The Gift of Consecrated Life
Following the 1994 synod on Consecrated Life, Pope Saint John Paul II began his 1996 Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation, Vita Consecrata, writing that “the Consecrated Life, deeply rooted in the example and teaching of Christ the Lord, is a gift of God the Father to his Church through the Holy Spirit” (1). He continued that “the consecrated life is not something isolated and marginal, but a reality that affects the whole Church… The consecrated life is at the very heart of the Church as a decisive element for her mission, since it manifests the inner nature of the Christian calling and the striving of the whole Church as Bride towards union with her one Spouse”(3).
The Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis was established as a diocese on July 19, 1850, and since 1851, we have experienced a continuous witness and presence and consecrated women and men.
What is Consecrated Life?
While there are distinctions between the various expressions of consecrated life, they are united in following our poor, chaste and obedient Lord. Individually and collectively, consecrated men and women embody the words of Vita Consecrata, to “reflect the splendor of His love.” Vita Consecrata distinguishes seven different expressions of consecrated life.
The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis is enriched and blessed by each of these various forms of consecrated life. This includes religious sisters and brothers, religious order priests, cloistered Carmelite nuns, members of secular institutes and societies of apostolic life, and consecrated virgins living in the world. Our Church and world needs both the visible and the unsuspecting witness of these men and women!
In the different forms of life inspired by the Spirit throughout history, consecrated persons discover that the more they stand at the foot of the Cross of Christ, the more immediately and profoundly they experience the truth of God who is love…The consecrated life reflects the splendor of this love because, by its fidelity to the mystery of the Cross, it confesses that it believes and lives by the love of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. In this way it helps the Church to remain aware that the Cross is the superabundance of God’s love poured out upon this world (Vita Consecrata, #24).
The Role of the Delegate for Consecrated life
The Delegate for Consecrated Life is appointed by the archbishop and plays an essential role in facilitating communication and building relationships between consecrated persons, the bishops, the clergy, and the faithful of the Archdiocese. Archbishop Hebda wrote that the Delegate for Consecrated Life: “takes on the responsibility of acting as my official representative in matters regarding all forms of consecrated life in this archdiocese… and a resource for individuals in consecrate life in areas essential to their growth and development and will act as a support for those discerning vocations to consecrated life.”
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Photo credit | Pro Ecclesia Sancta
