Vocations Sunday 2010

This year the Holy Father in his message for this special day of prayer for priesthood and consecrated life takes the theme "Witness Awakens Vocation" . Pope Benedict speaks of the great importance of the witness of priests and religious for encouraging future vocations to the priesthood and religious life.

You can read the Holy Father's message here.

Resources for parishes will be live on this site from Easter Sunday and schools materials from Monday 19th April.

inVocation 2010

“Invocation 2010” is a forthcoming national discernment festival for young adults (16-35) which will be held in the grounds of St. Mary’s College, Oscott, Chester Road, Birmingham B73 5AA from July 2nd – 4th 2010.The festival is being hosted by the Archdiocese of Birmingham, with support and cooperation from a number of organisations including the National Office for Vocation and Compass.

The festival is aimed at young men and women who are looking to deepen their relationship with Christ, discern God’s will for their lives and at least be open to the possibility of priesthood or consecrated life.

Keynote Speakers are Archbishop Vincent Nichols, Abbot Christopher Jamison, Dr Andrew O'Connell, and Sr Gabriel Davison.

The cost for each attendee is £50. This includes the entrance fee for the weekend, camping pitch or place in accommodation marquee provided, all activities and all meals.

Further information and secure booking and payment details are available at www.invocation.org.uk Payment can also be made by cheque through the post.

Year for Priests

Pope Benedict XVI has called the whole Church to celebrate a Year for Priests beginning on 19th June 2009, the Feast of the Sacred Heart. 

His purpose for this year is to encourage priests in their “striving for spiritual perfection on which, above all, the effectiveness of their ministry depends” and to highlight “the importance of the priest's role and mission in the Church and in contemporary society”. 

This same year is the 150th anniversary of the death of St John Vianney, the patron saint of priests, and also the occasion of the visit to England of the relics of St Therese of Lisieux – who from her Carmelite convent showed her life-long devotion to priests by praying for them, supporting them and corresponding with them. 

See our website ukpriest.org for information and resources

Catholic Gap Year

The Catholic Church now runs a website to encourage young Catholics to consider spending their gap-year in a Church-run project. It is the first time that a U.K. religious denomination has collated and published its gap-year opportunities on a single ‘umbrella’ site, seeking to market ‘faith’ as key factor that young people should consider when choosing a gap-year.

The catholicgapyear.com website, a joint initiative between the Catholic Church’s Vocation and Youth offices, aims to provide young Catholics with information about how and where they can spend a gap-year in a faith environment.

Given that more and more young people are choosing to take a gap-year before going to university or into work, the Church is keen to encourage young Catholics to spend time volunteering in projects which will help develop their faith and provide them with opportunities for vocational discernment, as well as developing the skills that other forms of gap-year ordinarily provide. Projects that young Catholics can apply to join include: residential youth work, sharing a home with physically disabled people and even some projects abroad in less-developed parts of the world.

Visit the website at www.catholicgapyear.com

Looking for Vocation Events?

The Conference for Diocesan Directors of Vocation (CDDV) has set up a new website to advertise events for those discerning a vocation to the ministerial priesthood or consecrated life. The site is still in development but please take a look though the calendar to locate events near you. www.vocationevents.com

A New Film: No Greater Love

After ten years of correspondence, Michael Whyte was given unprecedented access to the monastery of the Most Holy Trinity, in London’s Notting Hill. The monastery, which was founded in 1878, is home to the Discalced Order of Carmelite Nuns. The nuns lead a cloistered life dedicated to prayer and contemplation, rarely leaving the monastery except to visit a doctor or dentist. Silence is maintained throughout the day with the exception of two periods of recreation.

www.nogreaterlove.co.uk

Stanbrook Abbey

Rooted in the Benedictine tradition, the nuns of Stanbrook are seeking to live the radical call of the Gospel in the 21st century. Visit their new eco-monastery at:

www.stanbrookabbeyfriends.org

Southwark Vocations Online Blog!

Southwark Vocations blog for promoting priesthood in the Archdiocese of Southwark has recently be revamped at www.southwarkvocations.blogspot.com Here you will find information about vocations activities in Southwark as well as information of interest to anyone who is interested in the Priestly Vocation.

This site was last updated March 2010

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