Ministry of Consecrated Life

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IMPORTANT NOTE: With any reprint of the lyrics or music of this song, please include the following credit: © Steven C. Warner, 2014. Commissioned by NRVC and VISION Vocation Guide in honor of the Year of Consecrated Life.

The vocation to consecrated life is an invitation from the Lord to live one's baptismal commitment more intensely through an intimate following of Christ in a life dedicated to living the evangelical counsels of chastity, poverty and obedience. Consecrated life does not belong to the hierarchical structure of the Church, but it is undeniably a part of its life and holiness.

A study of the history of the Church demonstrates that consecrated life has appeared in various forms: the eremitical life, consecrated virginity, religious institutes (monastics, mendicant, apostolic), secular institutes, and societies of apostolic life. Throughout the centuries, these men and women, both clerics and lay have devoted their lives to a contemplative or apostolic lifestyle in service to the Church (LG43-44).

World Day of Consecrated Life: 

All consecrated persons called to be

‘present-day Samaritans’

A message by Sister Rose McDermott, S.S.J.

On Feb. 2, 2021, we celebrate the 25th anniversary of the World Day of Consecrated Life in the Catholic Church. In his Jan. 18, 2021 letter to consecrated persons marking this occasion, Cardinal João Braz de’Aviz, Prefect of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, called on all consecrated women and men of religious and secular institutes, societies of apostolic life,  consecrated virgins and hermits  “to be today’s Samaritans - to move beyond ourselves, embracing the pain, suffering, and poverty of so many men and women throughout the world.”

            Cardinal de’Aviz further requested consecrated persons to place the recent encyclical of Pope Francis, Fratelli Tutti, at the center of our lives in order to respond through our witness and service with a “new vision of fraternity and social friendship, in the face of present-day attempts to eliminate or ignore others” (FT 6). These entreaties from Cardinal de’Aviz and Pope Francis call to mind the impassionate opening of Gaudium et Spes, the Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World: “The joys and the hopes, the griefs and the anxieties of the men of this age, especially those who are poor or in any way afflicted, these too are the joys and hopes, the griefs and anxieties of the followers of Christ” (GS 1).

            This is no easy task, as our nation, along with others, faces months of the pandemic, the spread of infection, and the loss of lives, to say nothing of human failings and economic difficulties, while our own institutes lack vocations and suffer the deaths of beloved members. 

As I reflected on these exhortations, I came to the realization that this is a clarion call not only to those of us in the various forms of “consecrated life”, but to all of our brothers and sisters, the Christian faithful, consecrated through Baptism and made sharers in Christ’s  three-fold ministry. While the term “consecrated life” applies in a more specific way to those following Christ through the evangelical counsels, all Christians are consecrated and sent forth through Baptism to build up the Church and bear witness to the world.   [continue reading]

Those in consecrated life are called to reflect Christ's light

Bishop David M. O'Connell, C.M.

Historically, religious orders developed in the Church, first because of some particular need that was not able to be met in the Church at the time and, second, because the vision and charism of some particular individuals were able to inspire others to come together and determine how to meet that need.   And, so, religious orders, communities, congregations and societies were born! 
 
Some of these groups of women and men gathered in monasteries where they lived a life of prayer and worked apart from the world, while others pursued an active life of service in the midst of the world and its needs.  Still others have lived their vocation as consecrated virgins, widows or hermits.

The Church approved and fostered their existence and the “rule of life” that governed how they would live and what they hoped to accomplish within and through the Church.  Members took special vows or “evangelical counsels” of poverty, chastity and obedience – and some others made additional vows – to help them fulfill their mission and purpose.  The Church’s canon law made further distinctions among them to guide and govern their religious life and ministry, eager to help them preserve and foster their unique charisms and contributions to the work of the Church...[continue reading]

Each year, the Catholic Church celebrates World Day for Consecrated Life, a celebration instituted by Pope John Paul II in 1997.  This observance coincides with the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord on Feb. 2, also known as Candlemas Day, commemorating the coming of Christ, the Light of the World, through the symbolic lighting of candles. Similarly, consecrated men and women are called to spread the light and love of Jesus Christ through their unique witness of selfless service, such as caring for the poor, the contemplative work of prayer, or through their professional careers. 

Parishes in the Diocese of Trenton are invited to celebrate consecrated life during the weekend of Feb. 6-7 in recognition of the essential role of consecrated persons in the life of the Church. As engaged members of their local communities, consecrated men and women bring the presence of Jesus to all they encounter throughout their day, allowing his Spirit to live and move within them so that the truth of the Gospel can be proclaimed to all. 

Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., marked the occasion by quoting Pope Francis: “Religious life ought to promote growth in the Church by way of attraction.  The Church must be attractive.  Wake up the world! Be witnesses of a different way of doing things, a different way of acting, of living!  It is possible to live differently in this world.”  

The lives of consecrated women and men are proof of that, the Bishop observed, recognizing the immeasurable impact that consecrated persons have had on the Church of Trenton.  He said, “Since its establishment in 1881, the Diocese of Trenton has grown and flourished in countless ways thanks to the presence, prayer and apostolic works of scores of religious women and men who have generously served here in our four counties.  We are profoundly in their debt.  Our Catholic schools and programs of religious education, our hospitals and nursing homes, our works for the poor, the needy and the elderly, our parishes and diocesan offices could not have succeeded in their mission without the contributions of sisters, brothers and priests in consecrated life.   
  
“Along with the prayers and service of consecrated virgins and widows, women and men religious have given the clergy and faithful of the Diocese of Trenton a legacy of love and light that endures to the present day.  They deserve our grateful prayer and support. With God’s grace, may our Diocese be a source of new vocations to consecrated life, of new and dedicated laborers in the vineyard of the Lord.” 

The Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate is commissioned annually by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Clergy, Consecrated Life, and Vocations to conduct a survey of the men and women who solemnly professed in the United States in the past year. Among the major findings of this year’s report are:

• On average, responding religious report that they were 19 years old when they first considered a vocation to religious life.  
• The average age of responding religious of the Profession Class of 2019 is 38. Half of the responding religious are age 34 or younger. The youngest is 24 and the oldest is 71.
• Seven in ten (71%) responding religious report their primary race or ethnicity as Caucasian, European American, or white. One in ten (13%) identifies as Asian/Pacific Islander/Native Hawaiian. Fewer than one in ten identifies as African/African American/black (7%) and one in twenty (5%) identifies as Hispanic/Latino(a).
• Three-fourths of responding religious (76%) were born in the United States. Of those born outside the United States, the most common country of origin is Vietnam.
• On average, the respondents who were born outside the United States were 24 years old when they first came to the United States and lived here for 13 years before perpetual profession. 
• Nine in ten (89%) responding religious report that someone encouraged them to consider a vocation to religious life. Respondents are less likely to report that they received encouragement from their family members than from parish priests, friends, or from a religious sister or brother.
• Three-fourths (74%) of the Profession Class of 2020 have more than one sibling. A quarter (25%) has one brother or sister. A third (35%) report having two or three siblings. Two-fifths (39%) have four or more siblings.
• Three quarters of the respondents (75%) are from families where both parents are Catholic. Just over four in five (84%) have been Catholic since birth. Among the 16% of respondents who became Catholic later in life, the average age at which they entered the Church was 20 years old. 
• Nearly half of the responding religious (45%) attended a Catholic elementary school, which is higher than that for all Catholic adults in the United States (16%).  These respondents are also more likely than other U.S. Catholics to have attended a Catholic high school (38 of responding religious, compared to 8% of U.S. adult Catholics) and much more likely to have attended a Catholic college (38% of responding religious, compared to 5% of U.S. adult Catholics). 

The entire CARA survey and information on the members of Profession Class of 2020 can be accessed at: Profession Classes | USCCB.

We are approximately 293 canonical religious, 4 non-canonical members, 3 consecrated virgins and 1 secular institute member that minister in the four counties of the Diocese of Trenton. We represent membership in 34 male/female religious congregations who have dedicated our lives to announce and proclaim the Word of the Lord.
 

Our Ministry

Prior to 1970's, religious served the needs of the Church via education, health care and orphanages. Additional ministries are essential to our service today:

• Social Awareness / Action - Consecrated persons are involved in feeding the poor, visiting the prisoners, providing housing and support in time of crisis and offering rehab for drug/alcohol dependency
• Ecology - Some consecrated persons are actively participating in bringing about an awareness of the needs to conserve the resources of our planet
• Evangelization - Consecrated persons are taking steps to expand the Catholic faith community by extending programs to teach the fundamentals of our religion
• Retreat Houses - These sites offer companions to journey with those seeking an experienced guide to help them listen to God's call
• Contemplative prayer - Sisters devote themselves to a life of prayerful silence that enriches their community and the lives of the people in the Trenton Diocese
• Education - This primary ministry develops a well-rounded individual who respects traditional faith and civic values
• Healthcare - Consecrated persons nurture the wounded members of society that are experiencing mental, emotional and physical handicaps and challenges
• Spanish Ministries - In this global age, consecrated persons continue to reach out to those from different cultures who experience separation because of language and cultural barriers as they attempt to live in the new environment.

While the physical appearance might not be easily recognizable today, the face of God is evident in the many paths and journeys taken daily by those who have dedicated their life to further announce and proclaim the Word of God.