To promote vocations, begin a conversation

After years of decline, a robust surge in inquires is bringing a new life and hope to vocation ministry. According to Vision VocationMatch.com in their 2008 Survey on Trends in Catholic Religious Vocations:

Catholic religious communities in the U.S. witnessed a 30 percent leap in the number of people in the first stages of formation in 2007.

Sixty-two percent of communities surveyed reported an increase in their vocation inquiries. These trends show no signs of abating.

Interest in a priestly vocation is spread across all age groups. While an astounding 53 percent of those considering this path of service were under 30 years of age, a significant number -- 36 percent -- were over 40 and 20 percent over 50.

Among the under-30 group, one in five plan on entering the seminary this year and another 64 percent are "seriously considering it."

Why this sudden upswing? There is growing disenchantment with living an unfulfilled and meaningless life away from God. Patrice Tuohy, executive editor of VISION Vocation Guide and VocationMatch.com, observes that "the option of life as a brother, sister or priest may be one that satisfies their heart's desire above all." Finding that crucial missing piece to complete a life could be a mere "inquiry to the priesthood" away.

Holy Cross Brother Paul Bednarczyk, executive director of the National Vocation Conference, declares: "The fact that we are seeing an increase, not just in inquiries but in those in initial formation, is encouraging." He further states that "the church has commissioned the faithful to create a culture of discernment, and it seems we are beginning to see the fruits of our labor. This is very good news for the future of consecrated life and the life of the church."

The Vocations Office for Los Angeles subscribes to Brother Bednarczyk's philosophy. In an effort to improve recruiting efforts in our archdiocese, we have undertaken a change in direction for promoting vocations in 2008. The three-fold plan includes (1) action at the parish level, (2) participation in a priestly discernment group, and (3) encouragement of candidates through lay ministers.

At the parish level

We are using two regions this year to create a template for the other regions in the coming year. In conjunction with the regional bishop, the Office of Vocations will identify 10-15 parishes in a region which would be interested in a involved promotion of vocations on the parish level. The program objective is to identify at least one qualified candidate per parish.

First, each parish will adopt a seminarian from St. John's Seminary. All vocations are relationship driven; in coming to know a seminarian, a parish is able to put a "face" on a vocation. This will also include men's and women's religious communities.

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Secondly, a "Chalice and Stole" program will be implemented. Each week, the Chalice and Stole will be given to a different family in the parish. During that week, the family will diligently pray for future priests and religious in our archdiocese. The following Sunday, the Chalice and Stole will be given to the next family during Mass.

Additionally, we will have a Youth Day at St. John's Seminary, where the youth of our parish can meet with the seminarians and better understand the life of a priest.

Finally and perhaps most important of all, the parish staff will be educated and given the task of how to identify candidates to the priesthood and religious life from within their parish community.

Priestly discernment group

The Vocational Journey, a priestly discernment group, is comprised of young men contemplating the call to the priesthood. (See The Tidings, Nov. 16, 2007.) Currently meeting at St. Monica Church in Santa Monica, this group is designed to cultivate tomorrow's priest to become "Bold Leaders for Christ."

Group members are asked to make a one-year commitment to attendance, and during that time, through spiritual direction, retreats and prayer, come to a decision about their calling. We are pleased that three men from the group will be attending St. John's this Fall and possibly one other joining a religious community.

Lay ministers' encouragement

Lay involvement is key to the program's success. Almost all of the men who are in our seminary are there because at some point in their lives a person said to them, "You'd make a good priest." The easiest way for our lay ministers across the archdiocese to help the Office of Vocations is by passing out vocation cards and materials that can be simply given to worthy men and woman that one knows. They are designed to make the person think: "Is the religious life for me?" (To receive these vocation cards, please contact the Office of Vocations, and we will immediately send them to you.)

Discerning a calling to a Catholic vocation and taking the right actions to pursue that call can be challenging for many. But we believe that fostering an agenda which encompasses the support of all the members of the entire Catholic fold will bring us greater response to God's call to the priestly and religious life.

(Father James Forsen is director of the archdiocesan Office of Vocations.)