My Diocese is kind of discouraging.

[DominicanHeart]

While looking at the Vocations website for my Diocese to find resources for women discerning, all I can find is stuff for men. All the events and talks and groups are for men. It doesn't really emphasize vocations to Religious Life for women. I'm not sure why that is. And I know there really aren't any women at my Parish besides me who are discerning. Its kind of frustrating. I wish there was something I could do to fix this. Should I email the Vocations Director for my Diocese and ask him about it?

[vee]

My diocese sounds similar and Im not sure why that is either.  I have my guesses but they are just that, guesses.  As far as I know there are no other women at my parish discerning aside from me as well.  This is why I come here because it offers what my parish and diocese do not..  You could always send an email to the vocations director and see what happens.  Do you have a parish priest that you might discuss this with as well?  Perhaps a local Serra Club, who are supposed to promote vocations, could be contacted too. 

 

[DominicanHeart]

A Serra Club? Never heard of that. I should look that up. Thanks!

[DominicanHeart]

A Serra Club? Never heard of that. I should look that up. Thanks!

[DominicanHeart]

A Serra Club? Never heard of that. I should look that up. Thanks!

Sorry for the triple post.

[Sister Leticia]

I don't know about in the US, but here in the UK diocesan vocations directors have as their primary responsibility vocations to the diocesan priesthood. That is the role to which they are appointed by the bishop - and anything they may do to help anyone discerning other vocations is purely an added extra. That doesn't excuse them from not having links to women's congregations or other resources on their websites - and quite a few do - but it does explain that they don't have to.

Inevitably, diocesan VDs do receive enquiries from women and from men considering religious life, especially as anyone googling "vocations XYZ diocese" is bound to land on the diocesan vocations website! Some VDs do their best to help women - I know of a couple who have started discernment groups for women, for example. Others work as part of a team, so they can refer on young women to the sister they work with. And there are those with a religious life page on their websites. But others might not provide that and might just pass an enquirer on to a local convent - which, with a bit of googling, she could have done for herself anyway!

But don't let that stop you from contacting the diocesan VD: just remember, though, that you're asking him to do something extra on top of whatever he is already doing for the diocese (and maybe also working in a parish). Maybe others who have already done this can suggest ways in which to approach him which won't make him feel put-upon and defensive.

 

[DominicanHeart]

Okay. I'll def

[veritasluxmea]

Vocation directors for a diocese are the directors for priestly vocations for that diocese. If you are a woman and want to join a community, you contact the community, right? The community has their own (female) vocation director. If you're a boy and you want to be a secular priest, you contact the diocesan vocation director. And he's the vocation director for priests. Only. If you're a boy and you want to be a religious priest, you contact the community and speak with the appropriate vocation director. You don't talk to the diocesan vocations director when you don't want to be a diocesan priest. 

What it comes down to is- Why would you contact a priestly vocation director if you're a female? You can't be a priest. His assignment is for priestly vocations to the diocese- not religious brothers, not consecrated females. Most offices, if you do contact them, will be as helpful as they can. They'll give you a list of women religious orders in the area and phone numbers. That may be helpful if you're interested in any religious orders in your diocese or just want to start close to home. 

I can think of one vocations office that has a sister working for them who help girls get started in discerning religious life and promote female consecrated life in the diocese. It's something I'd like to see more offices have in the future, but most don't have the resources for that. 

[DominicanHeart]

That makes sense.

[TheresaThoma]

With most diocese I found it is hit or miss. Some have really amesome things in place for women, like La Crosse WI where they have a women's formation/discernment house. Some have a Sister on staff to help out young women others have nothing. I think many dioceses are starting to see the need for resources for women. It will take time though for many dioceses to really develop those resources. My diocese is really supportive of women's vocations even though we don't have a specific women's vocations director.  Though I love VS because no matter where I am living I can come here to get and give support. The wonders of the internet!

[Benedictus]

Some dioceses, as many have said, focus the VD on promoting vocations to meet their own immediate needs. They often have little time to care so much about what religious institutes are doing. It could be said dioceses should also do more to encourage marriage vocation too, but anyways.

Look up the Bishops conference for your location/country as they tend to have more vocations resources and projects that pan across dioceses. Often there are things going on with the support of a diocese but it may not be the responsibility of the VD per se. But they may point you in the right direction if you can't find anything. The sites of conferences of religious are also sometimes good at highlighting these too. Some projects may purely come from the work of religious conferences. It often simply depends what is being done locally. Sometimes it's good and in other places less so.

[Gabriela]

I fourth what has been said about the diocesan VD being there for priestly vocations. My diocese is the same, and it upset me, so I once asked the diocesan VD about it (he hangs out with the youth crowd in town). He said they don't have any info about women because just go to the convent/monastery websites and get direction straight from the community.

So, yeah, it makes sense. But it would be nice to have someone in every diocesan office who can get women started searching for a community.

[SNJM]

This is happening more & more at the diocese level because of the shortage of priests. I actually had a client who entered a Religious Community (a man) . The Pastor actually told me he "was very disappointed" I didn't "push" him to enter the Diocesean Seminary! I recommend the blue book - The Guide to Religious Ministeries - and Vision magazine (they might even publish that blue book. The CMSWR also has a booklet and so does the institute of Religious Life (IRL). There are also many lists on the Internet! There are lots of resources for women, but the diocesen offices are definitely cutting vocation offices for women out of their budget. Our's did. I hope that helps. 

Veritas - quick note - there used to be Sisters who worked in almost Diocesean office (along side a priest in "The Vocation Office." ) to help women navigate the process. You can even tell today through the Internet - some list what communities (of women are in their diocese) and some don't!

Edited September 12, 2015 by SNJM
Typo - probably more I didn't see!!!

[Nunsuch]

One possible suggestion-- many dioceses have a 'Vicar for Religious," as well as a vocation director. This is often a sister. While their job is not officially to help with vocation discernment, I am sure most would be more than happy to help. So see if that office exists where you are.