From the Pastor’s desk— May 26, 2024

On June 7^th this year our patronal feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus will be made even more special by the fact that our Claretian seminarian David Gutierrez, CMF will be professing his final vows with us at the 6pm mass in a bilingual celebration.  As we have never had the celebration of final vows here at Sacred Heart before and most people are unfamiliar with this type of celebration, I thought it helpful to share about its meaning and importance.

Most Catholics are aware of the sacrament of ordination where a man who is seeking to serve God as a priest is “ordained” by a bishop in a beautiful ritual.  For a diocesan seminarian, it is the culmination of one’s formation, and the heart of their lifelong commitment to God and His people.  Whereas David will have an ordination in the coming year, his formation ends as a Claretian Missionary with the celebration of final vows of chastity, poverty, and obedience. 

For us as Claretian Missionaries (formally known as Missionary Sons of the Immaculate Heart of Mary) and members of a religious congregation/order, the celebration of vows is the central marker of our lives.  The preparations for final vows begin in the years of Postulancy and Novitiate where we learn about the charism of our Congregation and vows (also called the evangelical counsels as they are based on Gospel living).  At the end of Novitiate, one makes first vows (sometimes called simple vows) as David did in 2017.  These vows are renewed yearly and if one and their formators discern one is being called by God to this way of life, as David has, one makes a lifetime promise with final vows.   

Why poverty, chastity, and obedience? Simply, it is the desire to live more closely like Jesus did.  We remember from Scripture He became poor for our sake (I Cor 8:9), asked us to live chaste lives (I Cor 7:32-34), and He was obedient in all things unto death (Phil 2:8).  In religious life, some may be brothers or some may be priests, but all make a profession of vows and that binds us not just to Jesus but also to one another.  For me, the vows always attracted me as they were something we all shared, and that made us all equal. So on this day of Jesus’ great love, on the Feast of His Sacred Heart, David will enter more deeply into that heart with lifelong vows, our three ways to love others.  Our ceremony will be followed by a full reception in the Hall where our joy will spill over to congratulate Him for his “yes” to consecrate himself to the Immaculate Heart of Mary as her son and follower of Jesus.  This is an open invitation to our parish, and we look forward to seeing you if you are able for this beautiful and joyful celebration.

.

 

 

 

   

 

 

 

                     

 

With a heart for Mission,
Fr. Ray