Coraggio

Coraggio met Nov. 21 at Evansville’s Holy Trinity Parish for a Holy Hour led by Father Tony Ernst, pastor of Sts. Peter and Paul in Haubstadt, Holy Cross in Fort Branch and St. Bernard in Snake Run. The group prayed vespers and the rosary before gathering for a presentation on the Year of Consecrated Life. The Catholic Church defines consecrated life as “a stable form of Christian living by those faithful who feel called to follow Jesus Christ in a more exacting way recognized by the Church.”

Sister Theresa Sullivan, vocations director for the Daughters of Charity, spoke about the call to religious life and its history in the Church throughout the centuries. She began by playing a song called “Wake the World with Dawning Joy,” which features the words of Pope Francis set to music.

“You’re called to be witnesses of the Gospel,” Sister Theresa said to the group. She continued by noting that the purpose of this year is devoted to the renewal of religious life, celebrating the witness of its members and inviting young people to consider and promote vocations to religious life.

Sister Theresa explained that religious orders fall into two groups. Contemplative orders like the Carthusians and Trappists focus more on prayer and contemplation away from the world. Apostolic orders like the Oratory of St. Philip Neri or her own Daughters of Charity direct their efforts toward serving people in the world. “I need to be immersed into the world,” Sister Theresa said, regarding her own vocation to religious life.

Sister Theresa mentioned that the history of religious life reaches back to the beginnings of the Church. St. Paul mentioned groups of celibate women who dedicated their lives to prayer and charitable actions in his epistles, which he wrote from 50-65 A.D.

By the third and fourth centuries, St. Anthony the Great became one of the most famous hermits when he moved to the desert to spend his life in prayer. Sister Theresa noted that he attracted many disciples, who were known as the Desert Fathers and Mothers. At the same time, Western monastic communities formed – most notably the Benedictines, who established centers of theology and learning. “They were the great teachers,” Sister Theresa told the group.

In the Middle Ages, the Carmelite religious order established rules to guide a life of prayer and contemplation, combining the contemplative life of cloistered religious with the apostolic activity of religious serving in the world. At the same time, the order established by St. Francis of Assisi influenced society as teachers while promoting now popular forms of piety such as Nativity scenes and the Stations of the Cross. Centuries later, St. Ignatius Loyola formed the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) to serve as educators and missionaries. “A lot of communities are founded when there’s a lot of strife in the world,” Sister Theresa said.

All religious orders live according to the three evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity and obedience. But Sister Theresa mentioned that some religious orders require members to accept additional vows. For example, Benedictines take a vow of hospitality, and the Daughters of Charity take a vow of service to the poor. In spite of the differences in religious orders, Sister Theresa said the key to every vocation to religious life must center on Jesus. “If we don’t have Christ, it doesn’t make sense,” she declared.

Sister Theresa listed several ways faithful Catholics can celebrate the Year of Consecrated Life. These include praying for vocations daily with prayer cards; visiting religious communities; inviting sisters, priests and brothers to speak at parishes; attending a retreat with a religious community; and participating in a Holy Hour for vocations. She also encouraged those gathered to talk to others about religious life if they have friends who could be priests, sisters or brothers. “We are all called to holiness,” she told the group. “God is calling you to wake up our world in a special way.”

For more information on the Year of Consecrated Life, visit nrvc.net or the Diocese of Evansville website evdio.org/the-year-for-consecrated-life.html

Coraggio usually meets the second Friday of each month at Holy Trinity parish. It is open to all Catholics in the Evansville area ages 18-35. The next meeting is on Dec. 12 and will feature Jeremy Goebel speaking about the Blessed Mother. For more information, email coraggioevansville@gmail.com or visit the group’s Facebook page at facebook.com/coraggioevansville