the_rev Posted March 10, 2005 Share Posted March 10, 2005 What kind of things can we do to promote vocations. What kind of retreats, conferences, etc. Thanks. Eddie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paphnutius Posted March 10, 2005 Share Posted March 10, 2005 This is just my personal experience and what I have heard from others, but positive contact with a priest is the number one way to help vocations grow. Get the priest out there to be seen as a positive role model and God will work through His shepars to call those to Him. I do not mean to offend anyone by this next comment, but priests should be distinguishable as priests in the community. THis means wearing clericals when in public. Also, in the diocese of Wichita, and in my home diocese, perpetual adoration chapels have really bolstered vocations. Ask anyone from that area. There appears to be a very strong connection with adoration and vocations. Visits at seminaries are also very helpful, if you cannot take the prospects to the seminary, bring the seminarians to them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jgirl Posted March 10, 2005 Share Posted March 10, 2005 Amen to the adoration! When he was first assigned to St. Louis, Cardinal Rigali asked parishes to have at least one day with adoration--more if it was possible--for the intention of vocations to the priesthood/religious life. Everything started coming alive again in St. Louis. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paphnutius Posted March 10, 2005 Share Posted March 10, 2005 Thank you for the support. Sometimes I wonder how many of the parishes have gotten away from adoring our Lord? It is, however, very uplifiting to see a rise in vocations around the nation (much do to a return in adoration)! Truly we are living in great times. Trust in the Lord and He shall provide. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the_rev Posted March 10, 2005 Author Share Posted March 10, 2005 Great ideas. What kind of retreats, and conferences, do you think could help promote religious life? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paphnutius Posted March 10, 2005 Share Posted March 10, 2005 As far as conferences go for promoting vocations to the religous life, I would say simply be yourselves. As one discerning a monastic vocation I strongly believe that one is called to a specific community. This requires knowing what that community is, does, and is all about. Yes there needs to be conferences about religous life in general ( i would say look to the saints for help with that), but give conferences that explain who your community is, what your community does. God calls each one of us differently so conferences are hard to do. Retreats, especially silent ones, seem to work best. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jgirl Posted March 10, 2005 Share Posted March 10, 2005 Come and see retreats are good for doing that. You get to see the community in action, meet them, and see how they live their lives. Also, at Franciscan they have a vocations fair every year, which is neat because there are over 100 communities and dioceses, so you can get the info, but to a certain degree, brochures can only do so much. They kind of all look the same at a certain point (kind of like all the college brochures with the people lounging on the grass reading books). Retreats, either come and see or just a personal visit to the community, really help a person see if they could be called to that community. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paphnutius Posted March 10, 2005 Share Posted March 10, 2005 Above all pray, and then pray some more. Put your trust in the Lord and leave it in His hands to work through you and yours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Totus Tuus Posted March 10, 2005 Share Posted March 10, 2005 I think the number one promoter of vocations, besides prayer, is a strong Catholic family. You can throw posters, retreats, conferences, and everything else out the window until people realize the impact a Catholic family life has on young people and their vocation. I know that's not a bandaid remedy for our shortage of priests and nuns, but for goodness' sake, if you read the lives of the saints, so many of them became religious simply because it was [i]natural[/i] to them.... it was woven into their very upbringing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paphnutius Posted March 10, 2005 Share Posted March 10, 2005 I whole heartedly agree with the family comment. It is partially because of the breakdown of the family structure world wide that we are seeing a decline in vocations. Parents are charged with instilling faith in their children, and when they do not do that we see kids start to stray from their vocation. The saints, we see, sometimes came from very contrary families, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JuCa Posted March 14, 2005 Share Posted March 14, 2005 (edited) We have something cool going on in our diocese. We have the order of the Little Sisters of Poor in our diocese. Along with them and a holy priest we have a night once a month of Holy Adoration and Lectio Divina. There is time for Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, silent adoration, reading of a particular reading of a call in the Bible, questions that go with it that make you think, more meditation time, prayer and we close with Benediction. Adoration is the key for increase of vocations! Our dioceses also has a day called Dinner with the Bishop where youth from all over the diocese are invited to a dinner and there is a panel of speakers...single life, married life, religious life, priesthood/seminarian/deacon. It is an awesome concept... ours just needs a lot of help... in my own personal opinion. Edited March 14, 2005 by JuCa Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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