Sr. Jacqueline Dickey, SSCh, Director of the Office for Religious, welcomed all.

One hundred and thirty five Sisters and Brothers celebrated the World Day for Consecrated life hosted by The Franciscan Missionaries of Mary in North Providence. World Day for Consecrated Life was initiated by Pope John Paul in 1997 and is celebrated each year usually on or close to the feast of the Presentation. It is an opportunity to celebrate the life and work of women and men religious and to pray for vocations to consecrated life. "This yearly celebration is an eloquent icon of total offering of one's life for all those who are called to witness in the Church and in the world, by means of the evangelical counsels, the characteristic features of God's Love and Word made flesh the chaste, poor and obedient one." "Moreover, The mission of the consecrated life, in the present and in the future of the Church, concerns not only those who have received this special charism, but the entire Christian community."

The keynote speaker was Sister of St. Anne Rose Clarisse Gadoury, an adjunct professor at Blessed John National XXlll Seminary, Weston, MA, and a well-known spiritual and a retreat director. She led participants on a reflection of their consecrated lives since their first, public profession, and told the religious that the profession of vows was only the beginning of a life-long process of living their consecration. Sister Rose Clarisse concluded her presentation by using the Prologue of John I. She said that religious have seen with their own eyes, touched with their own hands, heard and loved in the depths of their heart and now bear witness of the eternal life that was present to the Father. Now religious have fellowship with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ because God saw them first. Their whole relationship was transformed into a beautiful relationship with the world, which radiates the very presence of the life and the love of God.

Ministers for the Evening Prayer L-R: Sr. Claudette Lapointe,RJM, Sr. Therese Picard, RJM, cantors, Sr. Yvette Hubert, fmm, organist, Mrs. Noreko Whittaher, flutist.

Claudette Lapointe, RJM, lector

Members of the Council for Religious lead the Evening Prayer Rev. Thomas Ertle, OP presided over the Evening Prayer. L-R: Sr. Claudette Lapointe, RJM, Sr. Mary Sabina DeMuth, OP.

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