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Our last stop of our 10 workshops in 3-week marathon was the Diocese of Sacramento where we trained about 100 excited parishioners on how to create fertile soil for vocations in their parishes! We met dedicated laity who can’t wait to make a difference! One parishioner said, “Gathering together to gain insight, resources, support, and … Continued
We are thrilled to go back to Stockton! We have made friends along the way in this work, and one of our favorite places is a smaller diocese, just a few hours east of San Francisco. Fr. Cesar Martinez, Carol, and Karen make us feel at home each time we set foot in the diocese. … Continued
I do love this vocations work, meeting parishioners from dioceses across North America and visiting seminaries that are incredibly beautiful places for men discern the priesthood. This time I was in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary, which is the oldest Catholic institution of higher learning in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. The … Continued
Four workshops in four days! Whew! We have never given so many workshops at one time, so I was thrilled to speak with seminarians, parishioners, in English and Spanish, who are new promoting vocations, and then a follow-up workshop for those who came to the workshops in 2020 and 2021. First, I gave a presentation … Continued
Vocation Ministry traveled back to the great state of California, this time to our 46th diocese, the Diocese of Sacramento! We were doing something new and exciting, speaking with department chairs: youth and young adults, superintendent, catechesis, Hispanic ministry, family life, and more! Our goal was to brainstorm with the leadership on how to promote … Continued
Let me introduce my husband David. Some of you may remember this part of my story. I met David shortly after being baptized into the Methodist church when I was 25. When we started talking of marriage, he, growing up Catholic, said I can’t get married over there. God bless him! His faith drew me … Continued
What a weekend!!! This amazing Missouri diocese is 7 hours across, so we gave two workshops: one on one side of the diocese in Springfield and another in Cape Girardeau the next day. What that means is spending a lot of time in the car traveling, but it was all worth it. The 80 priests … Continued
Principals like to karaoke! Well, especially after they had not been together for 2 years due to Covid-19. I arrived in Toledo to speak with the principals and DREs and walked into a karaoke party! What fun! How great to see principals enjoying each other’s company! Normally these gatherings are all about the workshops, so … Continued
I will remember this evening prayer. I arrived in the Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau, MO, yesterday in time for evening prayer. Bishop Rice kindly reached over and gave me his breviary so that I could participate in prayer with the priests. I looked down to see that his page marker was a prayer card from … Continued
Another first for Vocation Ministry! 2021 was the first time for us to give a workshop for religious sisters in the Philippines. I was asked to share with them how to increase vocations in the time of lockdowns and more for the pandemic. I encouraged them to “Let your light shine through prayer! Each community must … Continued
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