Celebrating seven decades of Religious Life

Platinum Jubilarians

@Mazur/cbcew

An air of celebration pervaded this year’s Mass for consecrated life at Westminster Cathedral – which took place on the last day of the Scripture Road Show,  part of the ‘The Year of the Word.’ Many took the opportunity to visit the ‘Tents of Meeting’ after Mass.

Looking at the example of Simeon and Anna in the day’s Gospel reading, Cardinal Nichols explained in his homily that, like Simeon and Anna, those in consecrated life “live more explicitly for the sake of the kingdom. It is at the heart of our consecration.”  Read the full sermon here.

Golden Jubilarians

Diamond Jubilarians

At the celebratory lunch after Mass, Cardinal Nichols led tributes to those marking significant anniversaries of religious life this year – Silver, Golden, Diamond and even Platinum.

Among those attending was a new member of the Conference of Religious, the Superior of the Lebanese Maronite community in the UK, Fr Fadi Kmeid.  Fr Fadi reports that his property search, which CoR highlighted before Christmas, is still ongoing.

Due to their  growing numbers in London he and his small community are looking for a Church and residence, ideally in the west or northwest of the capital.  They currently use a Catholic church, Our Lady of Sorrows in Paddington but have to rent a larger Anglican church for feastdays. The Maronites are part of the Catholic Church and they have three monks in the UK living in Swiss Cottage, serving 1500 families.

Fr Fadi (pictured front, right) can be contacted on : father@maronitechurch.org.uk  Tel : 07908224983

Cardinal Nichols and the General Secretary of the Conference of Religious, Valerie Nazareth