For every man considering his vocation in life, a new, free publication is now available in every Catholic senior school, university chaplaincy and diocese in England and Wales: ‘The Catholic Priest - Answering God’s Call’.Its initial print-run is over 10,000 copies and demand is expected to be high.
Speaking at the launch on Thursday, Archbishop Vincent Nichols said: “I think that it’s a lovely act of providence; that even as this period of grace (of the relics of St Thérèse) comes to an end, there is this re-launch of this call to the whole Church to be attentive to the voice of God, and especially to the call of God to serve in the priesthood.”
The Chairman of the National Office for Vocation, Bishop George Stack said that the publication was designed: “to give access to people perhaps who are not ready to make a commitment to priesthood or religious life, but are certainly interested in exploring the possibility.”
‘The Catholic Priest – Answering God’s Call’ is in its second edition and was originally written by the Bishop of East Anglia, The Right Reverend Michael Evans.
Fr Paul Embery, the former Director of the National Office for Vocation, revised the text to bring it up to date and make it fresh and appealing to today’s enquirers.
It is a joint venture by the Vocations Initiative of the Catenian Association on behalf of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales and the Bishops’ Conference of Scotland.
Anthony Brindle, the Catenian Association member who coordinated the publication said: “For a number of years, every Catenian circle, has prayed for vocations before every monthly meeting. There has been a tsunami of prayer and I hope that it will bear fruit.”
In the opening foreword, Archbishop Nichols writes: “This book gives a clear description of what priesthood is today, for the Catholic Church at the beginning of the 21st Century. It will assist any reader to understand the role of the priest and I believe that it will be a valuable resource for any young man who might want to discover what it is to be a priest or to pursue some idea that he may have a vocation.
Undoubtedly, God continues to call men to priesthood. Books like this will help those who hear the call to recognise it for what it is.”
The book is divided into 11 chapters:
My Vocation as a Christian
Priesthood and the Church: An overview
What is a priest?
What does a priest do?
What is it really like: a priest’s view
Could it be me?
Initial steps: your bishop and your calling
What do I do next?
How do I apply: the selection process
Formation for priesthood
You are a priest forever: ordination and beyond
There is also an introduction by the Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh, Cardinal Keith O’Brien.
To obtain a copy of the book write to: enquiries@ukvocation.org
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