Let’s “be the leaven of vocations”: Catholic Bishop to Consecrated at Perpetual Professed in Angola

Addressing the four SVM members, who made their Perpetual Profession, Bishop Firmino reflected on the challenges and formative journey leading to final commitment to Consecrated Life. 

“You have been found worthy because your formation has provided you with the necessary tools to reach this stage. From the Postulancy, where you first encountered the Congregation, to the Novitiate, where you discerned your calling further, you have now arrived at the moment of total Consecration,” he said. 

The 62-year-old Catholic Bishop, who started his Episcopal Ministry in July 2024 following his appointment on 4 May 2023 emphasized the importance of the decision to take Final Vows as women Religious, saying, “Each of you has freely and responsibly chosen to take this final step. Today, the Congregation welcomes you with all solemnity, embracing you as part of the Franciscan Sisters of the Visitation of Mary, forever.”

“By embracing the Evangelical Counsels of poverty, chastity, and obedience, you are making a free and responsible choice to follow Christ’s path until death. This means offering your life in service to others, just as Jesus did, becoming faithful servants, poor, chaste, and obedient to the will of the Father,” he said.

Bishop Firmino also highlighted the missionary identity of SVM members as important, calling them to total self-giving in service to the poor after the example of St. Francis and St. Clare.

“For Jesus, evangelization of the poor was one of the messianic signs. As Consecrated women, you must follow this example with total commitment,” He said. 

The Angolan Catholic Church leader told the four SVM members that their Vows must be lived out in the community, acknowledging the challenges but also the beauty of communal life.

“Community life has its demands, but it is shaped by three fundamental principles: accept, understand, and love,” he said during the February 9 celebration.