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New Vocations
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Proven
Parish Vocation Committee (PVC) Projects to Try
For the Parish
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Celebrate Vocation Awareness Week,
January 10-16, 2010 with special events and speakers.
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Celebrate World Prayer Day for Vocations,
Sunday, April 25, 2010 with special weekend liturgies.
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Host a "Vocation Panel." Have door prizes,
refreshments, scavenger hunt and speakers. For more information contact
the Vocations Office
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Celebrate feasts of the saints, such as attending
Mass on the Feast of St. Therese of the Child Jesus, of Lisieux, the
Little Flower, patroness of missionaries and patroness of many
vocations.
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Celebrate feasts of the apostles, who were called
by the first vocation director, Jesus.
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Pray, especially in the Fall for new recruits and
in the Spring for candidates and applicants who are being processed for
entrance to seminary for the next year.
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Publish a listing of all the seminarians, with
names and seminary addresses. Encourage parishioners to send them cards
and letters showing support and prayer without expecting a response from
the seminarians, which keeps this activity supportive but not intrusive
to their study time. Some parishes feature one seminarian’s name and
address in the bulletin each week, to keep this activity continuous.
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Have Middle School Religious Education programs
send care packages to seminarians at time of midterms or finals. Invite
seminarians to speak at parish programs while home on their breaks from
study.
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Organize a Holy Hour for
Vocations. An online program book
is available here. Print the pages back-to-back to make a
booklet.
For the
Home and Family
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Invite your parish priest, religious priest,
brother or sister 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.
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Be aware of current ideas regarding the
formation, life and role of priests and religious in the Church. Become
familiar with their goals and the manner in which their role evolves
into new ministries, especially education and social justice.
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As a family, pray for persons who are in the
process of discernment.
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As parents, pray the difficult prayer: that one
of your children will be called by God to the priesthood or religious
life
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"Adopt" a missionary. Most religious communities
have some foreign-mission outreach. Ask for a missionary to correspond
with, and learn what his/her life is about...and then share that with
others who could begin to consider life as a missionary.
As an
Individual
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Be familiar with the vocations web page:
www.vocations-syracuse.org
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Promise your own daily prayer for an increase of
vocations to our diocese.
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Encourage people 16 to 40 years of age (who
exhibit the qualities and virtues you have admired in priests and
religious who have been an influence in your life) to consider a
religious or priestly calling from God. Personal invitation can be the
inspiration someone needs to contact a vocation director for further
information and discernment.
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"Adopt" a retired priest or brother or sister.
They will appreciate the mail you send them, and you can profit from
their advice. Invite him/her to conversation with one or two of your
prospects, the people you are personally inviting to consider religious
life or priesthood.
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Visit a religious book store and familiarize
yourself with what is available in books and tapes and videos on
religious topics, lives of the saints, liturgy, and so forth. These make
great gifts, which encourage youth and young adults to share their faith
at home and to reflect on the possibility of making that sharing a life
career.
-
Adopt a missionary. Most religious communities
have some foreign-mission outreach. Ask for a missionary to correspond
with, and learn what his/her life is about... and then share that with
others who could begin to consider life as a missionary.
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Hang Vocation posters in church.
General
Intercessions for Vocation Awareness
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That men and women may find joy in sacrificing
personal gain for the service of others in a Church vocation, we pray to
the LORD.
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That the LORD of the harvest may open the hearts
of our young people to the possibility of a life in priesthood or
religious life, we pray to the LORD.
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That parents, by their lives and example, may
encourage Church vocations in their children, we pray to the LORD.
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For all men and women who wish to follow Christ,
that they may respond generously to God’s graces, trusting His leading
them into His service as priests or religious, we pray to the LORD.
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For Christian families, the source of religious
vocations, that they may be prompted to encourage young people to
rejoice in doing God’s will, we pray to the LORD.
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That young people may show generosity to Jesus’
call and make wise decisions in choosing their vocation in life, we pray
to the LORD.
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For all young men of our parish who are making
lifetime choices at this time, that they will include service to the
People of God as a diocesan priest among their other options, we pray to
the LORD.
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For all parents of our parish, that they may
instill a positive regard for the priesthood as a wholesome lifetime
career path their sons might consider, we pray to the LORD.
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For our young people, that they may find a joyful
faith in their families, and encouragement to respond to a life of
ministry and service, we pray to the LORD.
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For a full appreciation of the gift of ministry
within the Church, and for an increase of vocations to the priesthood
and religious life, we pray to the LORD.
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For all candidates for priesthood in our diocese,
that they may have the courage of their convictions and the generosity
to act upon them if they believe that God is calling
them to priesthood, we pray to the LORD.
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For all pastors and parish priests of our
diocese, that they will recognize and invite to priesthood men of their
parishes who have the aptitude for priestly service, we pray to the
LORD.
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For all priests, deacons, religious men and
women, and all lay ministers who serve our Church; and for those who are
struggling to answer the call they are experiencing at this time, we
pray to the LORD.
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For the Diocese of Syracuse, bishops, priests,
religious and laity, we pray to the LORD.
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For all involved in the examination of candidates
to priesthood at this time, that their choices will benefit the whole
Church, we pray to the LORD.
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For the Knights of Columbus within our diocese,
that they may be blessed for the assistance they give our bishops,
seminarians, and vocation promotion efforts of our diocese, we pray to
the LORD.
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For all parishioners who have made a commitment
to pray intensely for vocations, that their intercessory prayer for an
increase of candidates for priesthood in our diocese will be fruitful
for the Church and they will be blessed for their efforts, we pray to
the LORD.
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For our bishops, that they may enjoy good health
and fruitful ministry on behalf of the
Church
of Syracuse, we pray to the LORD.
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For the Parish Vocations Committees of our
diocese, that they will grown in appreciation of the task entrusted to
them, and that the seeds of awareness they plant will grow to maturity, we pray to the LORD.
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For the people of the Diocese of Syracuse, that
we will truly be a People of God, we pray to the LORD.
Vocation Bulletin Blurbs
These short reflections are based on the Scripture readings from the
Lectionary throughout the year. The three to four sentence notices
bring out the vocation dimension of the Sunday readings and invite readers
to prayerfully support and consider religious life. They are perfect
for Parish bulletins. Print them out and bring them to your parish
bulletin editor.
NEW
Vocation Bulletin
Blurbs are now available
as .pdf files:
Bulletin
Blurbs for Advent and the Christmas Season (2009-10)
Bulletin Blurbs - 2010 Ordinary Time Weeks
1-6
Bulletin
Blurbs for Lent, 2010
Bulletin Blurbs, Easter
2010
Bulletin Blurbs,
Ordinary Time Weeks 11-22
Bulletin Blurbs,
Ordinary Time Weeks 23-Christ the King |
