Archbishop Diarmuid Martin officially launched the ‘Year of Vocation’ at a special Mass in the Pro Cathedral in Dublin last evening at 6.30pm. Representatives from dioceses and religious orders, seminarians and young people were present at the Mass, concelebrated by, among others, Bishop Donal McKeown, Chairman of the Irish Bishops’ Commission for Vocations and Fr Paddy Rushe, National Director for Vocations.
The “Year of Vocation” runs until Vocations Sunday 2009. (3rd May 2009). Its aim is to raise awareness of the common vocation that all Christians share through baptism as expressed through witness, love and service. Within each of these themes and throughout 2008 - 2009, the specific vocations of marriage, the religious life, the single life and priesthood will be highlighted and promoted.
Brenda Drumm, Project Manager for the Year of Vocation, told ciNews that the initiative would also be involving the new ecclesial movements.
In fact, earlier yesterday afternoon, at 3.00pm, Dr Martin celebrated the month's mind for Chiara Lubich, the lay founder of one of these new religious movements, Focolare. Dr Martin described Ms Lubich as a "pioneer of ecumenism" and "one of the charismatic figures who has helped deepen the common understanding of the mystery of the Church."
Meanwhile in a Vocations Day message to the diocese of Ferns, Bishop Denis Brennan has appealed to people to “rededicate themselves to living their baptismal vocation of “worship and service,” and to pray for an increase of vocations to the priesthood and religious life. “I am convinced that such vocations will develop in church communities where prayer and service are valued and evident,” said the bishop.
The diocese has two students for the priesthood who will be ordained in June. A third candidate, currently ministering in Kilmyshall, will be ordained in Switzerland in June, and then return to the diocese.
Young men owed it to themselves, to God and to others to listen to God's prompting, said Bishop Brennan. “God may very well be calling you to undertake a particular role in the church and the world – may you receive the generosity to say the simple ‘yes’, as Mary – the first disciple of Jesus - said ‘yes’ to the plan formed so long ago.”
Meanwhile in Britain, over 4000 posters and other materials have been distributed amongst parishes, university chaplaincies and schools to encourage vocations. In addition to the national campaigns, individual dioceses are also promoting local initiatives like a calender by Leeds Diocese showing the human side of 12 different priests and a series of videos by Clifton Diocese featuring young men talking about why they decided on priesthood and what life is like in seminary.
Currently 85 men are in Maynooth training to be diocesan priests. In Britain 160 men are training to become priests in England and Wales, the highest figure for a number of years.
Nine men were ordained in Ireland as diocesan priests last year. The most recent figures for religious are from 2006, when five men were due for ordination as priests, and two had completed their training as brothers. That same year, six female religious were professed.
Meanwhile two web sites encouraging vocations to traditional Latin Mass orders, which are in communion with the Catholic church, have seen over 5,000 visitors in the two week lead up to Vocations Sunday.
"Many say the Latin Mass is only for nostalgia", said Mark Miles, 27, from Edinburgh, who set up the sites and is himself exploring a priestly vocation, "but the queries we're getting show that there's a new generation thirsting after the faith of their fathers, in a new yet old way".
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
No responsibility or liability shall attach itself to either myself or to the blogspot ‘Clerical Whispers’ for any or all of the articles placed here.
The placing of an article hereupon does not necessarily imply that I agree or accept the contents of the article as being necessarily factual in theology, dogma or otherwise.
Sotto Voce