“Religious Life will go on –we must have HOPE”

The Vicars for Religious at a session on social media with video input from Sr Silvana Dallanegra RSCJ

A report on the 2019 Conference of Vicars for Religious by Sister Sheila Moloney DMJ and Sr Patricia Heller SSA:

Twenty-four Vicars for Religious met up at Hinsley Hall, Leeds in October for their annual conference. They represented 14 dioceses and were also joined by a Sister representing the Contemplative Congregations.

It was a very enriching few days together. There was a great sharing of good practice, as well as catching up with friends from earlier conferences, and welcoming new Vicars from some dioceses. It is a warm, friendly and supportive group – also offering  a time to share in prayer and the Eucharist.

Fr Diarmuid O’Murchu gave four inputs on:  “Religious Life in Transition: A Time for Deep Discernment”. He spoke about the decline in numbers in general in Religious Life and that at this moment in time, Religious Life as a prophetic calling may be seen as being in a chaotic crisis at present. He also spoke about anticipating the future of Religious Life and not clinging to the past. He encouraged the creative reading of “the signs of the times” in terms of urgent contemporary needs & this was very helpful and fruitful.

Fr Diarmuid continued that although some Congregations may die, “Religious Life will go on –we must have HOPE.”

Bishop John Arnold from Salford also gave a presentation to the conference; he delivered  a talk on St. Mark’s Gospel, looking at discipleship through Religious Life now, and in the future.

We always invite a Bishop to our Conference and this enables them to report back any issues raised to the Conference of Bishops of England and Wales.

On the final morning we had a session on the use of social media. Pope Francis is on Twitter!  He encourages us to study new ways and means to communicate the Gospel of Mercy to all people, in the heart of different cultures through the media.

You will see on the attached photos that the Vicars for Religious are a very happy bunch!