To honor the Year of Consecrated Life, seven religious communities in the Archdiocese of Denver invite the faithful to learn more about their way of life through open houses from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. April 26. The open houses will provide a chance to learn about religious life by speaking with community members, taking tours and enjoying refreshments with them.
Pope Francis called for the special year, which began last November and ends Feb. 2, 2016, to awaken the faithful to the gift that consecrated men and women are to the Church—and to challenge those choosing religious life to rejoice in the past with gratitude, to look to the future with hope, and to live their vocation with fervor.
There are many forms of consecrated life, including living as a member of a religious order in a convent or monastery as a religious sister, brother or priest; living as a consecrated woman either in a community or alone, working for the Church or in the secular world; or living life as a hermit.
In addition to the open houses, the Year of Consecrated Life has been recognized with an opening Mass celebrated by Archbishop Samuel Aquila, recognition of women religious jubilarians, discernment activities, and a series of lectures on the Vatican II document “Perfectae Caritatis,” the Decree on the Adaptation and Renewal of Religious Life.
