“Love Will Never Pass Away”: A Community Celebration of Consecrated Life

During the Day of Consecrated Life in the Diocese of Saint-Jean–Longueuil, some sixty women and men religious gathered for a meeting that was enriching, fraternal, and deeply spiritual. The theme of the day was “Love Will Never Pass Away”.

Creative and Meaningful Facilitation

he gathering was facilitated by Francine Vincent, Coordinator and Director of the Diocesan Pastoral Coordination Service (SCPD), and Mario Houle, fic. Once again, this duo demonstrated creativity and pastoral sensitivity, offering a well-balanced approach in which symbols, gestures, and reflections helped create an atmosphere that was both prayerful and welcoming.

A Eucharistic Journey Enriched by Sharing

Designed as an extended Eucharistic celebration, the gathering was interwoven with moments of prayer, personal testimonies, small-group sharing, rituals, music, and song. Three key themes structured the experience:

• gratitude, symbolized by roses;
• passion and compassion, represented by candles;
• hope, expressed through balloons.

Inspiring Testimonies

Personal testimonies brought depth to each theme. Father Charles Mangongo, a Vincentian religious, offered thoughtful reflections on gratitude, while Sr. Nicole Alarie, of the Sacred Heart of Jesus community, spoke about passion and compassion.

Sr. Florence Vinet

The testimony of Sr. Florence Vinet, SNJM, which focused on hope, particularly resonated with participants through her sharing vivid examples and the depth of her message. She reminded those present that hope touches every human reality: people facing great hardship, families coping with illness, individuals experiencing job loss, and young people struggling with addiction.

“These are all calls to pray, personally and as a community,” she emphasized, “to nourish hope and give meaning to life.” She also expressed her deep trust in Jesus, “who promised to remain with us until the end of the world.”

Drawing on the writings of Charles Péguy and the image of the little girl Hope, Sr. Florence invited participants to welcome this Hope—“fragile yet essential, discreet yet powerful”—giving renewed meaning to Péguy’s words: “Hope sees what is not yet and what will be.”

Giving Thanks for the Gift of Consecrated Life

Presided over by Réjean Poirier, diocesan priest and Vicar General, the gathering was an opportunity of offering gratitude for the precious gift of Consecrated Life, for commitment through poverty, chastity, and obedience, and for the witness of prayer, fraternity, and mission.

The celebration organized at the invitation of Bishop Claude Hamelin, Bishop of the Diocese, was held on January 31 in the chapel at Maison Jésus-Marie.  In addition to those present in person, some fifty resident sisters participated via closed-circuit television, further extending the sense of communion experienced throughout the day.

Photos credit: Sr. Hélène Harvey