New Steps in Promoting Vocations to the Priesthood and Consecrated Life

The U.S. vocations strategy adopted last year by the U.S. bishops "emphasizes the crucial role of parents," but a recent study of Catholic youth active in church life "shows that parents are reluctant to encourage their children to consider priesthood and the religious life," Bishop Paul Loverde of Ogdensburg, N.Y., said Oct. 2 when he addressed the National Conference of Diocesan Vocation Directors convention in Orlando, Fla. Loverde is chairman of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops' Committee on Vocations. He said the study of Catholic youth also showed that "30 percent of those polled indicated that they had thought about becoming a priest or religious." Stressing the need for new "inviters" to foster vocations to the priesthood and consecrated life, Loverde pointed to the crucial roles of parents, priests and the parish. The bishop asked what might work "in helping priests realize how essential their ministry is and in making them more enthusiastic about asking others to join them in priestly ministry." He said: "Priests are truly key to the pastoral work of encouraging vocations to priesthood because, to echo Pope Paul VI, people are affected more by witness than by teaching." Loverde said also that new "feeder systems should be a priority" in vocations efforts. "In addition to Catholic schools, possibilities include religious education programs, campus ministry programs and groups who minister to youth and young adults." Among his points, Loverde also discussed attitudes and realities which prevent a positive response to vocations and said that these need to be addressed as directly as possible. Loverde's text follows.

Permit me to begin with the prayer which my patron, St. Paul, wrote to the church of Philippi: "May God who has begun this good work in you bring it to fulfillment." Yes, it is God who calls forth vocations and who calls us to the pastoral work on behalf of vocations. It is a "good work," and he will bring it to fulfillment in and through us, provided that we remain open to his word and will, in harmony with the church in its teaching and discipline, provided that we ourselves persevere in our efforts to become holy and full of love (Cf. Eph. 1:4).

It is truly a privilege and a joy for me to be with you during your national convention. (I look forward eagerly to next year's convention since it will be "close to home," so to speak, just about two hours by car from Ogdensburg.) It is a good work in which we are all involved: the good work of encouraging, nurturing and supporting vocations to the priesthood and religious life. Without a doubt, the universal call to holiness is primary since every other vocation is rooted in this one. As diocesan vocation directors, your principal focus is the call to priesthood -- not to the detriment of the other vocations: consecrated life, permanent diaconate, marriage, single life and lay ministry -- but because the ministerial priesthood is absolutely necessary for the life and mission of the church. I strongly invite you, as well, to support the call to consecrated life because the local church would be truly impoverished without the presence of religious men and women. I am so encouraged by your presence here and involvement out there -- back home. The times are challenging; sometimes you must become discouraged; often, you must be tired! But, it is a good work which engages us: God's work! I thank you, one and all, for your daily efforts in this work.

By now you are more than familiar with the national strategy for vocations approved by the bishops last November. As you know, the strategy called for an ad hoc steering committee to implement this strategy. This ad hoc committee works closely with the bishops' Committee on Vocations.

Assisting the Ad Hoc Committee for the Implementation of the National Strategy is a group of consultors, one vocations director from each of the 13 regions. Please know that I am truly grateful for your interest and input, made known to the bishops' Committee on Vocations through your executive director, Dorothy Foss, and through the occasional conference calls we have had and will continue to have. Moreover, I remain grateful to your executive board and to Dorothy Foss, who, in virtue of her office, serves on both the bishops' Committee on Vocations and the ad hoc steering committee.

In preparing for this presentation, Dorothy Foss has asked me to address a few questions, and I would now like to offer my responses. I hope that we have time for some discussion.

1. What does the bishops' Committee on Vocations see as the reality of the vocations scene in the United States today?

   The basic conviction of the bishops' Committee on Vocations is that ample vocations' are present, but that they need to be identified, nurtured and challenged. This is verified in the recent study of Catholic youth active in church life: 30 percent of those polled indicated that they had thought about becoming a priest or religious. There is also an increased interest in vocations both from young people and from young adults and those who are approaching middle age. Another positive sign is the strong interest in lay associate programs by which men and women align themselves with religious orders. (Examples include: Mercy Corps of the Sisters of Mercy; Notre Dame's Alliance for Catholic Education; Jesuit Volunteers; and associate programs of the Christian Brothers and other religious orders.)

   Although the scene is improving somewhat, still much needs to be done. No one program or office has all the answers. The key factor in any strategy, program or office is fidelity to the church's teaching, including the understanding of ministerial priesthood and consecrated life. It is increasingly clear that more people need to be involved in vocations efforts, both in general awareness and actual invitation. In the past, religious women and men have had a key role in effectively promoting vocations, especially through our Catholic schools. At the present time, regrettably, fewer religious are present in our schools. Therefore, new "inviters" must be identified and encouraged.

   The strategy emphasizes the crucial role of parents. Again, the recent youth study shows that parents are reluctant to encourage their children to consider priesthood and the religious life: Only 20 percent of those youth polled had been encouraged by their parents. This must be addressed. A second group of inviters that needs to be more actively involved are priests. What does work in helping priests realize how essential their ministry is and in making them more enthusiastic about asking others to join them in priestly ministry? Third, the parish is another fertile source of encouragement and invitation for our young people. Specifically, effective parish vocation committees can assist parents and priests in this important mission of the church. The strategy wisely incorporates other important church organizations involved in vocations ministry, above all the Serrans, National Conference of Catholic Women, and Knights of Columbus. The development of new feeder systems also should be a priority. In addition to Catholic schools, possibilities include religious education programs, campus ministry programs and groups who minister to youth and young adults.

   Lest this sound too optimistic or even unrealistic, I readily acknowledge that there are attitudes and realities which prevent a positive response to vocations; these need to be addressed as directly as possible. The challenges include:

   • Cultural values which mitigate against the idea of a "vocation": secularism; exaggerated individualism and consumerism; what it means to be successful.

   • The smaller size of families which often leads to subtle or not-so-subtle pressure for children to marry and provide grandchildren.

   • Negative publicity during the last three decades regarding priests and religious who have left or those involved in sexual misconduct.

   • The mixed messages which come even from those within the church, i.e. those critical of the church, her teachings and the priesthood, and those who seem to lack joy and enthusiasm in living their vocations.

   These challenges will not discourage us if we, like Jeremiah, listen to the promises of the Lord:

   "I know well the plans I have in mind for you, ... plans for your welfare, not your woe! Plans to give you a future full of hope.... I will listen to you.... You will find me with you.... I will change your lot."

2. What does the bishops' Committee on Vocations see as its role in this reality?

   The bishops' Committee on Vocations can serve as a catalyst for increasing vocation awareness. It can mobilize the nation's bishops to work on a focused approach to the challenge of making the call to priesthood and religious life better known. As a standing committee of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops, it can tap into the resources of the national conference in efforts promoting vocations.

   The bishops' Committee on Vocations facilitates the sharing of information and the coordination of resources among various groups concerned with vocations. Through implementing the strategy, it hopes to raise the consciousness of the laity to the issue of vocations, point to successful recruitment initiatives and encourage those who are serving in vocations ministry.

3. How does the National Conference of Diocesan Vocation Directors assist this role?

   The NCDVD can assist the bishops' Committee on Vocations as a partner in vocations ministry by communicating the bishops' efforts to its members. In addition, the organization is a source of wisdom for the bishops based upon the experience of the individual members of this professional organization. Those of us concerned with the lack of vocations to the priesthood and religious life are facing a challenge which is both diocesan and nationwide in scope. We need not only one-on-one and diocesan efforts, but also regional, national and international efforts. This can be accomplished through sharing information on successful programs, by cooperating on tasks which transcend diocesan boundaries and by adhering to the vision and teaching on priesthood and religious life proclaimed by the church. We are all involved in reaching out to potential vocations, nurturing individuals who sense God's call and changing the attitudes about priesthood on a broad scale; it is vital that we work together!

4. Do you see NCDVD as an arm of the Bishops' Committee on Vocations?

   The NCDVD is not an arm of the bishops' Committee on Vocations but an organization that collaborates with the bishops' Committee on Vocations in identifying, developing and encouraging vocations to the priesthood and religious life. Like many other organizations in the church, it is not formally tied to the National Conference of Catholic Bishops/U.S. Catholic Conference and so is freed from the restrictions inherent in the national conference structure. That freedom enhances creativity and allows for more immediate responses to changing circumstances; it should not result in working at cross-purposes with each other. Again, the underlying concern remains how can we best work together to improve the vocations climate in the United States?

5. What avenues can we use to keep in dialogue with you?

   The NCDVD can cultivate both formal and informal means of communication with the bishops' Committee on Vocations. The presence of your executive director at our meetings and our committee meeting during your convention are two clear ways to collaborate. Moreover, your newsletter can be a vehicle for sharing information which comes from the bishops' Committee on Vocations. Informally, frequent contact between your executive director and me, the chairman of the bishops' Committee on Vocations, as well as Father Reker, the NCCB staff person, is very helpful. Our dialogue needs to be honest, open and regular; if not, misunderstandings and difficulties arise. I believe that there is a very positive relationship currently, and I enjoy working with Dorothy Foss and the members of your board. We need to sustain our efforts at communicating clearly and freely.

   A brief summary of what the ad hoc committee has done up to now may prove interesting and informative. Given the large number on the committee, 17 in all, meetings by way of conference calls seem to be more efficient in terms of time and energy and less costly. Following the first meeting of the group in March, we have had four conference call meetings. Subcommittees have been established to direct various aspects of the strategy.

   • The implementation ("how to") subcommittee provided the bishops with a suggested timeline, specific recommendations for implementing the strategy (two models and a concrete example from one diocese) and a list of persons from Serra, NCCW and Knights of Columbus willing to assist the diocesan bishop and his vocations directors/team. This list was also sent to the leadership of a number of organizations either directly involved in vocations ministry or coordinating the activities of consecrated life.

   • Research is being explored by Father Reker in conjunction with Bryan Froehle of the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate.

   • The communications and media subcommittee is engaged in finding ways to make "the vocations story" better known and understood, e.g. press packets for the media, articles in magazines and newsletters, and video news releases that are timely and attractive.

   • Regional gatherings form another aspect of the strategy, so a subcommittee is pursuing ways to organize those gatherings.

   • A national symposium was included in the strategy, and that proposal is being investigated.

   • November workshop: At the June meeting, the bishops were surveyed, and 82 of those responding asked for a workshop on implementing the national strategy; even more surprising, 73 indicated that they would consider sending a representative from their vocation office. We are currently planning this workshop, which will be focused on successful programs that are working, concrete and practical initiatives that are bearing fruit.

   • A logo for the national strategy was designed and is now being used.

   Father Reker and I attended the International Serra Convention in Minneapolis last July and the J.S. Paluch Vocations Seminar in Chicago last August. I was able to address both groups as well as the Knights of Columbus convention in Chicago, also in August. Moreover, Father Reker gave a presentation at the National Religious Vocation Conference convention in New Orleans last month.

Priests are truly key to the pastoral work of encouraging vocations to priesthood because, to echo Pope Paul VI, people are affected more by witness than by teaching. A priest who is committed, faithful, joyful and prayerful in the exercise of his ministry is worth 10,000 words, programs and projects. We must continue to find ways that truly affirm, support and sustain our priests in their life-giving ministry, enabling them to feel and to reflect the wonder of God's choice and the privilege of being among the people of God, ministers of joy.

Let me close with an image I am often using these days in terms of our national strategy. When we were children -- and maybe even after -- we probably were fascinated by what happened when we threw a pebble into a pool or pond. We probably were even more fascinated when several of us threw pebbles into the water at the same time. The criss-cross of those ripples produced energy. The more pebbles, the more energy and the more energy, the more the water was moved (affected). Can you imagine what could happen if we throw into the pool of potential vocations in the United States our pebbles of prayer, involvement and enthusiasm? Why, the whole pool will be moved and affected! There will be a future full of hope.

Or, to say at the end what I said in the beginning, God who has begun this great work in you -- in us -- will bring it to fulfillment for his glory and the life of the world!

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