By Mary Powers
Each year, the Archdiocese of San Francisco observes the World Day for Consecrated Life with a Mass celebrated by Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone on the Sunday closest to February 2, honoring the men and women who have given their lives to Christ and His Church.
The World Day for Consecrated Life was instituted by Pope St. John Paul II in 1997 and is observed in conjunction with the Feast of the Presentation. It is a moment for the whole Church to give thanks for the witness of consecrated men and women who reflect the light of Christ to the world.
This year’s Mass, celebrated at the Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Assumption on February 1, brought together religious men and women from across the archdiocese to honor the gift of consecrated life and those who mark milestone anniversaries. Four women religious renewed the vows at the Mass: Sister Cristina Caballero, RSM, celebrating 50 years of religious life; Sister Carla Kovack, OP/SR, celebrating 60 years of religious life; Sister Jeanette Lombardi, OSU, celebrating 60 years of religious life; and Sister Janet Rozzano, RSM, celebrating 70 years of religious life.
Following their renewal of vows, the faithful gathered in the cathedral and prayed for God’s continued blessing upon them, promising their support for their vocations.
In his homily, Archbishop Cordileone expressed deep gratitude to those present for their witness, calling them “guideposts pointing out the way to beatitude” — a vivid image of how their lives illuminate the path of holiness for others to follow.
In honor of the 250th anniversary of the founding of Misión San Francisco de Asís, Archbishop Cordileone recounted the many religious who made an impact on the Archdiocese of San Francisco.
“If you think about what the first Archbishop of San Francisco, Joseph Sadoc Alemany, faced when he came here in 1853, you can appreciate the daunting challenge before him,” he said. “It is thanks to congregations of women religious who accepted his invitation and came to the rescue in assisting him with addressing the widespread disease, poverty and depravity that marked this area at that time.”
Archbishop Cordileone also singled out congregations of men that made an early impact in the archdiocese.
“These were joined by congregations of men as well, most notably the De La Salle Christian Brothers and orders of priests and friars such as the Dominicans, the Jesuits, the Franciscans, the Salesians and the Paulists. And while this legacy continues to this day, these congregations continue to come to the rescue in facing the new challenges of our own time, such as providing care for those who are unhoused, hospice care for those suffering from HIV-AIDS, and working to abolish the horrendous scourge of human trafficking.”
As the Church continues to pray for vocations, this day of thanksgiving and celebration underscores the essential role consecrated life plays in the mission of the Church and the spiritual life of the faithful.
Milestone anniversaries for religious in the Archdiocese of San Francisco:
25 Years
Sister John Magdelen, MC
40 Years
Sister Kathryn Camacho, SNDdeN
50 Years
Sister Mary Eschenhorst, OP
Sister Cristina Caballero, RSM
60 Years
Sister Cathryn de Back, OP
Sister Patricia Dougherty, OP
Sister Barbara Green, OP
Sister Maureen Hilliard, SNDdeN
Sister Carla Kovack, OP
Sister Marilyn Lacey, RSM
Sister Jeanette Lombardi, OSU
Sister Gloria Miller, RSM
70 Years
Sister Patricia Davis, PBVM
Sister Ellen Fitzgerald, RSM
Sister Patricia Hutchison, SNDdeN
Sister Martha Larsen, RSM
Sister Therese Randolph, RSM
Sister Gemma Wilson, PBVM
75 Years
Sister Katherine Jones, PBVM
Sister Joan Riordan, PBVM
80 Years
Sister Ruth Ella, SNdeN
Photos: Mark Wilson
