6 Effective Habits of Vocational Recruiting
NORTH HAVEN,
Connecticut, FEB. 6, 2006 (Zenit.org).-
Dioceses reporting successful rates of vocational recruitment have
something in common, says the National Catholic Register. In a
summary of reporter Tim Drake's article "Vocations Surge"
in a recent issue, the Register compiled a list of "six habits
of highly effective dioceses."
The first habit
was putting the Eucharist at the center of vocational work. In an
editorial the newspaper explained: "Eucharistic adoration is
especially effective because it draws sharp attention to the great
gift that makes the priesthood so extraordinary and so needed -- we
have the priesthood to thank for God's real presence in the Blessed
Sacrament. "And the dynamic of silent Eucharistic adoration
inevitably leads to the question, 'What do you want me to do, Lord?'
According to the newspaper, the Web site Vocation.com worked with
American bishops to deliver Vatican monstrances to dioceses to
promote adoration in parishes. "Program leaders like David Craig
have been astounded to see parishes produce their first vocations
ever after Eucharistic adoration was introduced," the editorial
stated.
Invitations : The second habit cited by
the newspaper was the invitation. According to a U.S. bishops'
survey, 78% of those being ordained began considering the priesthood
after an invitation to do so from a priest.
Third,
seminaries must be faithful to the magisterium in order to
attract candidates. The Register editors mentioned three seminaries
that are booming: St. Mary's in Emmitsburg, Maryland; St. Vincent in
Latrobe, Pennsylvania; and St. Gregory the Great in Seward, Nebraska.
Seminaries are not the only element that needs to be faithful.
Candidates to the priesthood also come from faithful families.
The
editorial cited a key role played by fathers, explaining:
"There are beautiful exceptions, but the rule is that priests
come from committed Catholic families in which the father is an
active player in the family's faith."
Youth need
to meet and interact with priests or "it may never occur to
many young men that the priesthood is a life that would appeal to
them," the article explained. Key among the venues for this
interaction is altar serving: "For many priests, serving at the
altar was the first place they first came to know men who had been
called and understood what the call entailed."
And
the "World Youth Day factor is very real," the
editorial said. It explained that these events give young men the
chance to see that they can have "a big, positive impact on the
world -- one that lasts for eternity."
Six habits of highly effective dioceses
National Catholic Register (24th January 2007)
Why are some dioceses better at attracting vocations than others? In Tim Drake’s recent story “Vocations Surge,” the National Catholic Register provided some answers to that question.
Based on what we learned, here are six questions successful dioceses all answer “yes.”
1. Is the Eucharist the center of vocation efforts?
We found that the promotion of eucharistic adoration for vocations is a decisive factor in attracting candidates. The reason is simple: It’s a vocations strategy that came from Christ himself, when he told the apostles to “ask the Lord of the harvest to send more laborers.”
Eucharistic adoration is especially effective because it draws sharp attention to the great gift that makes the priesthood so extraordinary and so needed – we have the priesthood to thank for God’s real presence in the blessed sacrament. And the dynamic of silent eucharistic adoration inevitably leads to the question, “What do you want me to do, Lord?”
Anecdotal evidence bears this out. In conjunction with the U.S. bishops, vocation.com kicked off an effort in 2005 that delivered Vatican monstrances to dioceses in order to encourage regular adoration in parishes. Program leaders, like David Craig, have been astounded to see parishes produce their first vocations ever after eucharistic adoration was introduced.
2. Is the diocese unabashed about personally inviting men to be priests?
Father Keith Stewart in the Diocese of Memphis, Tenn., counted this as the key to his vocations strategy. A U.S. bishops’ survey found that 78 percent of those being ordained said they were initially invited by a priest to consider the priesthood. Very few men were drawn to the priesthood by ads alone. One of our sources said that the seminarians he talks to say they only began to consider the priesthood the third or fourth time they were asked!
3. Is the seminary faithful to the magisterium of the church?
We’ve all heard horror stories about seminaries using theologians who try to “de-mythologize” religion, and end up denying basic truths of the faith. National Catholic Register has reported on situations where seminary instructors downplayed celibacy, offering only a sneer regarding the very sacrifices they are asking young men to make.
The seminaries that are booming, like Mount St. Mary’s in Emmitsburg, Md., St. Vincent in Latrobe, Pa., and St. Gregory the Great in Seward, Neb., are ones with a reputation for being faithful to the magisterium.
4. Are there many strong and faithful families to draw from?
There are beautiful exceptions, but the rule is that priests come from committed Catholic families in which the father is an active player in the family’s faith.
These families are most common, we found, in places like the South and the Midwest, where the faith is relatively new and isn’t taken for granted, or is actually under attack.
In the Northeast, there are lots of Catholics – so many that the faith seems to have become part of the scenery. But wholesome families are more common in the Bible Belt, and Catholics are in a minority. They have had to endure the strange looks and the vigorous – or even vicious – arguments of those who think there’s something strange about being Catholic.
5. Do young men know and interact with priests?
“What do priests do, pray all day?” The priest’s life is largely a mystery to young men. Unless they meet and interact with priests – at parish functions, but also at dinner with their families – it may never occur to many young men that the priesthood is a life that would appeal to them.
The Diocese of Steubenville, Ohio, is one of many dioceses involved in Project Andrew, hosting dinners with priests and young men so that they can meet – and so that the all-important invitation can take place.
For many priests, serving at the altar was the first place they first came to know men who had been called and understood what the call entailed. Parishes should make sure that boys feel welcome at the altar, and that altar serving isn’t, in effect, girls-only.
6. Did young people in the area go to World Youth Day?
The World Youth Day factor is very real. Many men in seminary trace their enthusiasm back to a World Youth Day. These events give young people with high ideals a chance to see that the Church will allow them to have a big, positive impact on the world – one that lasts for eternity.
God has never stopped calling young men to commit their lives to him. But we have sometimes stopped listening as well as we could. As more dioceses adopt these highly effective habits, the vocations surge will only get stronger.
Here is a selection of readings and resources that are relevant to congregational needs and interests. For more information: www.thefund.org (VOCATION – USA)
Cultures of Call: Exploring Vocational Habits and Practices in Congregations
Inviting
and Mentoring - A Congregational Culture of Call at Park Manor
Christian Church
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the File
Modeling
the Way - Vocational Development at the Grantham Church
Download
the File
No
Program No Problem - Nurturing Vocation through Mentoring and
Friendship
Download
the File
Salt
and Light - The Language of Call at Wilshire Baptist Church
Download
the File
Other Print Resources
A
Letter from a Pastor to a Young Person
Drawn
from an actual letter from a pastor to a young woman who he believes
has a call to pastoral ministry.
Download
the File
Book
Recommendations–Vocation and Ministry
Download
the File
Called
and Sent Out - Lillian Daniel
A
pastor's reflections on congregations that nurture future ministers
- reprinted from Christian Century (February 21, 2006).
Download
the File
Markers
of Resistance–Melissa Wiginton
An
essay on qualities found in young people with potential for being
excellent ministers.
Download
the File
Six
Things a Congregation Can Do to Establish a Culture of Call
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the File
Ten
Practices for Nurturing the Next Generation of Pastoral
Leaders
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the File
They
Knew My Name: How Early Congregational Life Shaped a Leader
This
article is about a pastoral leader's reflections on how early
congregational life shaped her as a leader.
Download
the File
Wisdom
for Cultivating Call
Download
the File
2006 FTE Calling Congregations Conference Resources
Conference
Welcome – Ann Svennungsen & Verlee Copeland
An
audio recording of opening remarks by FTE President Ann Svennungsen
and Verlee Copeland, Pastor of Union Church of Hinsdale and FTE
Trustee.
Download
the File
Leaders
on Leadership – George Mason, Otis Moss III, Bonnie Perry, Diana
Swoope & Jack Wall
An
audio recording of Friday afternoon’s fishbowl conversation on the
character and formation of leadership excellence in the
church.
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the File
Making
the Case for Leadership I – Melissa Wiginton
An
audio recording of Ms. Wiginton’s remarks preceding the Friday
afternoon panel discussion.
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the File
Making
the Case for Leadership II – Panel Discussion
An
audio recording of the Friday afternoon’s panel discussion on the
habits and practices of nurturing young people for leadership in the
church.
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the File
Prayers
for Change and Transformation
An
audio recording of selections from Friday evening worship, including
testimonies from Southlawn United Methodist Church, First
Presbyterian Church of Granville and Reba Place Church.
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the File
Visions
of a Vital Church I – Diana Swoope & David Tiede
An
audio recording of the opening plenary session of the
conference.
Download
the File
Visions
of a Vital Church II – Diana Swoope & David Tiede
An
audio recording of the second half of the opening plenary
presentation, including discussion and questions from the
audience.
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the File
Vocation
and the Body of Christ – Mark Yaconelli
An
audio recording of the Friday morning plenary session.
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the File
The
Challenge and Promise of Vocation and the Call to Ministry
A
master summary of the discussion groups generated by the Open Space
exercise.
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the File
2005 Congregational Partners Conference Resources
Elements
of a Culture of Call – Kevin Spears
An outline of six habits
and practices common to congregation’s with vibrant cultures of
call.
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the File
Practicing
Discernment - David White
A PowerPoint presentation from Dr.
White’s workshop on practices of discernment in a
congregation.
Download
the File
Vocation
Quotations
Six quotations that answer the question, “What is
Vocation?”
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the File
2004 Congregational Partners Conference Resources
The
Faces of Vocational Discernment–Workshop with David White
A
PowerPoint presentation offering preliminary conclusions on research
into vocational typologies found among young people.
Download
the File
Freeing
Canaries from the Coal Mines–Melissa Wiginton
A plenary
address from the 2004 FTE Congregational Partners Conference. Topic:
why nurturing vocational exploration with young people is
important.
Download
the File
I
Remember Voices: The Role of the Church in Calling Young Leaders–Ted
Wardlaw
A plenary address from the 2004 FTE Congregational
Partners Conference. Topic: the present decline of "ecologies
of call" that supplied the church with leaders in previous
generations.
Download
the File
Vocation
through the Seasons of the Church Year–Ann Svennungsen
A
plenary address from the 2004 FTE Congregational Partners
Conference.
Topic: incorporating vocational conversation into
the life of a congregation through lectionary texts.
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the File
