Text of Cardinal Frank Leo’s Message for the World Day of Consecrated Life on Feb. 2, 2026

My Dear Brothers and Sisters in Consecrated Life, 

May Jesus and Mary be in your souls. In anticipation of the upcoming celebration of the 30th World Day of Consecrated Life, celebrated annually on the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, along with the faithful of the archdiocese, and indeed the universal Church, I wish to reach out to you with gratitude and recognition. We prayerfully consider the gift that you have made of your lives to God and his Church. The Gospel account relates how in the Temple, Simeon and Anna recognize the child Jesus to be the Light destined for the nations (cf. Lk 2:22-38). Today the Church recognizes in the many and varied forms of consecrated life a living reflection of that same light - radiant, faithful, and enduring—offered for the salvation of the world. 

Your vocation places you at the heart of the Church’s mystery (cf. CCC, 916, 932). By your profession of the evangelical counsels, you proclaim that God alone is sufficient, that the Kingdom of Heaven is already present and growing among us, and that the ultimate horizon of human life is communion with God (cf. LG, 44). In a world often marked by division, relentless busyness, perpetual dissatisfaction, and unbridled self-assertion, your consecration speaks a different language: one of radical availability, obedience and humble service, prophetic witnessing, and true joy found in simplicity of life – modeled after that of Our Lord and Our Lady. Consecrated life is not a retreat from the world, but a prophetic way of loving the world as God loves it, and in so doing inviting others to a more authentic way of life (cf. Vita Consecrata, 80, 109). The Feast of the Presentation reminds us that consecrated life is fundamentally an offering (cf. Vita Consecrata, 22). Just as Mary and Joseph presented Jesus in the Temple, you continually place your lives into God’s hands in complete love and surrender for the salvation of the world. In your daily fidelity to the Gospel, to the Church, to your charism and rule/constitutions of your community, you make visible the beauty of Christ’s own choice—a life poured out to the Father in love for all. Simeon’s proclamation of Jesus as “a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel” (Lk 2:32), has guided the mission of consecrated men and women throughout the history of the archdiocese. Finally, Anna’s witness, done within the context of her calling (Lk 2:38), reminds us of the transformative power of encounter in the ordinary and everyday circumstances of life. 

In the Archdiocese of Toronto, your offering, proclamation and encounter have shaped generations of the faithful and continue to guide us today, especially as we embrace the call to be disciples who belong to the Lord in a very special way all the while being engaged in the world spreading Christ’s Kingdom, working in unison, in a synodal manner, with other ecclesial instances thus reflecting the holiness of God to every man, woman and child on our path. 

On this World Day of Consecrated Life, the Archdiocese of Toronto, and I personally, thank you most sincerely. We are grateful for your faithfulness, prayerfulness, and sacrifices known only to God. For all the spiritual and temporal works of mercy you accomplish, for your spirit of welcoming and generosity, for your willingness to go the extra mile and radiate the face of Christ to our polarized, frustrated and anxious world, for the love you bring to those who suffer and have no one to turn to – our gratitude is immense. I entrust you anew to the intercession of the Blessed ever Virgin Mary and Saint Joseph, her most chaste spouse. May Christ, the Light whom you have chosen above all things, continue to illuminate you personally and your communities, renew your joy, and draw many hearts closer to Him through your loving witness.