Religious men and women serving in Hong Kong gathered for a thanksgiving Mass at Christ the King Chapel in Causeway Bay on February 2, the Feast of the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple, celebrating World Day of Consecrated Life.
In preparation for the Jubilee of Consecrated Life 2025, over three hundred representatives of the different forms of consecrated life are gathering in Rome from February 1 to 4 to reflect on the theme “Pilgrims of Hope on the Path of Peace.” It will be a year of hope for a world suffering the impacts of war, the ongoing effects of the pandemic, and a climate crisis. Preparations for the 2025 Year of Jubilee began in Advent 2023, marking a year of prayer in 2024.
The Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life encourages all consecrated people to use the year of prayer as a time of preparation to prepare with three concepts as a backdrop: Commitment to the “least”—listening to the cry of the poor, Care and custody of creation—protecting the environment, and universal fraternity—solidarity. People in consecrated life are called to be “Pilgrims of hope, on the path to peace” because peace is the greatest urgency of our time.
Both local and global celebrations will take place during the Year of Jubilee. The national-level jubilee of consecrated persons will be on 2 February 2025 ([World Day of Consecrated Life]. In Rome, jubilee celebrations will be held for all consecrated men and women from 8 to 9 October 2025, including visits to the tombs of Apostles Peter and Paul, a passage through the Holy Door, and an audience with the pope.
In the following days, until the Angelus on Sunday, October 12, a gathering of people in consecrated life is scheduled for experience sharing and times to be lived all together, to share and witness the beauty of religious vocation in the world.
Pope St. John Paul II established the Day of Consecrated Life in 1997 to pray for those who have consecrated their lives to God through vows of chastity, poverty and obedience. It’s a time to celebrate the vocations and charisms of different religious orders and congregations to reflect on the unique Christ-centred witness that consecrated men and women bring to the Church and the surrounding community. Many dioceses move the celebration to Sunday, February 4, so the entire Church can celebrate the gift of consecrated persons.
Traditionally, the candles are blessed before the celebrant, and the ministers make the solemn entrance in procession for the Mass with lighted candles. Hence, the feast is also known as “Candlemas.” The candles symbolise Christ, the light of the world, and the lives of consecrated women and men called to reflect the light of Christ.
The celebration of the World Day of Consecrated Life reminds the faithful of their vital responsibility to promote vocations to religious and consecrated life. Presenting religious and priestly vocations as a desirable state of life to our children and praying for the same at home is a necessary part of the mission of Catholic parents. jose, CMF
