World Day of Consecrated Life: Choose to be a ‘Presence that Remains’

by Kati Dijane · February 4, 2026

By Kati Dijane – More than 85 consecrated men and women gathered at Don Bosco Centre in the Archdiocese of Johannesburg for a celebration of the World Day of Consecrated Life, marked annually on the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord.

The Eucharistic celebration was presided over by the Archbishop of Johannesburg, Cardinal Stephen Brislin, who used the occasion to express gratitude for the gift of consecrated life and to offer a deeply pastoral and challenging reflection on the vocation of religious in a changing and fragile world.

The World Day of Consecrated Life was instituted by St Pope John Paul II in 1997, with the aim of helping the Church give thanks for the witness of consecrated persons, promote knowledge and appreciation of religious life and invite those who have dedicated their lives to God to renew their commitment with joy and hope.

A word of gratitude

Opening his homily, Cardinal Brislin expressed heartfelt appreciation to those who organised the celebration and said it was a great joy for him to be present with the religious on this special feast. He used the opportunity to thank consecrated persons for their presence in the Archdiocese of Johannesburg, for their ministries and apostolates and above all for their witness to the Kingdom of God.

He emphasised that the archdiocese was profoundly enriched by the many religious congregations serving within its boundaries. Their diverse charisms, he said, were not only gifts to the Church but were united in the shared mission entrusted to all believers: to evangelise, to proclaim Christ and to give visible witness to God’s Kingdom through a life rooted in faith, service and love.

“A presence that remains”

Drawing on the 2026 message from the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, Cardinal Brislin highlighted a phrase that shaped much of his reflection: “a presence that remains.” The prefect of the dicastery noted that during visits around the world, Church leaders encountered religious communities living the Gospel amid fragility, trial and even deep suffering, yet choosing to remain alongside wounded individuals and communities.

The cardinal said this reality resonated strongly with the present global context. Few places in the world today are free from social, political and economic instability. South Africa, he noted, continues to experience crime, violence, uncertainty and a fragile social order. Yet amid this instability, the Church remains and religious communities remain. Significantly, he added, new religious orders continue to arrive, offering a quiet but powerful sign of hope.

Solidarity with the wounded

This steadfast presence, Cardinal Brislin said, reflects the deep call of consecrated life to stand shoulder to shoulder with those who suffer. While religious cannot always change people’s circumstances, they are called to walk with them in solidarity, affirming their dignity and worth through the love of Christ.

He reminded the religious that their mission is not measured only by visible success or institutional strength, but also by faithfulness to those who are abandoned, including the wounded, the poor and the marginalised. Simply remaining present, he said, can be a profound form of prophecy in a world marked by fear, division and despair.

Challenges within the Church

The cardinal acknowledged honestly that the Church herself is not immune to uncertainty. Vocations, although improving in some places, remain low in many contexts. Some institutions have already closed, while others face the threat of closure. For years, the Church has been discerning the signs of the times, often concluding that many works such as education, healthcare and care for the elderly should increasingly be entrusted to the laity.

While fully recognising the enormous contribution Catholic institutions have made, particularly in education and healthcare, Cardinal Brislin cautioned that institutions can be both a gift and a burden. They can evangelise and uplift, but they can also confine and weigh heavily on those responsible for them. Abandoning them irresponsibly, however, risks scandal and harm to the very people most in need.

A Call to new ways of being present

Rather than rejecting institutions altogether, the cardinal posed a deeper question: Is God calling consecrated persons today to seek new, perhaps simpler and more humble ways of being present in people’s lives? He challenged the religious to reflect on how they accompany hurting families, the abused, migrants, the unemployed, those living in informal settlements, young people contemplating suicide and those struggling with mental health.

While it is natural to want to fix problems, he said, there is immense value in simply being with those who are suffering. He added that consecrated persons were uniquely placed to lead people back to God through presence, accompaniment and prayer.

Hope rooted in fidelity

Reflecting on his own missionary formation when he was younger, Cardinal Brislin recalled his sadness at hearing claims that the missionary era was over. Such thinking, he said, is negative, self-defeating and unfaithful to the sacrifices of those who came before. Religious life is not ending; it is changing. Consecrated persons are being called into the unknown, a journey that tests faith and trust in God.

Turning to the Gospel of the Presentation of the Lord, he highlighted the encounter between the old and the new: Mary and Joseph presenting Jesus in the temple, and Simeon and Anna recognising the Messiah. This moment, he said, symbolises renewal rooted in fidelity: the new arising from the old, not in rejection of it.

Prayer as the way forward

In light of the Synod on Synodality, Cardinal Brislin emphasised the renewed call to discernment through prayer. Prayer, he said, must not become routine or mechanical, but a true encounter between creature and Creator. Only by placing themselves in God’s presence, obedient to His will and rooted in tradition, will consecrated persons find light for the path ahead.

Deepening the reflection after Mass

The celebration continued after Mass with a programme led by Father Nathaniel Kagwima IMC, a member of the newly formed Religious Council. The 85 participants were divided into groups and invited to engage honestly and prayerfully with key questions arising from the homily and from their lived experience of religious life.

The discussions explored how religious communities can become stronger support systems for their members; how to accompany one another during moments of vocational, personal or spiritual crisis; how to witness joy as a prophetic sign of the Gospel; and how to discern a new style of missionary presence among the poor, unemployed youth, broken families, migrants and those vulnerable to suicide.

Sister Disebo Vedala FMA said the day was very fruitful and found the cardinal’s homily encouraging. “It renewed our call and initiative from God to be witnesses of the joy of the Gospel.”

She added that being with fellow religious and sharing both their challenges and highlights deepened her love for her vocation.