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Celebrating consecrated women and men

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Catholic Religious Australia (CRA) marked the World Day of Consecrated Life on February 2 by giving thanks for the generosity of consecrated women and men in the day-to-day challenges of ecclesial living and missionary service to Church and society.

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Instituted by Saint John Paul II in 1997, the World Day for Consecrated Life invites the faithful to offer prayerful support for all those who have committed themselves to consecrated life.
Coinciding with the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, religious women and men are reflected in the lives of Simeon and Anna, the two prophetic figures in Luke’s Gospel account who bear witness to the infant Jesus’ consecration to the Lord.
The celebrations this year carried added weight, occurring concurrently with the national celebration of the Jubilee for Consecrated Life, an integral part of the overall Year of Jubilee.
Anne Walker, CRA national executive director, says this year’s celebration offers an opportunity for religious to renew their missionary commitment as consecrated persons who are messengers of God’s peace.
In Adelaide, parishes were asked to give special focus to Religious men and women in their communities, giving thanks for the gifts they bring in their personal and community life, the Church and wider society.
As a project of the Jubilee Year, in 2025 CRA will publish a new resource in the form of a book that showcases religious ministries in Australia.
The inspirational and awareness-raising tool will be available for use in grassroots formation settings, such as Catholic schools, parishes, youth ministry and vocations work.
Our Ministries & Works: Catholic Religious in Australia will act as a sequel to the 2023 CRA book Our Stories, Our Lives, Our Mission: Catholic Religious in Australia (2023). The book will make particular connections with the Jubilee theme, ‘seeds and signs of reconciliation’.

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