Consecrated Life Mass expresses the joy of religious life
Though it was bitterly cold outside Saint Aedan’s on Feb. 7, the atmosphere inside the church was warm and welcoming. Hundreds had gathered at the Jersey City parish to celebrate the annual World Day for Consecrated Life Mass, honoring the men and women religious who serve God and the Church.
Religious communities have played a vital part in the life of the Archdiocese of Newark from its beginnings in 1853. Men and women religious have founded schools, built churches and monasteries, and ministered to countless souls. Currently, there are 52 congregations of religious women and 22 congregations of religious men active in the archdiocese.
Though not every congregation was represented at the Mass due to the weather, the turnout was impressive, with more than 80 men and women from religious communities participating.
Organizers were delighted that many members of the Saint Aedan parish community also braved the cold to attend the liturgy. “It’s very important that the people of God share with us in the celebration,” said Sister Patricia Wormann, O.P., Delegate for Religious for the Archdiocese of Newark. She told Jersey Catholic that bearing public witness to religious life is also important to the Church’s future. “You never know. Someone in the congregation might be considering a vocation, and this could be a spark to them,” she said.
A light to the world
The World Day for Consecrated Life was established by Pope John Paul II in 1997 and is attached to February 2, the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, also known as Candlemas. As the feast fell on a Monday this year, the archdiocesan celebration was transferred to the following Sunday.
Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin, C.Ss.R, Archbishop of Newark, celebrated this year’s Consecrated Life Mass. He was joined by Auxiliary Bishops Elias R. Lorenzo, O.S.B., and Pedro Bismarck Chau, who concelebrated with diocesan priests and members of various religious orders, including Jesuits, Benedictines, Augustinian Recollects, and Brothers of Saint John.
In his homily, Cardinal Tobin reminded those present that as disciples of Christ, they were called to “shed light,” because “darkness often remains in the world and in individuals.”
“It is not my light, but the light of Jesus,” the cardinal said. “We are instruments to enable Jesus’ light to reach everyone. Jesus invites us not to be afraid, but to live in the world, even amid conditions of conflict and sin. In the face of violence, injustice, and oppression, the disciple cannot withdraw into self or hide in the security of one’s own stockade, one’s own castle, any more than the Church can withdraw into herself and abandon the mission of evangelization and service.”
Allowing the Church and the world to breathe
Cardinal Tobin recalled a “remarkable conference” that Pope Benedict XVI gave in 2010 to visiting bishops from Brazil. The cardinal was serving in the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life at the time. In his talk, the pope “compared consecrated life, religious life, to a great tree that sinks its roots in Christ and in the gospels, producing all kinds of fruit, depending on the charism that was given to each community.”
“I’ve thought about that for the last 15 and a half years,” the cardinal continued. “And I say to you, it isn’t a single tree, it’s a tropical forest. Consecrated life is like that part of Brazil, the Amazon, where all those different trees — big trees, little trees, weak trees, strong trees, sick trees, old trees — combine, and what do they do? They allow the world to breathe. That, for me, is the gift of consecrated life in the Archdiocese of Newark.”
Like the trees of the rainforest, “big communities, little communities, strong and struggling communities, young communities, and communities that have accumulated many years, all work together, sometimes unconsciously, to allow this Church in Newark to breathe.”
Later, the cardinal acknowledged those religious who are celebrating milestone anniversaries in 2026. Jubilarians were given cards as mementos; donations will be made in their names this year to the Catholic Extension Society, which supports remote and struggling Church communities around the U.S.
Gratitude and community
After Mass, the jubilarians and other religious were joined by parishioners from St. Aedan’s for a lively reception. Members of the different communities and laypeople mingled, laughed, and conversed over dinner. “Enjoying a meal together is important because it is a way of celebrating our joy,” Sister Wormann said.
During the reception, many of the religious present expressed their gratitude for their vocations and their communities.
For Sister Renetta Oyego, 2026 marks her 25th year as a Daughter of Divine Love. The congregation comes from Nigeria. Sister Renetta said that “being close to God” was the greatest gift of her vocation. “I’m also grateful for the life of my community and that God gave me life so that I am able to serve Him in truth and love,” she said.
“After my profession in Nigeria, I served in Cuba for ten years,” Sister Renetta said. She did pastoral work there, next serving in Chicago and Texas before her assignment to the Archdiocese of Newark. She now ministers as a Pre-K teacher. “The children are lovely,” she said with a laugh. “They are wonderful to deal with, always so close to you and honest with you.”
“Keep on dancing”
Sister Monica Alvardo, a Handmaid of the Holy Child Jesus, said that being on mission is not just a way of serving God, but a source of spiritual enrichment. She is celebrating her 40th year of religious life, having served in Puerto Rico, Boston, the Dominican Republic, and for the past several years in Newark. “Going on mission to different places in the world, I have met many people who help me to live the religious life,” she said. “As sisters, we work for the people, but they help us.”
Similarly, for Sister Alice Uhl, a Dominican Sister of Caldwell, the greatest gift of her vocation has been “all the wonderful people who I have ministered with and who have taught me so much, right to this moment.”
She has been serving God with her community for 68 years. When asked what has given her hope over her decades of ministry, Sister Alice recalled how the superior of her order, then 95, had been asked a similar question many years ago. “She told us to ‘keep on dancing,’ and I think that’s the secret of success. Hear the music, be a good listener, and enjoy life,” Sister Alice said
“Certainly, these can be tough times,” she added, “but as long as you are close to Jesus and you have good buddies, you’ll make it.”
For the list of 2026 Jubilarians celebrating milestone anniversaries, click HERE.
To learn more about Vocations for Religious Life in the Archdiocese of Newark, visit www.rcan.org/vocations-for-religious-life.
View more photos from the 2026 Mass for Consecrated Life HERE.
You can watch video highlights of the Mass below:
Featured image: Religious women and men processed toward the altar with lit candles at the opening of the 2026 Consecrated Life Mass, held at Saint Aedan’s Parish in Jersey City on Feb. 7. (Photos by Julio Eduardo Herrera / Archdiocese of Newark)
