At the diocesan Mass celebrating the World Day of Consecrated Life on Feb. 16 at St. Thomas More, Allentown, Bishop Alfred Schlert called women religious “witnesses and women of the beatitudes.”
Though the World Day of Consecrated Life is typically celebrated on Feb. 2, Bishop Schlert found it “providential” that the schedule change led to the new Sunday readings being about hope and the Beatitudes.
“The Gospel speaks about the beatitudes, providing a job description for Christians,” explained Bishop Schlert. “As baptized Christians, we are called to live the beatitudes. Providentially, we have before us today a group of religious individuals who have strived in a profound way to live those beatitudes day in and day out.”
Bishop Schlert began to highlight the historic contributions of religious communities to the early Church in the United States through work in hospitals, schools, universities, and outreach to migrants, stating, “The Church would not look as it does today in the United States if not for the ministry of religious, especially religious women, who played a crucial role in the Church's growth.
“Much of the infrastructure we see today was built by religious women and men who collaborated closely with parish priests and bishops.”
After Mass, members of 13 religious communities attended a luncheon at which Father Jerome Tauber, Vicar for Religious, expressed gratitude to Pope St. John Paul II, who established the World Day of Consecrated Life in 1997.
In an interview, he stated, “I'm very grateful there is a day where we stop and reflect on the role of consecrated religious. So, we can really honor and celebrate their vocation and the important role they have in the Church.”
He added that religious communities carry specific charisms and callings that allow them to “go into areas” only they can uniquely enter as religious and are able to “assure people that they are surrounded by God’s love, mercy, and compassion.”
Currently, 215 women from 21 religious communities and 24 men from 5 religious communities serve in parishes, schools, and programs in the Diocese of Allentown.
One of the women from 13 religious orders present at the luncheon was Sister Mary Martha Zammatore, of the Order of St. Francis, who reflected on her experience in consecrated life by saying, “It’s so wonderful because every moment of your life, there are ups and downs, even with married life, but it’s so beautiful, and you’re serving the Lord: you’re His bride.
“If you’re giving to the people the best that you can, you never know where He’s going to send you, and you want to do His will. So, as I get older, I just say, ‘OK, Lord, whatever you want with me, do with me what you want.’ It just gets better as you get older. I love it.”
Another sister, Sister Donna Pascarella of the Angelic Sisters of St. Paul, felt blessed to be among so many other consecrated religious on this day. She joyfully shared with a smile, “This year is 60 years since [my] first vows and 64 since [my] entry.”
She went on to describe, “I just say [consecrated life is] another way to express the love of God to the people. And when you get together like this, we are [reminded we are] all for Him, and we have one goal: to bring people to God.”
If you, or someone you know is discerning a call to the Priesthood, married life, consecrated life, or single life, join us at the vocations retreat on Saturday, April 12 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at St. Mary, Kutztown for a day of prayer, contemplation, and community.
This retreat will allow you to encounter speakers from various callings and give you a space to listen to God’s voice in exploring your vocation. See flyer here. Register here.
Photo by Nick Chismar.
