The Year of November 30, 2014 – February 7, 2016

Dear Religion Teachers and Catechists:

Pope Francis has declared 2015 as the Year of Consecrated Life. The following information is designed to help you have a clearer understanding of Consecrated Religious Life so as to be able to answer most questions your students may ask. The ideal is to have a religious sister, or priest present when teaching the topic of Religious Life, but that will not always be possible.

Consecrated Religious Life is a state of life where a woman or man feels called by God to consecrate her/his life to God’s service through a religious institution recognized by the . The usual Gospel counsels of poverty, chastity and obedience are publically professed by the person feel called and embraced perpetually, being for the person’s whole life. Various steps occur before the public religious profession happens.

Here are a number of subthemes that will enhance your understanding of Consecrated Religious Life.

1. The Call – A person feels a call or attraction to the religious life which can come in many forms. Sometimes a person feels this call for many years before she/he can really begin living it. Sometimes the call comes later in life. The call requires discernment so that the person can know if the call really is from God and then know where and how to live out this call. The individual’s prayers and relationship with God are essential although they may not fit the traditional sense of a “religious” person. Many professed religious say that they were not particularly holy or even thought about God until some special moment in their lives. Having a wise companion to help with discernment is always a helpful step to understanding the nature of the call. The second step would be to decide where this call should be lived out. Visits to various religious orders will help with this decision as the person compares her/his gifts and interests with those of the religious community.

2. Mission, Charism and Ministry – Each has a mission and a charism which is part of their identity. Naturally the Gospel mission, Jesus’ mission is common to all religious communities, but some emphasize certain parts of this mission and embrace it with more vigor. The charism is the spirit of the religious institute which guides and inspires the mission and life of the community. The Ministry is the concrete way that the mission and charism is lived out. Various missions and ministries can be in education, health care, spiritual orientations, social justice issues, etc. Charisms are linked to the spirituality of the group like the , Dominicans, Augustinians, etc.

3. The Gospel Counsels – the counsels that are professed as vows are poverty, chastity and obedience. In the Gospel all Christians are exhorted to live these counsels, but religious women and men profess them as “vows” which means that they publically embrace them for their whole lives and commit themselves to living them as their religious community defines them.

4. Style of Living - Another important element of consecrated religious life is the style of living which is in community. Once again each religious community has their understanding of living together whether it be living physically together in the same house, or coming together for certain activities and practices. Religious sisters, brothers and priests are committed to each other within their communities by bonds of affection which are family-like in their living.

5. Each Order is Unique - There are many different “orders” of religious life whose founders were usually inspired to do a special work of mercy or in the lives of other saints. Each has a Rule and Constitution which are their spiritual documents which guide and govern their lives in all aspects. St. Francis of Assisi, St. Dominic, St. Benedict and St. are all examples of saints who founded their orders. In other times of Church history, other women and men were inspired in them and other saints to found other religious orders. To be considered an official religious order, the group seeks the approval of the Pope (Pontifical orders) or the local (diocesan orders.)

6. Daily Activities - The common day of the professed members of a religious order depends very much on what type she/he is. The cloistered , brothers and priests are confined to their and and spend of their day in prayer although they do have manual labors to perform. Some of these orders are the Poor Clares, the Trappists, and some Carmelite orders (Discalced Carmelites). The active, apostolic orders work in a ministry during the day. They may have common prayers in the mornings and evenings (this varies greatly) and have other moments of living the common life, but their emphasis is on their ministry, on how they serve God’s people. There are no longer limited places where sisters, brothers and priests may work. Some are in church affiliated places and others hold common jobs in the work field.

7. Formation Programs - Formation and preparation to live the religious life is a requirement in all religious orders. Some orders have a two, three or more year formation program where the candidate learns about religious life in general and the particulars of that religious institute. Of course the candidates for the priesthood follow the same formation as diocesan priests as well as the one demanded by their own congregation.

8. About Habits - Religious habits are also a widely varied element of religious life today especially among women religious. Some communities wear a specific dress and veil. Some wear modified habits that are not always the same within the same community. And some do not wear any specific clothing. However almost all religious communities have some kind of insignia, medal or pin which distinguishes them as a community and indicates that they are consecrated persons.

9. Prayer - A solid and authentic life of prayer and a relationship with God is essential to the life of a consecrated religious person. She/he seeks God in a personal relationship which sustains her/his life as a religious. There is no substitute for this and that is why a religious takes time for special days of prayer and for an annual retreat of a few days.

Here are a few helpful clarifications when thinking about religious life.

1. Religious Priests and Diocesan Priests - It is good to help children understand the difference between religious and diocesan priests since they probably think that the priest is only involved in saying Mass and administering the sacraments. Diocesan priests make a promise of obedience to their local bishop and usually remain within the diocese for their whole lives. There are exceptions when a diocesan priest may ask his bishop to be transferred to another diocese. A religious priest has vowed his life to a religious order and is therefore subject to his religious superiors. He may be transferred to any of that community’s houses in any diocese in the world. He is committed to a life in common with his religious brothers however they define that. He is not necessarily a pastor in a parish because his community may ask him to do other things. While working in a diocese, he has an obligation of obedience to its bishop.

2. Religious Brothers - The concept of a religious brother is not well understood among some Catholics, either. A brother professes the same vows as a religious priest, poverty, chastity and obedience but does not feel called to be an ordained priest. He feels that his call is to remain as a consecrated layman fulfilling his ministry in varied ways. The religious community at Lewis University, the LaSalle Brothers, are such an order dedicated to education. Some of these orders may have a few priests among them so that the Eucharist can be celebrated.

3. Secular Orders - Many laypeople, married and unmarried, have often felt called to some kind of organized affiliation with religious orders. These are called or Terceraries (Third Order Seculars). There usually is a time of formation and then the person commits her/himself to live in the spirituality of the religious institute but in a layperson way through the common aspects of life.

If you have any questions about religious life, please feel free to contact me or talk to the religious that you know. We are more than happy to help you in any way. God bless you and your students!

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Sr. Nancy Schramm, OSF Director of Formation, Office of Human Dignity Roman Catholic Diocese of Joliet Blanchette Catholic Center 16555 Weber Road Crest Hill, IL 60403-8719 Direct 815-221-6257 Cell 224-565-1460 [email protected] www.dioceseofjoliet.org or

Joyce Donahue Catechetical Associate Diocese of Joliet Religious Education Office Blanchette Catholic Center 16555 Weber Road Crest Hill, IL 60403-8719 815-221-6146 [email protected] www.dioceseofjoliet.org/reo