VMPriests
Vocation Ministry provides workshops in person or virtually to inspire priests to become vocation promoters in their own parishes. Our speaker presents 3-7 sessions during a convocation or 5 hours during a separate priest gathering. We also offer this workshop in Spanish.
Vocation Ministry focuses on a variety of tools to inspire the priest to start a lay-led vocation ministry at his parish, including the book, Hundredfold: A Guide to Parish Vocation Ministry and its Spanish-language counterpart, Sembrando Semillas, along with the website Vocationministry.com. A survey in the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston found that 80 percent of seminarians came from the 20 percent of parishes that actively promote vocations. This information should bolt our priests into action.
During the priest gathering, we provide guidance on who they should invite to lead this ministry. The priests will then ask 2-5 parishioners to a subsequent parishioner workshop to learn the nuts and bolts of parish vocation ministry.
Our workshops include:
- What a vocation ministry is
- Why the parish is the best place for this lay-led ministry/committee
- What a priest can do in his ministry to promote vocations
- Activity ideas in the categories of Prayer, Awareness & Education, Youth, and Affirmation
- How clergy can best guide a ministry
- Small group discussion about promoting vocations
- Elements of a vocation-producing parish
- How to invite young people to discern their vocation
- Examples and positive impact of vocation-producing parishes and dioceses
90% of priests report that they are highly likely to start promoting vocations after this workshop
Vocation Ministry seeks to have every priest speaking about vocations regularly, showing the authentic joy of his vocation, inviting the youth of his parish to discern, and supporting the laity in their efforts to promote vocations.
Workshop Flyer:
Testimonies and Letters of Recommendation
Feedback from Clergy
“The best convocation we have had!” –A Priest from the Diocese of Amarillo, TX
-Priest from the Diocese of Amarillo, TX
“The workshop provided practical steps to address a pressing need in our diocese. The wide gamut of possibilities allows large and small parishes to DO something.”
–Very Reverend Jay Peterson, Vicar General, Diocese of Great Falls-Billings, Montana
“It was beneficial for our priests to be both challenged to promote parish vocation ministry and equipped with materials and ideas that they can pass on to their people.”
–Monsignor Paul Hudock, Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston, WV
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