Religious life has moved beyond what so many of us in earlier times expressed as a renunciation of “the world and its pomps” to an active engagement with the whole of creation, writes Christian Brother Rod Doyle in his piece for CRA's Reflection Series on the Year of Consecrated Life. 

The Broken Bay Institute (BBI) is offering the seminar "Wake Up the World" in Sydney and Brisbane in August 2015 - a day of discernment and discussion dedicated to religious men and women in this Year of Consecrated Life.

It probably seems a little unusual to offer a reflection on the Year of Consecrated Life as a woman who doesn’t belong to a religious community or institute, writes Natalie Gordon, as she reflects on vocation and the life-changing love and witness of many religious women on her own faith journey.

Religious sisters were among the recipients of the Medal (OAM) of the Order of Australia for this year's Queen's Birthday Honours, which highlighted education, the arts and community service of these three women in their own quiet, tireless way.

The immediate Past President of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR) and renowned speaker, Dr Carol Zinn ssj, will be in Queensland for a lecture series "Living with gratitude, hope and passion" in venues across Brisbane, Townsville and religious institutes organised by CRA Queensland from 28 June - 2 July 2015.

Way back in about 1990, I was asked to write a piece on ‘The Australian Church in the New Millennium’. As I recall, I was fairly upbeat, writes Bishop Bill Wright of the Maitland Newcastle Diocese.

Sister Margaret Mary joined the Carmelites in 1961 after serving as a lay missionary and teacher in the Kimberley. She shared her reflections on how contemplative life serves our world with journalist Marco Ceccarelli, shedding light on the role played by enclosed nuns today.

In this Year of Consecrated Life, each of us need not only return to the prophetic stance and mysticism of our founders and our charisms, but to also unlock the seminal treasures of the gospel story in which Jesus reveals to us his ‘Abba’ the God of surprises, writes Marist Brother Robert O'Connor in his piece for CRA's Reflection Series on the Year of Consecrated Life.

With all religious congregations and families throughout the world, we are being invited, not for the first time, to enter into the demanding and perhaps frightening, but also hopefully life-giving, project of reviewing our life and mission, writes Perth Archbishop Timothy Costelloe sdb who reflects on his own personal and communal history to understand the past and present and try to reimagine the future for consecrated life in Australia.

Religious in the Diocese of Parramatta recently came together in fellowship and joy, and were reminded that amidst all the changes to religious life, the call remains the same - go to the poor and live community in authenticity, writes Mercy Sister Ailsa Mackinnon.