Family Retreats Seen as One Way to Increase Vocations

By Catholic News Service
(From the issue of 12/20/01)

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- To get more young people to think about vocations, churches should offer family retreats, and priests and religious should talk more about their own vocations, according to participants attending regional meetings about vocations being held across the United States and Canada.
The meetings, focusing on promoting vocations in North America, are preparing for the Third Continental Congress on Vocations to be held April 18-21 in Montreal.
At one such gathering in St. Louis, speakers included Auxiliary Bishop Timothy M. Dolan of St. Louis, the former rector at the North American College in Rome; the parents of a man entering the Benedictine order; a novice from the Sisters of Mercy; a Daughter of St. Paul; and a diocesan seminarian.
A similar meeting in Arlington, Va., included directors of religious education, Knights of Columbus members, seminarians and parents. Arlington Bishop Paul S. Loverde presided at the opening Mass.
At both meetings, participants cited several obstacles to pursuing vocations that included a lack of joy evident among priests and religious, a misconception of the lifestyle, not enough information about what vocations require and a lack of visibility of priests and religious in today's society.
A presentation in St. Louis highlighted an upward trend in vocations in the archdiocese, where the number of seminarians has increased from 30 to 52 in the past few years.
"A lot of parents and educators had no clue in regard to the trends here," said Father Bryan Kuchar, associate vocations director for the St. Louis Archdiocese.
One concern expressed by participants at the St. Louis meeting was the extent to which parents might resist their children's vocational calling.
They said any action plan to promote vocations must include education for parents about the value of pursuing the priesthood or religious life.
Participants at both meetings said some of the drawing cards for vocations today include priests and religious who are good role models; the commitment of newly ordained priests; increased enrollment in Catholic schools; and an overall thirst for spiritual life among people in all segments of society.
Ideas and concerns from the regional meetings are to be sent to Father William Kubacki, coordinator of the regional process for the upcoming Continental Congress on Vocations in North America.
Father Kubacki, vocations director for the Diocese of Toledo, Ohio, will present the ideas from the regional meetings in written form to the 1,200 delegates expected to attend the congress.
The 2002 congress will be the third such gathering, following a Latin American congress in Brazil in 1994 and a European congress held in Rome in 1997.
The congress aims to build an environment in the United States and Canada that promotes vocations by increasing people's commitment to identifying, discerning and nurturing possible vocations.
The Canadian and U.S. bishops' conferences have the primary responsibility for the event, working closely with the leaders of religious institutes and diocesan and religious vocations directors' associations.
The Montreal congress is scheduled to coincide with the 39th World Day of Prayer for Vocations on April 21.
For more information on the vocations congress, visit www.vocations2002.org.

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