World Day for Consecrated Life Mass honors women and men religious serving in the Charlotte diocese
CHARLOTTE — Members of religious orders gathered at St. Patrick Cathedral Saturday for a special Mass offered by the Diocese of Charlotte’s first bishop who – like them – chose consecrated life.
The special Mass for the World Day for Consecrated Life, instituted by St. John Paul II in 1997, is an opportunity each year to recognize and give thanks for all the women and men religious who serve the Church. Saturday’s liturgy for those who minister in the Charlotte diocese was the first for Bishop Michael Martin, who is professed as a Conventual Franciscan and was ordained Bishop of Charlotte about eight months ago.
Attending the celebration were about four dozen men and women from orders including the Benedictine monks of Belmont Abbey and the Sisters of Mercy, whose communities have served in western North Carolina for more than 100 years, to newer communities such as the Missionaries of the Poor in Monroe and the Sisters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul in Archdale. Nine were honored as “jubilarians,” those celebrating a special anniversary milestone in their lives as consecrated religious.
In his homily, Bishop Martin commended all the consecrated men and women serving in the diocese and urged them to remain closely connected to Jesus so that they might be unforgettable examples of blessedness to those they encounter.
“When people look at us, they see blessedness,” he said, referring to the Mass reading from Isaiah 61:9-11. “Our call in life, our call in God’s mighty plan, is that each of you would be able to help (show) what blessedness looks like. We need to be that image in the world.”
And as John’s Gospel (15:1-8) describes Jesus as the vine and us as His branches, those in consecrated life must remain close to Him if they are to bear fruit for the Kingdom, he said.
The world can see the blessedness of consecrated life, he said, because avowed religious are connected to the Body of Christ as a branch is connected to the vine.
“Or dignity as the human person is blessedness, and that blessedness comes only – only – through our constant connection to the vine, to the Father,” Bishop Martin said. “May that be our witness. May people see something special in you and me and say, ‘I want some of that. I want what they have.’”
Even if those people don’t know all the particulars of religious vocations, the bishop said, “They will have come into contact with someone whose very life, whose very presence years later will cause them to question: ‘Who am I? What am I here for? What’s my purpose? Why was that brother, why was that monk, why was that sister, why was that religious priest, why was that Franciscan bishop a part of my life and what did their lives say to me?’”
In the pews, Mercy Sister Margaret Mary Wharton, who is celebrating 60 years of consecrated life, was uplifted by the bishop’s homily.
“All my life, God has done some surprising things, and this is where He wanted me,” she said later. “I feel God moving through me in every way. God has moved me – sometimes kicking,” she smiled.
She converted to Catholicism after being introduced to the faith by a family friend when she was young, and later joined the Sisters of Mercy. She is now retired after years of teaching grades kindergarten to college.
Many of those present were inspired to join a religious order because of the impact a religious sister or brother made in their lives.
Sister Betty Paul, who is professed with the Sisters of Providence and also celebrating 60 years of consecrated life, received her calling when she was in the seventh grade. A teacher, a Sister of Providence, was a role model and an inspiration for her own choice to serve in religious life, she said.
“When I saw her, I thought, ‘This is what I want to do; this is who I want to be,’ ” she said. “And this has really been a wonderful opportunity. I feel that I have shared my gifts and my talents to the best I was able to after all of these years.”
Sister Betty serves the diocese’s Faith Formation Office as a regional director, training and advising faith formation directors for parishes in the Piedmont-Triad region.
Sister Josna Nedumkandathil, originally from India, who is now a Sister of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul, had that same nudge towards religious life 25 years ago.
The Carmelite sisters at her Catholic school were an example of “blessedness,” she said, and religious life was something she felt called to do. Along with having other responsibilities, Sister Josna now serves as a preschool teacher, inspiring children every day by creating new ways they can learn about the Lord.
“I am so happy, and I am so blessed; this has been a beautiful experience. The best thing about this is I serve God,” she said. “This is something I like to do for God, and I like bringing something new to the people.”
Missionary of Charity Sister Mary Fidelia is a 55-year jubilarian also joyful about her religious vocation. “I am thankful to God that He has called me,” she said.
Other religious jubilarians honored at the World Day for Consecrated Life Mass and celebration, but who were not able to be present, were:
- Mercy Sister Maureen Dees, 80 years
- Mercy Sister Patricia Durbin and Mercy Sister Maria Goretti Weldon, 75 years
- Mercy Sister Antonette Schmidt and Mercy Sister Peggy Verstege, 60 years
After Mass, everyone gathered in the cathedral’s fellowship hall to share a meal and more time together, with lots of laughter, hugs and conversation.
Bishop Martin blessed the meal, and in that blessing, he thanked the jubilarians: “We give (God) thanks for our jubilarians, these men and women who have given so faithfully of their lives. They are an inspiration to us.”
While eating dinner, instead of sharing “war stories,” they eagerly shared stories about God’s blessings during their years of consecrated life.
Attendees each left with a parting gift from the bishop: a spice plant, he noted, because they are “the spice of life.”
— Lisa Geraci. Photos by Troy Hull. Video by César Hurtado.
Jubilarians
80 years: Mercy Sister Maureen Dees
75 years: Mercy Sister Patricia Durbin and Mercy Sister Maria Goretti Weldon
60 years: Providence Sister Betty Paul, Mercy Sister Antonette Schmidt, Mercy Sister Margaret (Peggy) Verstege and Mercy Sister Margaret Mary Wharton
55 years: Missionary of Charity Sister Mary Fidelia
25 years: Sister of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul Josna Nedumkandathil
