Diocese of St. Petersburg, Office of Vocations Annual Vocation Promotion Workshop Creating a Culture of Vocations by Living a Life of Joy and Fulfillment
What does the Office of Vocations do? Promote Vocations in schools and parishes Create awareness of Vocations Host Vocation events Assist parishes and schools to raise awareness of Vocations Host discernment events Recruit and screen seminary candidates Supervise seminarian formation and education Host annual seminarian convocation (retreat)
Send Vocation materials to parishes (ie. prayer cards, posters, seminarian pictures, discernment brochures, videos and pamphlets Assist parish Vocation teams (PVET) Preach at parishes about Vocations at all masses (3 year rotation, visit 25-27 parishes each year) Speak to youth groups Traveling chalice Adoration
Focus 11 (6 th graders) Re-Focus (9 th graders) Fr. Carl and seminarians speak to all 11 th and 12 th graders at the diocesan high schools Fr. Carl will celebrate a school mass Adopt a seminarian for elementary classes Seminarian posters and pictures available to schools
Altar Server Appreciation Mass Come & See weekends at St. John Vianney College Seminary (November & March) Advent Discernment Retreat Ordinations to the Priesthood Monthly Holy Hour for Vocations (Cathedral) Annual Vocation Promotion Workshop St. Andrew Dinners (3 times a year) Vocation Awareness Week World Day of Prayer for Vocations Bishop s BBQ
1. The faithful of the parish should be active in praying for priestly and religious vocations particularly before the Blessed Sacrament. Additionally, there should be some type of ongoing prayer for vocations, including but not limited to the Prayers of the Faithful, such as a traveling cross or chalice at mass which can have a very powerful impact on a parish. (The Office of Vocations has prayers and traveling cross or chalice programs that easily fits into the Sunday liturgy) 2. Priests should be a visible, recognizable and joyful presence in the parish. This should be especially true when there are gatherings of children and youth (school, religious education, youth ministry). There should be a greater willingness to take the time to be present to children and participate in youth events. 3. Each parish should have an established Parish Vocation Team or Committee that is supported by the pastor which can help coordinate yearly events, sponsor/coordinate parish vocation activities as well as help to keep vocations a parish priority. (the Office of Vocations is willing to help you start a new PVET in your parish.)
4. Priests and deacons should share their stories with those they serve, not only of their vocation story, but their daily lives and how their vocation effects them. They shouldn t shy away from preaching about vocations and especially to encourage parents to be more open to the possibility of priesthood or religious life for their children. 5. Parishes should be welcoming of families at mass and in a particular way provide solid catechesis for children and youth as well as provide opportunities for greater liturgical participation. 6. Priests should be willing to go to dinner in family homes, open up the rectory for visitors, be inviting, especially to young families, or provide some other type of casual interaction outside of Sunday or other parish events.
7. Parish staff should have a knowledge of vocation resources available (e.g. vocation website, dvd s, petitions, etc.) and should make use of them on a regular basis. 8. All priests in the parish should specifically encourage individuals within the parish whom they think might have a priestly or religious vocation to participate in diocesan sponsored discernment opportunities (e.g. St. Andrew Dinners, seminary trips, retreats, etc.). 9. Mention should also be given to vocations to the religious life for women and men. There should be similar encouragement and opportunities made available for religious sisters and brothers to speak at parishes, especially through intergenerational programs.
10. Parishioners should be provided with opportunities to connect with our diocesan seminarians in person or through correspondence. Try to promote a greater education regarding who our seminarians are, the process of discernment and formation, and continued acceptance within a parish community if a particular candidate leaves formation.
Videos for Priesthood and Religious life (Fishers of Men; Heroic Priesthood; A Vocation Story; For Love Alone, etc.) Traveling Chalice Program Vocation program brochures Discernment brochures and booklets Prayer cards Posters Seminarian pictures
Have a parish or school Vocation team Be sure to subscribe to the Cast Your Nets newsletter Have Vocation materials visible in parish/school Promote Vocation events Host Vocation events at your parish/school Have a priestly or religious presence at all events Know Office of Vocations contact information
Vocations bulletin board at St. Stephen Parish in Valrico (courtesy of Liz Hauer)
Vocations bulletin board at St. Stephen Parish in Valrico (Courtesy of Liz Hauer)
Pictures and Posters
Prayer Cards and Discernment Brochures
Religious Life Discernment Brochures
Office of Vocations Fr. Carl Melchior, Director of Vocations spvocation@dosp.org Heidi Varley, Administrative Assistant hlv@dosp.org (727) 345-3452 (direct line) Website: http://dosp.org/vocations/
Diocese of St. Petersburg Website: dosp.org/vocations St. John Vianney College Seminary Website: sjvcs.edu St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary Website: svdp.edu Pope St. John XXIII National Seminary Website: www.psjs.edu
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Website: usccb.org Vianney Vocations Website: vianneyvocations.com DVD s: Heroic Priesthood (wordonfire.org) Fishers of Men (Grassroots Films) A Vocation Story (handmaidsoftheheartofjesus.com) For Love Alone (cmswr.org)