On the Year of Consecrated Life

a. Make certain that all in your institute know the dates and observances for the Year of Consecrated Life. b. Plan now how your institute will participate in the Open House on February 8, 2015, e.g., which houses and/or which portions of your house might be open; who will greet visitors and how to prepare those greeters; how long you will be open that day; what materials you might share with people that day? c. Plan now how you will invite people to share in some apostolate of your institute in the summer of 2015. This could be a one day/one event/one task of service, or could be more than one of the above in differing locations. d. Consider now how you might welcome people for specific prayer in September of 2015. Determine the location for, the type of, and the extent of the prayer for that Sunday. Be aware that some local pastors may be sensitive to participation in their own parish – you might take the prayer and your members to them at a Eucharistic liturgy if you cannot arrange to have an afternoon vespers or holy hour, etc., at your own chapel or church. e. Consider now with your council alternative special events:  invite clergy and parish staffs to your house for a social; if a seminary is near-by, invite seminary staff and seminarians to a visit to learn about religious life through a short address and sharing; invite ecumenical religious (Anglican, Orthodox, Lutheran) to share a meal and a brief common prayer;  if your religious house happens to be large, you might invite fellow religious to a joint day of prayer; or, you might offer your place for a gathering of young religious men (or even of men and women). f. Ask your members to learn the commissioned hymn and to use it frequently. Send it to parishes where your members have a presence or serve. (NRVC will also send it in a packet to all pastors.)