WASHINGTON – “Consecrated men and women bring the hope of the Gospel to the world in both visible and hidden ways,” said Bishop Earl A. Boyea of Lansing. “Joyful hope marks the life of a person consecrated to God, and these men and women remind the Church of the joy which can be found through persevering in hope in the midst of earthly struggles,” he added, reflecting on the Church’s call in this Jubilee to be Pilgrims of Hope. The Catholic Church celebrates the World Day of Prayer for Consecrated Life on February 2, the feast of the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple. Each year, dioceses, parishes, and schools take the opportunity to pray in a particular way for those in consecrated life and those discerning this state of life.

 

“Consecrated virgins, religious, members of secular institutes and societies of Apostolic life remind us of the deep desire of human heart to see the face of God, and this is evidenced in the report by their experience in Eucharistic Adoration and service of the poor,” said Bishop Boyea, who serves as chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on Clergy, Consecrated Life and Vocations. “We thank them for their dedication ‘to stay awake, to be vigilant, to persevere in waiting’ as Pope Francis has said.

 

“In 1997, Saint John Paul II instituted a day of prayer for women and men in consecrated life. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Clergy, Consecrated Life, and Vocations, in preparation for this celebration, commissions a study each year on newly professed men and women religious through the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) at Georgetown University. The full CARA report and profiles of the Profession Class of 2024 may be found here.

 

Resources on the World Day of Prayer for Consecrated Life are available on the USCCB’s website World Day for Consecrated Life or on the Jubilee 2025 page.