|
WASHINGTON ( CNS ) – Consecrated men and women reflect the light of Christ and are witnesses to that light “ in a world that is often shrouded in shadow ,” Cardinal Joseph W . Tobin of Newark , New Jersey , said January 29 .
“ They are the glory of God ’ s people . We pray for the perseverance of consecrated men and women and ask God to continue enriching the church with their unique vocation ,” he said in a statement as the chairman of the U . S . Conference of Catholic Bishops ’ Committee on Clergy , Consecrated Life and Vocations .
Cardinal Tobin ’ s statement came in advance of the annual celebration of World Day for Consecrated Life Feb . 2 , the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord . It will be celebrated in parishes the weekend of Feb . 3-4 .
The Feast of the Presentation also is known as Candlemas Day , when candles are blessed to symbolize Christ as the light of the world . St . John Paul II instituted the day of prayer for women
|
and men in consecrated life in 1997 .
With his statement , the committee headed by Cardinal Tobin also released the results of a survey of women and men religious who professed perpetual vows in 2017 in a religious congregation , province or monastery based in the United States .
The survey was conducted by the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate , based at Georgetown University in Washington .
Among the major findings were :
• Nearly nine in 10 , or 86 percent , of the responding religious said they regularly participated in some type of private prayer activity before they entered their religious institute . About two-thirds participated in eucharistic adoration , prayed the rosary , or attended retreats before entering . Nearly six in 10 participated in spiritual direction before entering .
• One-half of responding religious
|
attended a Catholic elementary school ; more than four in 10 , or 44 percent , attended a Catholic high school , and a near equal proportion ; or 43 percent , attended a Catholic college before entering their religious institute .
• On average , the responding religious reported that they were 19 years old when they first considered a vocation to religious life , but half were 18 or younger when they first did so .
• Nearly nine in 10 , or 87 percent , of the responding religious reported that someone encouraged them to consider a vocation to religious life . Over four in 10 , or 43 percent , said that a parish priest encouraged their vocation . Half said they were encouraged to consider a vocation by a religious sister or brother ; women religious were more likely than men religious to say so . Over four in 10 , or 41
|
percent , reported that they were encouraged to consider a vocation by their friends .
The average age of responding religious is 41 . Half of the responding religious are age 36 or younger . The youngest is 24 and the oldest is 86 .
Two-thirds of the respondents , or 64 percent , identify as white ; more than one in six , 18 percent , identify as Asian ; and more than one in 10 , or 11 percent , identify as Hispanic . Sixty-seven percent of the respondents were born in the United States . Of those born outside the U . S ., the most common country of origin is Vietnam .
Among those identifying as Hispanic / Latino , almost six in 10 – 62 percent – are foreign born . Of those identifying as Asian / Pacific Islander / Native Hawaiian , seven in 10 are predominantly foreign born . Six percent identify as African-American / black . Ninety-four percent , or nearly all , who identify as Caucasian / white are U . S . born .
|
WASHINGTON ( CNS ) – The chairman of the U . S . bishops ’ migration committee said Jan . 30 that the Catholic bishops welcomed the Trump administration ’ s proposal to give “ Dreamers ” a path to citizenship , but at the same time , they are “ deeply troubled ” about the plan ’ s “ impact on family unity .” On January 26 , the White House released a proposal offering a path to citizenship for approximately 1.8 million of the so-called Dreamers and asking for a $ 25 billion investment in a border wall and other security measures . The plan also calls for an end to the diversity visa program , popularly known as the “ visa lottery ,” and also a program that |
Beneficiaries of the federal DACA program attend the “ Keep Our Dream Alive ” binational meeting . ( CNS photo / Jose Luis Gonzalez , Reuters )
grants visa preferences to relatives of U . S . citizens or residents . The administration said its focus for immigration policy is to keep the “ nuclear family ” intact . “ We welcome the administration
|
’ s proposal to include a path to citizenship for Dreamers . However , the proposed cuts to family immigration and elimination of protections to unaccompanied children are deeply troubling ,” said Bishop Joe S . Vasquez of Austin , Texas , who is chairman of the U . S . Conference of Catholic Bishops ’ Committee on Migration . He made the comments in a statement released ahead of President Donald Trump ’ s State of the Union speech , delivered that night . Immigration and border security were among the topics Trump was expected to address in the speech , in addition to the economy , tax reform and the country ’ s infrastructure needs . |
Archbishop José H . Gomez of Los Angeles prays in front of a cross during a gathering for the Archdiocesan Encuentro . ( CNS photo / Victor Aleman , Angelus News )
Encuentro Delegates Urged to Bring Others to ‘ New Encounter ’ With Christ
LOS ANGELES ( CNS ) – Los Angeles Archbishop Jose H . Gomez urged the crowd at the archdiocesan “ V Encuentro ” January 27 to bring “ the people of our times to a new encounter with Jesus Christ and the mercy and love of God .” He addressed more than 1,000 Catholic lay leaders , clergy and religious from 52 parishes in all regions of the tri-county Archdiocese of Los Angeles gathered at the Pasadena Convention Center . Diocesan-level encuentros and regional encuentros are taking place around the country as part of a process of reflection and action leading up to the U . S . Catholic Church ’ s Fifth National Encuentro , or “ V Encuentro ,” to be held September 20-23 in Grapevine , Texas . “ Let us walk behind Jesus and take up our cross – following him and to bringing the people of our times to a new encounter with Jesus Christ and the mercy and love of God ,” Archbishop Gomez told the crowd at the convention center .
|