Third Vocations Congress to Meet in Montreal

By Linda Busetti
HERALD Staff Writer
(From the issue of 4/11/02)

According to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, the objectives of the Third Continental Congress on Vocations, to be held April 18-21 in Montreal, are to create a positive environment for promoting vocations to the ordained ministry and consecrated life; to unify and guide the Church in its commitment to "identify, discern and nurture vocations"; and to welcome future "workers to the harvest" in North America.

"Vocación: Don de Dieu, Given for God’s People" is the theme of the Congress that coincides with the 39th World Day of Prayer for Vocations on April 21.

Pope John Paul II, through the Office of Pontifical Work for Ecclesiastical Vocations in Rome, invited the Canadian and U.S. conferences of Catholic bishops to host the Congress. This North American Congress follows a 1994 Latin American Congress in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and a 1997 European Congress in Rome.

Among the approximately 1,000 delegates — one-third of whom are lay people — who are expected to attend the North American Congress are bishops, priests, religious superiors and vocations directors. The Vatican is sending seven representatives. In addition, about 120 young people have been invited to be delegates.

Montreal Cardinal Jean-Claude Turcotte will welcome delegates to the Congress at the opening session Thursday evening.

Diocesan regional gatherings this past fall and winter throughout North America considered three questions posed by Congress planners about obstacles to, hope for and new ideas about vocations ministry. Their concerns and comments will be presented to the delegates in a Friday morning session. A regional Vocations Congress was held in the Arlington Diocese at St. Luke Church in McLean last November (ACH 01/17/02).

A pre-Congress Update from the USCCB cites a recently issued study, "Changing Commitments and Attitudes of Catholic Priests, 1979-2001," by Catholic University of America sociologist Dean Hoge and doctoral student Jacqueline E. Wenger. According to Hoge and Wenger’s report, priests are more concerned about overwork and unrealistic demands of lay people than they were in 1970, but are generally happy in their priesthood. The study, commissioned by the National Federation of Priests’ Councils, is a random survey of 858 diocesan and 421 order priests, whose average age was 60.

Hoge and Wenger’s findings are summarized under headings of characteristics of priests; attitudes about the priesthood and the Church today; criticisms of seminary training; satisfactions in the priestly life; support from Church leadership; problems perceived by priests; and issues needing discussion. The survey concluded that young priests differ from priests ordained in the 1960s and ’70s in four ways: their numbers are fewer and they are older at the time of ordination; younger priests "have a higher theology of ordination"; they are more satisfied with their priesthood and less critical of Church governing practices; and when asked about issues that "need more open discussion today, the young priests disproportionately selected problems of rectory or community living … living arrangements, and salaries," whereas older priests "asked for more open discussion of celibacy, the ordination of women, the process of selecting bishops, the problem of sexual misconduct by priests, and sharing ministry with laity."

On Friday afternoon, Passionist Father Donald Senior, biblical scholar and president of Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, will reflect on the biblical and theological foundations for Christian vocations to ordained ministry and consecrated life and Father Ronald Rolheiser, general counselor for the Oblates of Mary Immaculate, will offer a "prayerful attempt to ‘read the signs of the times’" in a presentation, "Vocations: The Cultural, Ecclesial, and Biblical Moment."

After a Saturday morning presentation by Sister Marie Chin, president of the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas, on culture as a "sacred dwelling place" where the seeds of vocations are sown, delegates will attend one of 16 concurrent workshops presented in French or English. Topics include, "Promoting Positive Images of Priesthood and Religious Life," "Media/Technology in Vocation Awareness," "Parish and Family Life: Planting Seeds for Vocations," "Essential Skills for Tomorrow’s Candidates," "Collaborating with Lay Groups" and "What’s Working in Attracting Diocesan Priesthood Candidates?"

Following the workshops, Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur Sister Mary Johnson, an associate professor of sociology at Emmanuel College in Boston, will present findings published in, Young Adult Catholics: Religion in the Culture of Choice, which she co-authored. The national study surveyed attitudes of U.S. Catholics between 20-39 on vocations, religious education and spirituality.

After morning prayer on Saturday, Father Gilles Routhier, a professor of theology at Laval University in Quebec City, will provide general guidelines on how the work of "social discernment must proceed and how awareness of these real challenges can provide a new impetus for vocations ministry" for the Church in North America.

Delegates will attend Mass at various locations in Montreal during the Congress. Bishop Wilton Gregory, USCCB president, will celebrate Mass at St. Patrick’s Basilica; Bishop Jacques Berthelet, CCCB president, will celebrate Mass at Mary Queen of the World Cathedral and Notre-Dame Basilica will be the site of a Mass on Sunday, the World Day of Prayer for Vocations, celebrated by Cardinal Turcotte.

According to the USCCB, Congress results will "feed into a pastoral plan" that North American conferences of bishops, dioceses, national vocation organizations and parishes will use for increasing vocations to the priesthood and consecrated life.

For information on the Vocations Congress, go to www.vocations2002.org.

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