Three thousand, five hundred and ninety-five years of service.

That is the amount of work that can be attributed to the men and women who sat among the front pews at St. Peter’s Cathedral in Scranton for a celebratory Mass for World Day for Consecrated Life held Sunday, Feb. 12.

The day is set aside for the women and men, or jubilarians, who are celebrating service milestones. Those in attendance were celebrating time periods of service that ranged from 25 to 75 years.

Though it may seem a great number of years to pass by, many of the sisters being honored agreed upon one thing:

“It went by too fast.”

Sister Linda Anne Greenberg, who just came up on the 50-year mark, feels that way. She knew from a young age that she wanted to be a sister, but said her final decision came down to one small factor.

“I had sisters all throughout grade and high school, but had never come upon IHMs until Marywood,” she said. IHM refers to The Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, a Catholic teaching institute for women.

“I had to make a decision between them and the Dominicans that I loved so much as well, and it was hard. In the end, God’s spirit led me to the IHM Community,” she said.

“This experience has had its ups and downs, like anything, really, but it has been simply wonderful. I know I’m exactly where I should be,” Greenberg said.

Sister Kathleen O’Dea’s decision to take the path of a sister was in limbo for a while.

“It was always go ahead, no, go ahead, no,” she said. “I used to kneel before the blessed sacrament and the vigil lights would throw the shadows, ‘yes, no, yes, no.’ But here I am, 60 years later and it has been a wonderful life.”

Sister Joseph Mary Romano, LSP, looked to the generations before her, such as O’Dea and Greenberg, as she is just celebrating her 25th year of service.

“I kept saying, ‘2012 is my jubilee, it’s far away,’ and now here it is,” she said. “It’s been wonderful.”

During the Mass, Diocese of Scranton Bishop Joseph C. Bambera served as principal celebrant and homilist.

“Today we celebrate the sisters and brothers in consecrated life who, in deep trust every day, continue to hand themselves over to God,” he said during the Mass. “You allow the spirit to fill you with the presence and holiness of Jesus. We celebrate your whole-hearted approach to the mission.”

World Day for Consecrated life was instituted in 1997 by Pope John Paul II. It is a celebration attached to the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, also called Candlemas Day, a day in which candles are blessed, symbolizing Christ as the light of the world. As such, those who are called into a consecrated life reflect the light of Jesus Christ to all people, according to the church.