The Diocese of Birmingham, in union with the universal Church, will mark the World Day of Prayer for Consecrated Lifeon Feb. 2 with Mass at the Cathedral of St. Paul in Birmingham. The day was instituted by Pope St. John Paul II in 1997. The celebration is attached to the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, symbolizing that those in consecrated life are called to reflect Jesus, Who is the Light of the World.

Dominicans, Benedictines, Guadalupanas, and other religious serving in the diocese faithfully attend the Mass, during which jubilarians are recognized. This year, Abbot Emeritus Cletus Meagher, O.S.B. (60th jubilee); Sister Rosa Cruz-Plaza, M.G.Sp.S. (50th jubilee), and Sister Mary Juliana Cox, O.P. (25th jubilee) will be honored. 

Abbot Cletus Meagher, O.S.B.

David Anthony Meagher was born in Cleveland, Tennessee to Oscar and Mildred Meagher on Nov. 15, 1944, the 5th of 6 children. He attended Notre Dame Elementary School in Chattanooga where he was educated by the Nashville Dominican Sisters. He then entered the high school seminary at St. Bernard Abbey, joined the monastery, received the name Cletus, and professed vows on July 4, 1965. He was ordained a priest on May 24, 1971, along with one of his fellow monks, Abbot Marcus Voss.

Having served in a variety of roles at St. Bernard, including novice master, procurator, and pastor at Sacred Heart in Cullman, he was elected the ninth Abbot of St. Bernard Abbey in May 1995. After an abbatial reign of nearly 25 years, Abbot Cletus resigned the Office of the Abbot in 2019. After a brief respite, he assumed the responsibility of pastor of St. Michael Catholic Church in St. Florian, where he presently serves.

Sister Rosa Cruz-Plaza, M.G.Sp.S.

Sister Rosa Cruz-Plaza was born on Oct. 6, 1953, in the State of Guanajuato, Mexico. While in elementary school, Sister Rosa met some Guadalupan Missionaries of the Holy Spirit who were in a mission in her natal town. She felt God’s calling to religious life when she was 12 years old and decided to continue studying while living with the sisters. She entered the Congregation of Guadalupan Missionaries of the Holy Spirit on July 12, 1971, in Morelia, Michoacán, Mexico. Her profession was on Aug. 15, 1975, followed by her perpetual profession on Aug. 15, 1981. 

At the end of her studies at St. Mary of Guadalupe Institute of Pastoral and Catechesis in Morelia, Michoacán, Sister Rosa was sent to the Diocese of St. Petersburg in Fort Myers, Florida on July 26, 1978, to serve the Hispanic and migrant people. She was sent to assist in missionary service in the Dioceses of Miami and Venice, Florida and the Diocese of Fall River, Massachusetts.

Educated for the ministry, Sister earned a B.A. from Biscayne College, in Miami, Florida. In 1987, Sister Rosa was sent to Los Angeles, California to collaborate on the noviciate team. After six years in this service, she went to Mexico to study for a Master in Spiritual Direction from Motolinia Universiy. She was the master of novices in Morelia, Michoacan for one year, and then she was elected as part of the general council of her congregation for 12 years. Sister returned to the mission in Wichita, Kansas. This experience was particularly meaningful because she enjoyed sharing with the migrants her faith. Afterwards, she was sent to the Dominican Republica in the Diocese of Barahona, and in 2020, she arrived in Hoover, where she is currently serving the Diocese of Birmingham as the director of Hispanic Catholic Social Services, “La Casita.”

Sister Mary Juliana Cox, O.P.

Sister Mary Juliana was born to Bill and Marilyn Cox, a military family whose faith-life grew as the family grew. Attending public schools primarily in Texas, Sister Mary Juliana had not been exposed to religious life growing up, but she knew at the age of 9 that the easiest way to be let into Heaven was to be married to Jesus. She later attended Texas A&M University while her older sister attended the Franciscan University of Steubenville and met the Dominican Sisters of Saint Cecilia. Knowing of her little sister’s desires as a young girl, Sister Cox’s sister encouraged her to attend a retreat in Nashville, which she did in 1997. Captivated by the joy and sincerity of all of the sisters she met, she could see in them that they desired to be close to Jesus and give their lives to Him as much as she experienced within herself. 

She entered the Congregation of the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia in August of 1998 and received the habit and a new name in August of 1999. In August of 2000, she made her first profession of vows. She has since served the congregation as a teacher in grades first through eighth and as principal of three elementary schools for 16 years. For the last eight years, Sister Cox has served St. Rose Academy in Birmingham as principal.