Parish Toolkit #2
Priestly Vocations
How can I promote vocation recruitment in my parish?
There are several ways in which recruitment and encouragement of vocations can be fostered in the parish setting through the formation of a vocation team ministry who could provide varying gatherings etc which would offer opportunities to meet others who might feel called. Those who should be considered for this team would be the priests of the parish, deacons, religious, youth/ young adult leaders, dre/cre, parents active in the parish, single adults and high school/ college age parishioners. The objective of this group would be to reach out and to foster vocations within the parish through meetings, dinners in the rectory, prayer meetings, discernment gatherings. creatively offering varying ways to bring together individuals who might be considering a vocation to priesthood or the religious life. Lectures, movies and personal invitations to individuals are all good ways of connecting with the parish. Speaking at masses is another excellent forum to encourage others and make people aware of vocation programs. Have a member of the vocation team be liaison to the diocesan vocation office where resources etc could be made available to the parishes. There are many books, DVD’s, activities that the vocation office has on hand to provide to those interested.
