How to celebrate the "Year For Priests"?

To show support for our priests...

- Attend Daily Mass and make frequent visits to the Blessed Sacrament and pray specifically for priests.

- Give thanks for your parish priest’s dedication by celebrating the anniversary of his ordination.

- Invite a young man to consider being a priest.

- Write to a seminarian (click here for a list).

- Offer a day of fasting for the holiness of priests.

For a family seeking to nurture vocations…

- Invite your parish priest to your home, or at least let them know that they are welcome in your home. Encourage them to visit with you and your family.

- As a family, pray for seminarians and others in the process of discernment.

- Pray the difficult prayer: that one of your children or grandchildren will be called by God to the priesthood.

- "Adopt" a missionary.  Contact a Religious Community and ask for a missionary to correspond with.  Learn what his life is like.

For an individual considering a vocation…

- Talk to a priest.  Find out their call story.  Share with them your own.

- Go to daily Mass, and make time for prayer before the Blessed Sacrament.  Jesus will make it clear if He is calling you to be a priest.

- Increase your daily prayer time to include reading the Bible, especially the call stories of the disciples.

- Make a retreat or attend a Day of Reflection.

Year for Priests Parish Activities

Holy Hour for Vocations

At the heart of the Year for Priests is a commitment to prayer.  Pope Benedict XVI called for prayer by our priests and for our priests.  Let us join to that a prayer for more priests.  Download a printable format for a Holy Hour for Vocations to be used in your parish.

Note that these documents can be copied on back-to-back pages.

Feel free to adapt it as necessary for your parish.

Prayer for Priests Calendar

Download a printable calendar that lists the priests of the Diocese of Syracuse on each day of the month.  Use it for personal prayer, place it in a local adoration chapel, or make copies for distribution at your parish.

May      June      July      August

Bulletin Blurbs & Petitions

Put a bulletin announcement in your parish's weekly bulletin

and include special petitions at mass for Vocations. 

Post Standard Newspaper Ads

In August, the Syracuse newspaper ran two ads supporting the Year for Priests.  Contact the Office of Vocations for copies of these posters which you can  hang up in your church or school.

Other News Links:

National Catholic Register Articles:

7 Reasons to be a Priest

How to Get More Priests

US Bishops YFP website

(more videos and ideas)