Institute On Religious Life Inc

TO FOSTER AND SUPPORT VOCATIONS TO THE CONSECRATED LIFE IN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH, BY MEANS OF PUBLISHING BOOKS AND RELIGIOUS LIFE MAGAZINE; NATIONAL AND REGIONAL EVENTS; THE VITA CONSECRATA INSTITUTE; AUDIO/VIDEO PRODUCTION; AND A PREEMINENT PRESENCE ON THE INTERNET.

THE THEME FOR THIS YEAR'S NATIONAL MEETING WAS "ENCOUNTERING OUR LORD THROUGH THE EUCHARIST". THE EVENT WAS HELD AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ST. MARY OF THE LAKE, MUNDELEIN, ILLINOIS, AND WAS ALSO LIVE-STREAMED. REGIONAL MEETINGS WERE HELD IN KANSAS CITY (OCTOBER 2022), BOSTON (NOVEMBER 2022) AND LOS ANGELES (JANUARY 2023). SPEAKERS AT THE MEETINGS INCLUDED RELIGIOUS PRIESTS, RELIGIOUS SISTERS AND LAY PEOPLE. THESE MEETINGS, ATTENDED BY RELIGIOUS, LAY PEOPLE, AND YOUNG ADULTS DISCERNING THEIR VOCATIONS, SUPPORT RELIGIOUS IN THEIR VOCATIONS AND ENCOURAGE LAY PEOPLE TO PROMOTE VOCATIONS IN THE CHURCH. THIS YEAR, THE IRL BESTOWED ITS PRESTIGIOUS PRO FIDELITATE ET VIRTUTE AWARD ON CARL A. ANDERSON, FOR HIS 21 YEARS OF SERVICE TO THE CHURCH THROUGH HIS LEADERSHIP OF THE KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS.

THE IRL PUBLICATION "RELIGIOUS LIFE" MAGAZINE, PUBLISHED 5 TIMES PER YEAR, IS DISTRIBUTED TO ABOUT 2,400 RELIGIOUS COMMUNITIES, RELIGIOUS, PRIESTS, BISHOPS AND LAY PEOPLE PER ISSUE. THAT PERIODICAL AS WELL AS OUR FOUR PRINCIPAL WEBSITES (RELIGIOUSLIFE.COM, CLOISTEREDLIFE.COM, RELIGIOUSBROTHERHOOD.COM, AND VOCATIONBLOG.COM) ARE WINDOWS INTO RELIGIOUS LIFE FOR LAY SUPPORTERS AND THOSE DISCERNING A VOCATION. THESE FOUR WEBSITES RECEIVE OVER 20,000 VISITORS PER MONTH. OUR FACEBOOK PAGE HAS GROWN TO OVER 10,000 FOLLOWERS. WE ALSO HAVE CONDUCTED OVER 150 FACEBOOK LIVE INTERVIEWS WITH RELIGIOUS MEN AND WOMEN DURING THE YEAR. ON RELIGIOUSLIFE.COM YOUNG PEOPLE CAN REVIEW THE PROFILES OF 190+ RELIGIOUS COMMUNITIES AND FIND DISCERNMENT RETREATS HOSTED BY IRL COMMUNITIES. THE IRL HOSTS A FREE CLOISTERED LIFE FORUM ONLINE WITH 45 COMMUNITIES REPRESENTED. IT ALLOWS CLOISTERED WOMEN RELIGIOUS TO ASK QUESTIONS IN A CONFIDENTIAL ENVIRONMENT, RECEIVE REPLIES AND SUGGESTIONS FROM FELLOW PARTICIPANTS, AND SHARE RESOURCES. OUR SPEAKLORD.NET SITE PROVIDES FREE MP3 DOWNLOADS ON THE PRIESTHOOD AND THE CONSECRATED LIFE.

THE VITA CONSECRATA INSTITUTE IS OUR UNIQUE SUMMER PROGRAM FOR CONSECRATED MEN AND WOMEN SEEKING TO DEEPEN THEIR RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS CHRIST AND DEVELOP A PROFOUND UNDERSTANDING OF THEIR RELIGIOUS VOCATION. THE 4-WEEK PROGRAM (TWO 2-WEEK SESSIONS) IS HELD AT CHRISTENDOM COLLEGE, THIS YEAR WELCOMING 55 ATTENDEES FOR SESSION I AND 34 FOR SESSION II, DOUBLING THE NUMBERS OF THE PRIOR YEAR. THE COURSES MAY BE AUDITED, OR TAKEN FOR CREDIT FROM CHRISTENDOM COLLEGE. EACH COURSE, WHICH TYPICALLY CONSISTS OF 20 ONE-HOUR CLASSES, IS AVAILABLE VIA AUDIO DOWNLOAD FOR CLOISTERED COMMUNITIES AND OTHERS. THIS YEAR'S INSTRUCTORS WERE: REV. THOMAS NELSON, O.PRAEM., REV. ANSELM RODRIGUEZ, O.PRAEM., REV. BRIAN MULLADY, O.P., DR. LUCY LU, REV. SEBASTIAN WALSHE, O.PRAEM., AND REV. BONIFACE HICKS, OSB.