May 2005
Poor Clare Nuns coming
to Arizona
Final of Three
The Multifaceted Gift of Religious Life
Contemplative Religious Life as lived by the Poor Clares of Perpetual
Adoration, who will soon come to our diocese, is only one of many
vibrant forms of Consecrated Life in the Church. As Pope John
Paul II wrote in Vita Consecrata (#5), these various forms "can
be compared to a plant with many branches which sinks its roots
into the Gospel and brings forth abundant fruit in every season
of the Church's life. What an extraordinary richness!"
We see this rich diversity here in the Diocese of Phoenix. Consider,
for example, the Jesuits at Brophy College Preparatory and the
BVMs at Xavier, the Sisters of Loreto at Ss. Simon and Jude Cathedral
and many more sisters, brothers and priests serving in Catholic
education. Then, there are the Missionary Sisters of Charity serving
the poorest of the poor among us, the Holy Cross priests and brothers
feeding the hungry at Andre House and serving in our parishes,
the Sisters of Saint Francis serving Native Americans at St. Peter's
Mission School and many other Religious living out the Beatitudes
of Christ in an exemplary manner. For all this rich diversity,
however, we have not had in the Phoenix Diocese a cloistered contemplative
community. That is why we rejoice in this most recent addition
to the diverse communities of Religious serving Christ among us.
Religious inspire the laity to lead holy lives
Religious do not take the place of the lay faithful in the Church's
mission, nor do they diminish their importance. On the contrary,
Religious enrich the whole Church and inspire all the baptized
to live our faith with conviction and to hand it on with joy.
The late Holy Father wrote (Vita Consecrata, 3), "In effect,
the consecrated life is at the very heart of the Church as a decisive
element for her mission, since it manifests the inner nature of
the Christian calling and the striving of the whole Church as
Bride toward union with her one Spouse."
All authentic forms of Religious life contribute to the holiness
of the Church. They make Christ more visible and the Gospel more
credible to our contemporaries. "By the profession of the
evangelical counsels the characteristic features of Jesus - the
chaste, poor and obedient one - are made constantly visible in
the midst of the world and the eyes of the faithful are directed
toward the mystery of the Kingdom of God already at work in history."
(Ibid, 1)
Baptism is the beginning
Religious, building on the grace of their baptismal consecration,
surrender to God and place their lives at the service of the Gospel
with "undivided heart." Their response is audacious;
it arises from a keen awareness of being infinitely lovable in
the eyes of the Lord. Contemplative prayer attunes the heart to
discover God's love and also one's own lovableness. Then, in gratitude
for the goodness of God and in awe of His love, Religious seek
to love Him in return with an additional consecration through
vows of poverty, chastity and obedience.
Since contemplation helps us to know God's love, even those Religious
who are engaged in active apostolates in the world constantly
need to cultivate a contemplative spirit and to find time regularly
for quiet prayer.
Many forms of Religious Life
Each Religious community manifests the mystery of Christ in a
different yet complementary way. Some imitate Christ the teacher,
others Christ the healer. Still others, like the Poor Clares,
mirror Christ at prayer on the mountain or in the desert.
All Religious remind the rest of us in the Church of the universal
call to holiness. The Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration will
be literally and figuratively set on a mountaintop to bear witness
to Christ's desire that everyone be gathered into His Church,
His beloved Bride. If you drive along Interstate 17, north of
Phoenix, and look to the east as you pass through Black Canyon
City, you can see the little white chapel of the Poor Clares'
new home perched on top of a peak. Beginning in May, the Sisters
will be praying there every day for us and for all the Church.
The Church of Phoenix warmly welcomes the Poor Clares, daughters
of St. Francis and sisters of St. Clare. We give thanks that their
apostolate of prayer and sacrificial love will continue the contemplative
tradition begun by Sr. Therese Sedlock over 20 years ago on that
same site in Black Canyon City. We welcome them with joy and welcome
especially their example of prayer, sacrifice and joy in Christ.
Y
