IT was pleasing to see more than 500 religious from around the archdiocese gather for a Mass in their honour called by Archbishop John Bathersby in Brisbane’s St Stephen’s Cathedral on March 25.
Religious congregations still play an important role in the Australian Church.
They may not be as visible as they once were, but they still shoulder much of the work in the Church.
We owe a great debt of gratitude to their pioneering spirit in the past, and even today as they embrace new opportunities as part of their charism.
Religious congregations are in many cases the face of the Church on the fringes of society.
Let us never underestimate them and pray that they will attract many new vocations to their ranks.