Resources > Parish Level Ideas for Vocation Awareness

• Offer a program where all parishioners can discuss the idea of the Christian Vocation and the states of life.

• Arrange informal home meetings with families where priests, religious, and laity can continue the discussion during the year.

• Suggest that the parish youth and young adult groups spend one evening talking about priesthood and religious life. Provide discussion aids, if requested.

• Suggest that parish groups spend one evening discussing priesthood or religious life and how they can encourage vocations in the local parish.

• Invite the Vocation Director to speak at weekend Masses.

• When the Lectionary suggests, include vocational themes in homilies.

• Sponsor Eucharistic Adoration (Holy Hour/day long) for an increase in vocations to the priesthood and religious life. (It would be ideal if Eucharistic Adoration for Vocations became part of the regular order of parish services.)

• Encourage young women of the parish to attend programs offered by the Coordinator for Religious Life.

• Invite the Vocation Director to speak to parent groups.

• Arrange with the Vocation Office for Diocesan Priesthood to have the Vocation Director come to speak to students in the parish school or religious education classes.

• When the Liturgical calendar permits a Votive Mass, celebrate the Mass for Priestly or Religious Vocations.

• Encourage young men of the parish to attend (and attend with them) programs offered by the Vocation Office for Diocesan Priesthood.

• Be certain there are relevant pamphlets and books on the priesthood and religious life in your parish book rack.

• Have a VOCATION Bulletin Board in the gathering space of the church. Display Vocation Posters, Seminary Posters, information on priesthood and religious life. Arrange for photos and stories highlighting priests and religious from the parish.

• Include weekly in the general intercessions an intercession for vocations.

• Invite the sick and shut-ins to pray for vocations. Supply them with prayer cards.

• Four times each calendar year a month will have a fifth Sunday. Make the fifth Sunday a Parish Vocation Sunday.

• The Sunday liturgies could have the special intention for more vocations to the priesthood and religious life.

• The general direction of the parish for that Sunday would be toward vocations and ministry within the Church and the parish.

• The homily could be directed to Christian service, the call to priesthood and religious life.

• There could be a parish "Vocation"prayer which is said on that Sunday.

• Bulletin material could highlight religious vocations.

• Each parish staff member could write a personal reflection of his or her ministry