The Diocese of East Anglia has 12 men studying for the priesthood – its highest number in 30 years.
Five men started their studies in September. They are based at six seminaries in three countries – Italy, Spain and England.
Fr Pat Cleary, vocations director, said one factor behind the rise in candidates was the priority placed on vocations by Bishop Alan Hopes, who was installed in the diocese five years ago.
This free App is for Catholics aged 16-35 year olds. The aim? To help you go deep with God, and build solid ground with Him through prayer, through the lives of the Saints, and Scripture. This is a vital first step to discovering the joy-filled life that God has in store for you.
One-year of personal and spiritual development and discerning your calling, led by the Augustinians. The community programme begins at the end of September each year (September-July). It is for men who will be working or studying in London but who would also like to look at the possibility of priesthood or religious life.
National Youth Sunday is looming fast, taking place on 26th November. The theme this year is ‘Something to Say’, in line with the synod next year on ‘Youth, Faith and Vocational Discernment’. We are encouraging priests, chaplains and catechists to meet up with young people to hear what they have to say. Please visit www.nationalyouthsunday.org.uk for resources and to watch a short video of five young people who went to dinner with their parish priest.
An initiative to encourage older men to think about the possibility of a vocation to the Roman Catholic priesthood or religious life is taking place in September next year.
The Beda College in Rome, together with St Beuno’s Spirituality Centre in north Wales, have organised the weekend 14-16 September 2018 for men between the ages of 30 and 55 who want to discern whether God may be calling them to Catholic priesthood.
Party-loving millennials are sent to live in a Norfolk convent in an eye-opening TV social experiment. Channel 5’s new series Bad Habits: Holy Orders hits screens on 19th October. Read more at www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article.
