2021-2022 Winter Mountaineer

January 17, 2022
Dear Friends,
As we enter this new year with hope and faith, we will soon celebrate the World Day for
Consecrated Life. Designated by Saint John Paul in 1997 as a day of prayer for women and men
in consecrated life, this day is attached to the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord on February
2
nd celebrating Christ’s presentation in the temple and the purification of the Blessed Virgin per
Jewish law. Transferred to the following Sunday so as to highlight the gift of consecrated life and
lives to the universal church, we would certainly each want to spend time reflecting in gratitude
on our own personal call by God to this vocation and in gratitude for the vocation itself to live in
the world as vowed men and women bringing the light of Christ to others.
And perhaps this year you might also choose a priest and a consecrated person
of your acquaintance and pray for them for their fidelity and service to the
Kingdom of God.
Some recent news: Bishop Earl Boyea of Lansing, Michigan, was elected at
the November USCCB meeting as the Chair for the Clergy, Consecrated
Life, and Vocations Committee. We told him that we as a conference look
forward to working with him.
Also, we are now thinking of our February 24th meeting of the Principal Officers on Zoom. We ask you to prepare for this by discussing the Synodal
questions with your members in preparation for our get-together:
What is your relationship with your member Institutes, with the bishops
of your country or your continent? What difficulties have you experienced?
What expectations do you have?
Is our specific vocation well understood in your (diocese) country or continent? What obstacles have you encountered? What wishes do you have?
I and the other members of the Executive Committee look forward to seeing
you on February 24th (2 PM ET/11 AM PT). The link
will be sent that week.
In praise of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
Sue Larkin
President, USCSI
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