The Church has always celebrated a double feast on February 2, Feast of the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple and the Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Some years ago, this day was chosen as the day for Religious to celebrate their Consecration to Religious Life and was designated Vita Consecrata. For years the Religious of T&T have gathered on this day to pray together and to socialise. This year there was a difference – persons interested in the Religious Life and those with intentions of following this vocation, were also invited. A sufficient number accepted the invitation and joined the Brothers and Sisters in their prayer and fellowship at Fatima Church, Curepe on Thursday, Feb 2.

Religious of several different Congregations/Orders enjoy each other’s company on the day for Religious to celebrate their Consecration to Religious Life – Vita Consecrata. The celebration took place on February 2 at Our Lady of Fatima Church, Curepe.

The church was filled with Sisters from different congregations, Dominican Sisters, Missionaries of Charity, Sisters of the Sorrowful Virgin, Carmelites, Sinsinawa Dominicans, Holy Faith Sisters, Sisters who work in the Apostolic Nunciature, Guadalupan Servants of Christ the Priest, Sisters of St Joseph of Cluny. And there were also a few Brothers – Benedictines from Mount St Benedict, Carmelite priest Fr Gerard Tang Choon and Dominican Fr Dwight Black

Sr. Christina Araujo of the Sinsinawa Dominicans greeted the congregation. The Evening Prayer started a little after 5.00 p.m., as Cluny Sisters Lorraine and Jean went through the psalms and canticles with all present.

It was our honour to have present with us for the first time, Archbishop Joseph Harris. His Grace thanked Sr Adriana Noel, O Carm for the many years she had served as Episcopal Delegate for Religious, before proceeding to introduce Sr Marie Young, a Holy Faith Sister, as the new Delegate for Religious. Sr Marie said that she accepted the post with humility adding she would depend on all her fellow Religious for their support and help. Sr Sandra Xavier, OP welcomed His Grace and gave us a short synopsis of the origin of “Vita Consecrata”.

When Religious pray together, they are always aware of God’s presence in their midst, so when so many pray together it was as if God had filled the whole church. The Psalms are well known to us as we pray them every day, but we found our messages in the Antiphons. The first antiphon said that the Holy Spirit revealed to Simeon that he would not die before he saw the Lord. A tremendous note of hope for us as we continue in our search for God and His holy word.

The second antiphon reminded us that Mary and Joseph carried out all that the law demanded of them. This resounded with the words of our Archbishop who exhorted us to be faithful to our rule, to our leaders and to all that was asked of us in our religious life.

In the third antiphon, we had reference to the salvation of all mankind which God has given to all who trust in his word and follow it.

At the end of the Evening Prayer, we all stood and sang lustily We Stand for God after which we proceeded to enjoy all the goodies that had been prepared and brought by all. It was a stimulating exercise to meet and greet all the Religious and guests with whom we had already shared so much. We continue to give thanks to God for his goodness to us. – Sr Jean Devenish Huggins, SJC