WEST PALM BEACH | Bishop Gerald M. Barbarito spent part of Feb. 2, 2025, the World Day for Consecrated Life, with many of the women and men who live that life of prayerful service to God’s people in the Diocese of Palm Beach.
Meeting at Mary Immaculate Church in West Palm Beach for a holy hour, Benediction and to renew their religious vows, the bishop thanked those in consecrated life for their presence before the Blessed Sacrament and their “witness in our world today. For many years and for continuing years, you are an example of what we believe in as followers of Jesus Christ.”
Telling them how they inspire him, Bishop Barbarito said, “You make a difference in the world, and that difference is real for us today. Our world needs that difference. Whether men and women are aware of it or not, your living as you do is what blesses us and keeps us focused on Christ and on the message of God and his love for us.”
Sister Jadwiga Drapala of the Sisters of the Most Holy Soul of Christ the Lord, who is episcopal delegate for women religious, prepared the holy hour and a reception that followed, which was sponsored by Father Tomasz Makowski, Mary Immaculate’s pastor. Also in attendance was Carmelite Father Michael Driscoll, episcopal delegate for men religious.
The consecrated women and men renewed their vows, saying, “Eternal Triune God, trusting in your faithful love, I renew my vows to live my life following Christ in poverty, chastity and obedience. I commit myself anew to serve the church in the ministry entrusted to me from my congregation. May the light and joy of God’s love shine in me and through me all the days of my life.”
Three sisters — Sister Sarah Doser, a Franciscan Sister of the Eucharist; Sister Mercedes Dominguez of the Mary Immaculate Claretian Missionary Sisters; and Sister Elizabeth Halaj of the Little Servant Sisters of the Immaculate Conception — read prayer intentions in English, Spanish and Polish.
The holy hour was similar to an event held at the Vatican Feb. 1 with Pope Francis in which he thanked members of religious congregations for their witness, saying it is “leaven for the church.”
The pope was joined by hundreds of sisters, brothers, consecrated virgins and religious-order priests. According to Vatican statistics, there are close to 600,000 professed women religious in the Catholic Church. The number of religious-order priests is about 128,500 and the number of religious brothers is close to 50,000. n
To learn about consecrated life, visit https://palmbeachvocations.com, follow the office on Facebook and Instagram, or contact Sister Drapala at jdrapala@diocesepb.org or 561-775-9586. OSV News contributed to this report.
