Last month, hundreds of Chicago-area couples celebrated their Golden Wedding anniversaries at a special Mass at Holy Name Cathedral. Now The Catholic New World is honoring religious men and women who are celebrating special anniversaries of their own: jubilees of their time spent serving Christ and his people.

In the pages that follow, find the names and the stories of the hundreds of religious sisters, priests and brothers who have dedicated themselves to the physical, intellectual and spiritual well-being of people in the Chicago-area and around the world. Many started long before the Second Vatican Council and have seen myriad changes to the church and their congregations, but they have continued to offer their best for the good of those around them.

All of the people listed have some connection to the archdiocese, whether they were born and raised here, taught in schools or worked in hospitals here. But their work also took them far afield, to Africa and Alaska, the American South and South America.

While their list of accomplishments includes the staples of religious life, teaching and nursing, there are also authors, a one-time staffer for The New World (predecessor to The Catholic New World) and a sister who specializes in building maintenance in these pages.

The first 2002 jubilarian section, published April 14, included most of the longest-serving, those celebrating 75, 65, or 60 years of religious life. Some of the ones we missed are included here, but this section is mostly dedicated to appreciating the service of those who have been in religious life for 25 to 50 years.

Men Religious | Women Religious