorest of the poor through education and caring for the sick and elderly, especially African-Americans. “We do it with unconditional love,” Sister Sylvia said.
Sister Monica said the Blessed Sacrament sisters strive “to be a sign in the world of the power of the eucharistic Christ to effect the unity of the community.”
The archdiocese promotes female vocations through its recently opened Magnificat House of Discernment, where women interested in religious life live in community with others who are discerning and have the opportunity to witness how local religious orders serve.
“It exemplifies the collaborative spirit we have,” Sister Monica said about the Magnificat House of Discernment. “We are supporting each other in supporting vocations and responding to the call.”
Another initiative is the annual “Calling All Fifth Graders,” which plants a vocational seed in preteens by exposing them to what religious life entails.
St. Katharine Drexel honored
Sister Sylvia expects approximately 200-250 consecrated men and women religious on Feb. 16.
She said the day will honor St. Katharine Drexel, who founded the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament and the local Xavier University of Louisiana in New Orleans, among her many accomplishments. The reading of some of her works and words will be included in the prayer service.
“We will be highlighting her life as a woman who gave her life completely to God,” Sister Sylvia said. “It is encouraging to us (consecrated religious) that one of us reached sainthood and had sisters (of her order) here (in New Orleans).”
The worldwide day was established in 1997 by Pope John Paul II to honor the total self-giving to God and the world of those in consecrated life. It is timed to coincide with the Feast of the Presentation, where Mary presented Christ in the temple. Christ gave his total self by dying on the cross, “so we mimic that in our life,” Sister Sylvia said, through vows of poverty, chastity and obedience.
Consecrated religious are looking forward to a day together, united in faith.
“The church through the Holy Father and the archbishop takes a day to say how valued (consecrated life) is,” Sister Monica said. “What a gift we are in the church.”
Christine Bordelon can be reached at [email protected].
Tags: Consecrated, Day, life, Uncategorized, World, Xavier