The World Day for Consecrated Life on Feb. 2 is an opportunity to celebrate the gift of consecrated life and pray for men and women discerning a consecrated vocation with the global Catholic Church.

While all the baptized are called to share a common relationship with God: to be “religious” or holy in the broad sense of the word, those choosing to live consecrated lives elect to follow a specific tradition or spirituality often patterned after the life and teaching of the founder of their community. This special day draws attention to the contributions that consecrated men and women make to the Church and society at-large.

Upcoming Event

On Sunday, April 16 at 3 p.m., Bishop David Walkowiak will celebrate a Mass with the Rite of the Consecration of a Virgin Living in the World for Rebeca Sastre. Rebeca will become the newest consecrated virgin in our diocese. The Mass will be livestreamed on the diocesan website and Facebook.

Instituted by Pope John Paul II in 1997, World Day for Consecrated Life is a day of prayer for women and men in consecrated life. The celebration is attached to the feast of the Presentation of the Lord on Feb. 2. This feast is also known as Candlemas Day; the day on which candles are blessed symbolizing Christ who is the light of the world. 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.

Forms of consecrated life

Consecrated life takes many forms. It includes Catholic brothers and sisters who are members of religious institutes, are hermits or consecrated virgins, in apostolic life, or are members of secular institutes.

Learn about

Vocations to consecrated religious life in our diocese
Priestly vocations in our diocese​

Read

Select quotes from Christus vivit, Pope Francis’ 2019 post-synodal apostolic exhortation written “to young people and to the entire people of God.”

Pray

View/download a prayer card from the USCCB
Pray with Pope Francis in February for religious sisters and consecrated women (Vatican News)

Additional resources

Letter to the world’s consecrated men and women (Vatican News)
From the National Religious Vocation Conference
Women and Men Professing Perpetual Vows in Religious Life: The Profession Class of 2022 (the USCCB’s Committee on Clergy, Consecrated Life and Vocations commissioned the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) at Georgetown University to conduct its annual survey of newly professed men and women religious in the United States.)
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