Year of Consecrated Life

The Year of Consecrated Life, as designated by Pope Francis, concludes on Tuesday, February 2, 2016.

A beautiful statement by Pope Francis offered ways we should look at the Year of Consecrated Life.  He said to “look to the past with gratitude,” and see how the charism has been
lived over the years.  St. Paul of the Cross urged his fellow Passionists to remember, “We must arouse the world from its slumber.” Even our founder knew then that we needed to “Wake Up the World!”

Pope Francis then wrote, “live the present with passion.” As Passionists, we are blessed with our vowed men and women who today offer comfort and healing to the suffering, marginalized and vulnerable. By keeping alive the memory of the Passion of Jesus, we are assured that as we walk together in suffering; we are inspired by the hope that awaits us in the Resurrection of Jesus.

Finally, Pope Francis concluded that, as religious, we should, “embrace the future with hope.”  We look to the future with optimism for those seeking to live a consecrated life as a Passionist.  In Holy Cross Province, we have three young men currently in religious formation.   May they be inspired by the Holy Spirit as they seek out their vocation as religious to serve the Church.

We Passionists are grateful to all those who have journeyed with us throughout this year, and we ask that you continue to pray for all those who have made commitments to live a consecrated life and continue to “Wake Up the World!”

May the Passion of Jesus Christ be always in our hearts!

Habitat for Humanity, Louisville, Kentucky

Louisville Dedicates its “Wake Up the World House”

After nearly four months of labor by members of 24 religious communities in the Archdiocese of Louisville, partnering with Habitat for Humanity, the building of a “Wake Up the World” house is complete. A mother and her eight children were “all smiles and gleeful in their gratitude” as the dedication of their new house took place on Saturday, September 12, 2015. Read more on the CMSM Website.

 

Older News

Habitat for Humanity, Louisville, Kentucky

Members of 24 different religious communities in the Archdiocese of Louisville are collaborating on a “very significant service project” in celebration of the Year of Consecrated Life.  Over the coming months, the religious communities and their “families” will help build a house, named the Pope Francis House, in Louisville with Habitat for Humanity — some by finances, some by “sweat”, some by providing meals and many by their prayer.  Read more about this ambitious project on the Year of Consecrated Life website.

Celebrating the Year of Consecrated Life

“Members of 24 different religious communities in the Archdiocese of Louisville are collaborating on a “very significant service project” in celebration of the Year of Consecrated Life. Over the coming months, the religious communities and their “families” will help build a house, named the Pope Francis House, in Louisville with Habitat for Humanity — some by finances, some by “sweat”, some by providing meals and many by their prayer.”

On May 30, several Passionists from our Sacred Heart Community in Louisville, were members of the crew who “raised the roof” on the house.  Scroll down to see pictures of our Passionists “in action.”

Read more about this ambitious project on the Year of Consecrated Life website.

 

Brother John Monzyk, CP, organizes the team’s work shirts.

All of the crews work diligently to complete the tasks at hand.

Father Francis Cusack, CP, (right), helps
measure and cut the housewrap insulation.

Father David Colhour, CP, secures the housewrap insulation in place.

Our Passionist crew:
(l-r): Brother Kurt Wernert, CP; Father David Colhour, CP;
Father Francis Cusack, CP; Father John Schork, CP, and Brother John Monzyk, CP.

 

 

 

Father Alan Phillip, CP,
“Wakes Up the World.”

In the continuing celebration of the Year of Consecrated Life, the Los Angeles Archdiocesan newspaper, The Tidings, requested articles about religious orders. Father Alan Phillip, CP, submitted his article about the Passionists. It was published in the April 30, 2015, edition of the paper.

Click here to read
Father Alan’s article.

The Year of Consecrated Life:
An Introduction by Fr. Donald Senior, CP

Pope Francis has asked the whole Church and the World to become more aware of the vocation of Consecrated Life. We Passionists are responding to this request by creating a new feature on our website highlighting Consecrated Life. We invite you to watch this video by Fr. Don Senior, CP, as he reflects on the importance of this year long campaign, and we ask you to continue to support and pray for our Passionist Vocation.

2015: The Year of Consecrated Life ~ Provincial’s Welcome 

Dear Passionist Family,

In recognizing the importance of Consecrated Life in the Church today, Pope Francis announced that 2015 would be dedicated as the Year of Consecrated Life.

Bishop Michael Burbidge of the Diocese of Raleigh is the Chair of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on Clergy, Consecrated Life and Vocations and he has a brief video on the descriptions of the various forms of Consecrated Life. It is worth watching as we begin fourteen months of honoring and affirming the women and men who live Consecrated Life:

http://www.usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/vocations/consecrated-life/year-of-consecrated-life/index.cfm

He identifies five types of Consecrated Life:

• Men and Women Religious
• Secular Institutes
• Consecrated Virgins
• Hermits
• Societies of Apostolic Life

The men and women who consecrate their lives in order to live in these different vocations have traditionally served the Church and the world by their dedicated commitment to personal prayer, ministry, especially to the most neglected, some form of community life and vows/promises that are recognized by the Church.

The Passionist Family includes women and men religious and secular institutes.

St. Paul of the Cross founded the Passionist Community to preach and promote the Passion of Jesus Christ, what we call the Passionist Charism. Passionist men and women religious serve by preaching parish missions and retreats, setting up Retreat Centers, ministering in parishes, hospitals, orphanages, schools and universities here in the States and as missionaries overseas. Our faith, our parishes, our dioceses and our Church have been sustained and enhanced because of these dedicated men and women.

During these next fourteen months, the Province will have different ways of “Waking Up the World,” which is the theme for the Year of Consecrated Life. Fr. Don Senior will give a reflection on this theme and you will find that on our passionist.org website and on Facebook. Each month after that, we will feature someone from our Province, a brother or a priest, that illustrates our mission in the Church and our ministry within the Congregation.

We invite you to remember the many Passionists who have inspired or helped you in your journey of faith, by praying for them and maybe adding a comment about them in our Facebook page when we post our monthly picture.

During this special Year of Consecrated Life, I invite you to pray for all those who have made commitments in the consecrated life. Be sure to thank them for their dedication and service. May they continue to be inspired by Holy Spirit and respond generously to their vocation as religious to serve you and the Church today.

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