Importance of Promoting a Culture of Vocations and Vocations to Diocesan Priesthood “Now this is eternal life, that they should know you, the only true God, and the one whom you sent, Jesus Christ.” John 17:3

We all share a Call to Holiness Importance of Promoting a Culture of Vocations and Vocations to Diocesan Priesthood We all share a Call to Holiness Primary call is to live our Christian call to holiness and friendship with Jesus in the Church. “I no longer call you slaves, because a slave does not know what his master is doing. I have called you friends, because I have told you everything I have heard from my Father” John 15:15 “So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect” Matthew 5:48

We each have a Specific Vocation Importance of Promoting a Culture of Vocations and Vocations to Diocesan Priesthood We each have a Specific Vocation All specific vocations flow from the universal call to holiness. God’s specific plan for each person: Can be known Is revealed by God in various ways Leads us to deeper communion with God God’s plan for the most fulfillment and happiness possible in this life.

Asking the Right Question Importance of Promoting a Culture of Vocations and Vocations to Diocesan Priesthood Asking the Right Question “What is it that God desires me to do with the life He has given me?” Vs. “What do I want to do with my life?”

All vocations are good and build up the one Body of Christ. Importance of Promoting a Culture of Vocations and Vocations to Diocesan Priesthood All vocations are good and build up the one Body of Christ. “There are different kinds of spiritual gifts but the same Spirit; there are different forms of service but the same Lord; there are different workings but the same God who produces all of them in everyone.” 1 Corinthians 4-6

Importance of Promoting a Culture of Vocations and Vocations to Diocesan Priesthood We are a Eucharistic People: God gives us the Eucharist through the institution of the priesthood. “Then he took the bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is my body, which will be given for you; do this in memory of me.’” Luke 22:19

We should all promote priestly vocations. Importance of Promoting a Culture of Vocations and Vocations to Diocesan Priesthood We should all promote priestly vocations. “If you are a Catholic, you have a huge stake in the priesthood and vocations.” --Cardinal Sean O’Malley, Vocations: Everybody’s Business

Importance of Promoting a Culture of Vocations and Vocations to Diocesan Priesthood “The command – ‘Do this in memory of me’ – also obliges us to promote priestly vocations so that the Eucharist can be celebrated. In Christ’s plan for the Church it is the priesthood that allows the Eucharist to be celebrated everywhere and at all times. The priesthood is not a human invention but a gift from God by which God continues to give Himself to His people throughout history.” --Cardinal Sean O’Malley, Vocations: Everybody’s Business

Importance of Promoting a Culture of Vocations and Vocations to Diocesan Priesthood Taking up the Challenge: Vocations to the Diocesan Priesthood as a Priority in Pastoral Planning Some Best Practices for Parishes and Collaboratives to promote Vocations to the Diocesan Priesthood in the Archdiocese of Boston

Taking up the Challenge: Vocations to the Diocesan Priesthood as a Priority in Pastoral Planning Some best practices: Creating a Collaborative Vocation Team Suggested Activities

Collaborative Vocation Team Taking up the Challenge: Vocations to the Diocesan Priesthood as a Priority in Pastoral Planning Collaborative Vocation Team What does a Collaborative Vocation Team do? Leads the parish in activities that promote a Culture of Vocations and specifically vocations to the diocesan priesthood through: Prayer Awareness Inviting

Who is on a Collaborative Vocation Team? Taking up the Challenge: Vocations to the Diocesan Priesthood as a Priority in Pastoral Planning Who is on a Collaborative Vocation Team? Each parish in the Collaborative should be represented on the Team Members may include: Pastor and/or Parochial Vicar Parishioners Youth Minister Pastoral Associate Director of Religious Education Youth and Young Adults Religious Deacons Others

How do you create a Collaborative Taking up the Challenge: Vocations to the Diocesan Priesthood as a Priority in Pastoral Planning How do you create a Collaborative Vocation Team? The collaborative may choose to simply recruit members from the pastoral team and from parishioners known to have an interest. OR You may choose to give a presentation to the parish on a particular weekend and invite people to join the team.

Suggested Activities of a Collaborative Vocation Team Some best practices of : Prayer Awareness Inviting

Suggested Activities of a Collaborative Vocation Team Some best practices Please see resource provided Note: all materials can be found at http://www.vocationsboston.org/resources /disciples-in-mission

Suggested Activities of a Collaborative Vocation Team Some Best Practices: Prayer: every day, every person, every home Vocation Cross/Vocation Chalice Program in each parish Weekday and Weekend Prayers of the Faithful at all Masses, all year. Regular Collaborative-wide and/or Parish-wide Pray for Vocation Events: Annual 40 Hours Devotion Monthly Rosary for Vocations Evenings Monthly Holy Hour for Vocations Annual Novena to St Patrick Ongoing “Let Them Know you are Praying” Program of seminarian support

Suggested Activities of a Collaborative Vocation Team Some Best Practices: Awareness: in the Church, in the classroom, in the home Religious Education Curriculum for every year and into preparation for every sacrament. Annual Vocation Awareness Week Activities or Good Shepherd Sunday Vocation Weekend Ongoing information sharing through bulletin items, posters, prayer cards, brochures, etc from Vocation Office

Suggested Activities of a Collaborative Vocation Team Some Best Practices: Inviting: right question, right time, right way Annual Discernment Retreat: Meet as a Team to surface the names of men to be invited. Forward on to vocation office each year. St Andrew Dinners: participate in the dinner by bringing young men to one or more of the dinners each year. Personal invitation from pastor or parochial vicar to men in the parish who he thinks may have a priestly vocation.

Promoting a Culture of Vocations and Vocations to Diocesan Priesthood Discussion “He said to them, ‘The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest’” Luke 10:2