Religious men and women and others in consecrated life in the Archdiocese of Chicago plan to do their part in answering Pope Francis’ call to “Wake Up the World” during this Year of Consecrated Life. But first, they must wake up themselves, said Cabrini Sister Joan McGlinchey, the archdiocese’s vicar for religious. To that end, the Office for Religious is offering resources both for parishes and for religious congregations to help them celebrate the year. “This isn’t just for the religious to celebrate,” Sister Joan said. “It’s for the whole archdiocese to celebrate.” Pope Francis announced the year last year. It began Nov. 30, the first Sunday of Advent, and continues until Feb. 2, 2016, the World Day for Consecrated Life (also the feast of the Presentation of the Lord). When he announced the special year, the pope called on consecrated men and women to use it as an opportunity to share the joy of their vocations. Working with leadership conferences of men and women religious, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops recommended that congregations invite laypeople to become more familiar with them in a variety of ways, from holding open houses to inviting them to cooperate in the congregations’ apostolates. Sister Joan said congregations in the archdiocese will likely take part in such activities, but tailor them to their own situations. In the meantime, religious men and women and those consecrated in lay apostolates such as Regnum Christi and Focolare will come together to celebrate at the annual Day of Consecrated Life in February. Her office also is making an effort to work with other people and institutions in the archdiocese to spread the word about consecrated life more widely. For example, the office is working with Young Adult Ministry to organize a half-day conference for Latino young adults about vocations to the consecrated life, and Sister Joan said she has reached out to the archdiocesan seminaries to help their students understand what consecrated life is all about. Catholic Theological Union, meanwhile, is starting the Center for the Study of Religious Life this year. Sister Joan said the office is also trying to develop mentoring relationships between older women religious and younger laypeople who are in ministry. “We can hand on some experience — some life experience and some spiritual experience,” she said. All of those efforts and more will be necessary for more people to understand the call to consecration and the joy that can be found in such vocations, which include religious life, life as a hermit or consecrated virgin in the world, or membership in secular institutes or societies of apostolic life. While religious sisters, brothers and priests might be the best-known members of consecrated life, they are far from the only ones in the archdiocese, which expects to welcome its ninth consecrated virgin in January. “It’s a calling and response to God’s love in your life,” Sister Joan said. “Rather than what you do, it’s who you are. It’s giving your life to Christ, and there’s a fundamental joy and happiness.” For more resources on celebrating the Year of Consecrated Life, visit www.officeforreligious.org or www.usccb.org.