Religious honored at World Day of Consecrated Life Mass
Benedictine Father Julian Peters, administrator pro-tem of SS. Peter and Paul Cathedral Parish in Indianapolis, blesses candles at the start of the World Day for Consecrated Life Mass on Feb. 2 in the cathedral. Joining him in the blessing are members of religious communities ministering in the archdiocese.
(Photo by Sean Gallagher)
By Sean Gallagher
Nearly 100 men and women religious representing more than a thousand years of combined religious life in service to the Church in central and southern Indiana came to SS. Peter and Paul Cathedral in Indianapolis on Feb. 2 to celebrate the World Day for Consecrated Life.
Liturgically, the day was also the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, which recalls when Mary and Joseph brought the infant Jesus to be dedicated to the Lord in the Temple in Jerusalem.
The Gospel of St. Luke tells of that event in which an old woman named Anna and an old man named Simeon, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, recognized the Christ child as the Messiah. Simeon took him in his arms, and called him “a light for revelation to the gentiles” (Lk 2:32).
Candles were blessed at the start of the Mass and the religious present processed to their seats while holding lit candles.
Benedictine Father Julian Peters, the primary celebrant, recalled during his homily that name given to Jesus and told the religious present that they can share the light of Christ with the world.
“We go to let that light shine before our world, renewed, strengthened by the food of this table,” Father Julian said, “supported by our brothers and sisters in the consecrated life, that we might be examples of Simeon and Anna in our world, [examples] of perseverance, of faith, of hope, until the revelation is made complete in the kingdom of God.”
Several of the religious at the Mass were honored for their perseverance of 25, 50, 60 or 75 years in religious life.
Franciscan Sister Marge Wissman is celebrating a quarter century as a member of the Congregation of the Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis based in Oldenburg.
For the last nine years, she has served as her community’s peace and justice director, helping her sisters and the community’s associates be the light of Christ through being advocates for the marginalized in the world.
Her order’s founder is an inspiration in her ministry.
“When I’m working on an issue, many times I will look to [St.] Francis to see if I can find something in his life to help me to learn how to work on that issue,” Sister Marge said. “I think learning about a lot of the ways that St. Francis responded to different situations and different issues has been a real inspiration in my life.”
Father Julian professed his vows as a monk of Saint Meinrad Archabbey in St. Meinrad in 1983.
“It does not seem like I have been in this life for 25 years,” he said before the Mass. “It just doesn’t seem possible. I’m amazed at how time passes and how God’s grace provides in ways that I would have never expected.
“I used to think jubilarians were old until I became one.”
Although she has been in religious life twice as long as Father Julian, Benedictine Sister Anna Rose Lueken also said that her years as a founding member of Our Lady of Grace Monastery in Beech Grove have gone by quickly.
“It’s a little hard to even imagine. I keep thinking, ‘Have you really been here for 50 years?’ ” said Sister Anna Rose, who is the principal of St. Ambrose School in Seymour.
“I just see it as another step, and I hope I’m getting to be a better religious because of it. I’m really trying to get in with my prayer life because [the jubilee] means I’m aging a little bit and I’d better be ready for another step in life.”
Although half a century is a long time to spend as a religious, Providence Sister Marceline Mattingly entered her community at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods in 1933—25 years before Sister Anna Rose.
She, too, spoke of how quickly the years have gone by and how she takes joy in her vocation.
“I still love it,” said Sister Marceline. “It’s a special calling that God gave me. I’ve been very, very happy.
“I thank God every day that I became a Sister of Providence because it’s a very affirming community, a very loving community.”
Sister Marceline may have had an impact on the formation of others who have dedicated themselves to service in the Church in central and southern Indiana.
While a teacher at St. Philip Neri School in Indianapolis during World War II, she taught the late Father James Sweeney and Father Joseph Kern, dean of the Terre Haute Deanery, who celebrated 50 years as a priest last year.
Sister Marceline had some encouraging words for youths and young adults who may feel called to religious life.
“I’d say they’re lucky kids,” she said with a smile. “If God is calling them, they should listen because they’re not going to get off the hook. God’s going to go after them.” †
