On October 17th, our community hosted nearly 100 men and women religious stationed throughout the Archdiocese of Chicago came together for a beautiful night of prayer and fellowship. The evening began with a Eucharistic Holy Hour in the Church that included Evening Prayer and a short exhortation from Bishop Bob on the immense value of our witness, life, and prayers as religious and the importance of perseverance through difficult times. After the Holy Hour, everyone headed over to the newly renovated Mission Outreach Center to enjoy a delicious dinner of pasta, meatballs, salmon, roasted potatoes, salad, fruit, cheeses, and, of course, a fun selection of desserts – all prepared by the Franciscans and a team of volunteers, including one professional chef!
Over dinner, communities were encouraged to sit at different tables to better facilitate the mixing and mingling of different people and to highlight the incredible variety of charisms and communities present. The conversations and good spirits continued well into the evening, and at the end of the night, many attendees expressed gratitude for the opportunity to come together to pray, share a meal, and feel encouraged by the witness and friendship of so many other faithful religious serving in the Archdiocese. Several of the volunteers who were working behind the scenes to help make everything run so beautifully reached out to the Franciscans of the Eucharist in the days following the event to share how touched they were to see so many religious sisters, brothers, priests, and other consecrated men and women gathered together and what an honor it was for them to serve those who have given their whole lives to serve the Lord, His Church, and His people.
Our community has hosted these “Religious Life Nights” since 2015, when our Holy Father Pope Francis encouraged religious to find creative ways to come together and support one another in living out their vocations as a part of the Year for Consecrated Life. Over the years, these events have become a beloved yearly tradition for many. The Archdiocese of Chicago is blessed to be home to so many different communities, charisms, and apostolates, and it is always a joy to come together to continue to form the bonds of friendship, learn about the many different beautiful ministries unfolding within our Archdiocese, and to find encouragement and strength in the witness of so many faithfully living out their vows.