Opening of the Year of Consecrated Life

On Saturday 29 November 2014, the year when the Year of Consecrated Life was opened with a solemn prayer vigil in the Roman Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, in our generalate house a ‘table for the animation of pastoral care for tavolo vocazionale 29.11.2014 010vocations’ was organised with the involvement of Camillian religious of the three Provinces of Italy. Women religious of the women Ministers of the Sick, Daughters of St. Camillus and Handmaidens of the Incarnation, and of the secular institute of Women Missionaries of the Sick – Christ the Hope, took part.

In his introductory greetings, Fr. Leocir Pessini, the Superior General of the Camillians, invited those attending to persevere in this inter-congregational cooperation, above all between consecrated people animated by and sharing in the charismatic fire of Camillus de Lellis, above all during a season of history which in Italy is marked by a contraction in human resources but when at the same time greater synergy is required above all for a more credible witness to unity, communion and fraternity.

     Grateful memories as regards the past, passion and compassion for the present, and intelligent and wisely evangelical discernment are the coordinates that once again are proposed to us – by Pope Francis as well – in order to renew our wineskins, to conserve our good wine, and to avoid it becoming vinegar, and as such undrinkable for us and…for others as well!

The witness of our religious brother Fr. Bernard Kinvi, who has been involved in making peace between the factions in a civil war, above all Muslims and non-Muslims, in Central Africa, but also in caring for and providing housing to refugees and wounded people, offered not only a moment of reflection but also of healthy realism for our practical role in history so that it can really become a history of salvation.

Fr. Laurent Zoungrana, the Vicar General of the Order who is also responsible for formation and pastoral care for vocations, accompanied the participants for the whole of the day, ending it with a celebration of the Eucharist in our Church of St. Mary Magdalene. In the late afternoon those taking part moved to ‘Santa Maria Maggiore’ to take part in the prayer vigil.

On Sunday, on the eve of the opening of the Year of Consecrated Life called by Pope Francis, a prayer vigil took place in the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore with a video message from the Supreme Pontiff that was addressed to all the consecrated men and women who work in the world.

Awake the world! Awake the world!’: this was the appeal that Pope Francis made once again to consecrated men and women on the occasion of the prayer vigil at Santa Maria Maggiore on the eve of the opening of the Year of Consecrated Life.

   ‘On this occasion my first words are ones of gratitude to the Lord for the valuable gift of consecrated life to the Church and to the world’.

tavolo vocazionale 29.11.2014 021   The Pope hoped that the Year dedicated to consecrated life would be an opportunity to appreciate in a suitable way the valuable gift of the vocation of consecrated life. ‘Put Christ at the centre of your existence’, said Pope Francis, because ‘consecrated life consists essentially of personal adherence to him’. Consecrated men and women should transform themselves into a ‘living memory of how Christ existed as the Word made flesh before God and our brethren’ (VC, n 22).

Allowing oneself to be touched by the hand of Jesus, allowing oneself to be led by his voice and supported by his grace is an arduous task, Pope Francis emphasised. But help can be found in the Gospel:

Adopt it as a form of life and translate it into daily acts that are marked by simplicity and consistency, thereby overcoming the temptation to transform it into an ideology. The Gospel will keep your life and mission ‘young’ and will make them of contemporary relevance and attractive. May the Gospel be the solid terrain where you can go forward with courage!

The mission of consecrated men and women must be directed towards the ‘outskirts of the men and women of today’, Francis explained. In meeting Christ, the Pope went on, one meets ‘those most in need, the poor’. Reaching the outskirts to bring the light of the Gospel requires ‘vigilance’ but also ‘lucidity’ in order to recognise its complexity, and ‘discernment’, without forgoing immersing oneself in reality in order to touch the suffering flesh of Christ in his People (EG, n. 24): Move out of your nests towards the outskirts of the men and women of today! To achieve this allow yourselves to meet Christ. Meeting him will lead to meeting others and will take you to those most in need and the poorest’.

     Pope Francis, once again citing Evangelii Gaudium (n. 109), invited consecrated men and women to be ‘realists but without losing happiness, boldness and full dedication to hope!’ Mary, the Blessed Virgin, the model for every missionary-disciple, will watch over this mission with her maternal gaze.

 

PRESS INFORMATION

PHOTOGRAPHIC GALLERY