Detroit — Dozens of men and women religious gathered June 6 in the chapel of Sacred Heart Major Seminary to give thanks to God for their years of service in consecrated life.

“Every community marks milestones, and there are many ways to do that: acknowledgements, awards, commendations. But it is particularly appropriate for us as disciples of Jesus that we should mark your milestones with acts of thanksgiving, above all that we mark your jubilee at this hour by the great act of thanksgiving which is the Eucharist,” said Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron in his homily to the jubilarians, who were celebrating milestones of 25, 50, 60, 65, 70, 75 and 80 years.

During the special Year of Consecrated Life, which began in November 2014 and will end in February 2016, the archbishop noted that the Mass was a “moment for public gratitude” both for the public service and ministries the jubilarians had performed, but also “for the things that might remain quite private.”

“None of us will know these works of grace until the Book of Life is read out at the end of time,” he said. “Most of us in our consecration or ordination have at least one time when you get that close to throwing it all in. God gave us the strength to persevere, and we give thanks for that.”

The archbishop commented on the Gospel passage of the widow who contributed her last two coins to the Temple treasury, and compared it to the jubilarians’ lives.

“Isn’t that the meaning of your vows? You have contributed from your livelihood, from your whole being — a humble offering, but a wonderous offering of your whole self in humility and self-abandonment,” he said.

“Consecrated life is only possible because of the grace and action of the Holy Spirit.”

After the Mass, jubilarians proceeded to a luncheon prepared for them at the seminary.

A member of the Chaldean sisters of the Daughters of Mary Immaculate, Sr. Theresa Shikwana echoed the archbishop’s remarks about thanksgiving.

“It doesn’t matter what’s going on in the world,” Sr. Shikwana said. “It matters how much you give to others faith to follow the Lord. My joy is when I do something and I know somebody came back to God. That’s my joy.”