Solemn Vows – August 23

Dear Friends,

Br. Joe Murray and Br. Bienvenido Rodriguez, both of the Order of Saint Augustine, will profess Solemn Vows here at OLGC on Sunday, August 23 at the 11:30 AM Mass. We will serve light refreshments on the plaza after Mass.

A friend of mine who recently began becoming familiar with things Catholic, asked me if I would be “officiating at the ordination ceremony.” For a person not 100% familiar with Catholic things, such a question is natural. But I know that there are many lifelong Catholics who get things pertaining to and things pertaining to priesthood mixed up together. This is understandable.

And so, I explained to this friend: “Solemn Vows is a thing. Ordination is a priest thing. Joe will probably become a priest. Brother Bienvenido will not. Ordination is done by a bishop, so I would not be able to do that.”

Every friar (and , , sister, or any other person beginning a vowed, consecrated life) goes through a period called “.” This is a time of spiritual study and learning about prayer. The man or woman studies the basics of prayer, meditation, liturgy, and the particular spirituality of the specific or congregation that the person has entered. At the end of this novitiate year (or two years), The novice professes his or her first vows. Usually, these are vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. These are called “simple vows” or “temporary vows” and they can be renewed every year. After a few more years (for the Augustinians this is a minimum of three years), the person may choose to make a permanent commitment. Many orders and congregations refer to these permanent vows as Final, Perpetual or Solemn Vows.

For us Augustinians this cements our commitment as (another word for “brother”) in the Order. Brother Joe Murray will probably eventually go on to be ordained a priest. Brother Bienvenido probably will not. But both remain friars - brothers. Since I was ordained in 1976, people have referred to me as “Father Liam,” but it is just as correct to refer to me as “Brother Liam” or even “Friar Liam.”

Diocesan priests do not take these vows. They make promises of celibacy and obedience to their bishops.

I am personally very pleased that we are hosting this Solemn Vow ceremony (also called a Solemn Profession) here at OLGC at this time, because Francis has designated this year as a “Year of Consecrated Life”- a year for us to deepen our awareness of the place and the roles of friars, , , sisters and other consecrated religious within the .

I ask you to pray especially for Brother Joe and Brother Bienvenido as make final spiritual preparation for these solemn vows through which they will offer their lives to Christ and to the Church. And please also pray for all of us Augustinians and for all the other consecrated religious.

Peace, Brother Liam