On the Feast of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin, the Church offers special thanks for all the men and women who have answered the Lord’s call to serve him in monastic, cloistered, and contemplative life.

“On this occasion, we thank the Lord for the gift of the vocation of men and women who, in monasteries and hermitages, have dedicated their lives to God. .. Let us not be remiss in our duty of spiritual and material closeness to them, in order that [they] might be able to fulfill their important mission of prayer and silent work.” ~Pope Francis, General Audience, November 18, 2015