St. John Paul II instituted the day of prayer when he was Pope
The B.C. Catholic
Mass will be celebrated at Our Lady of Sorrows on the feast of the Presentation of the Lord, Feb. 2, the World Day for Consecrated Life.
“The celebration of the World Day for Consecrated Life … is intended to help the entire Church to esteem ever more greatly the witness of the persons who have chosen to follow Christ,” said St. John Paul II in his message for the first World Day for Consecrated Life in 1997.
Sister Rhonda Brown, DSMP, a coordinator for the celebration, noted St. John Paul II gave several reasons for instituting the day of prayer for men and women in consecrated life.
“It’s because of Pope John Paul II that we have a World Day for Consecrated Life,” Sister Brown said. “It answers the intimate need to praise the Lord more solemnly and to thank Him for the great gift of consecrated life, to thank God for the wide variety of works sisters do, around the world and in our diocese.”
Promotion of consecrated life is also important, said Sister Brown. The celebration provides a chance for consecrated people to pray together, as well as to “acquire a more vivid consciousness of their irreplaceable mission in the Church and in the world.”
On the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, also known as Candlemas Day, candles are blessed to symbolize Christ. During the Mass, consecrated individuals will renew their vows, and the faithful their baptismal covenant.
The Mass at Our Lady of Sorrows Church, 555 S. Slocan St., Vancouver, will start at 7 p.m.
Reserved seating and more information are available at 604-788-8592 or at rbrown@rcav.org.
