NATIONAL OFFICE FOR VOCATION
Helping people hear God's call
VOCATIONS SUNDAY
VOCATIONS SUNDAY
30th April 2023
60th World Day of Prayer for Vocations
ENCOUNTER - DISCIPLESHIP - MISSION
Welcome
In 1964, Pope Paul VI, launched the Vocations Sunday, which since then we celebrate on the fourth Sunday of Easter, also called as Good Shepherd Sunday. This year it is on the 30th April 2023, which marks the 60th Anniversary of World Day of Prayer for Vocations.
As Catholics and people of God we all know that God is calling us and has a plan for each of us. He called each of us by name through our Baptism to holiness. He continues to call and cry out to us each day to be his disciples, some to the married life, some to the priesthood, some to religious life or to live as kind single people. There is nobody who is not being called. What is God calling you for?
Along with the whole Church, let us pray for vocations today. Let us take time to stir the hearts and minds of the people around us to think about the topic of Vocation. The National Office for Vocation (NOV) invites you to talk and encourage young children, grandchildren, students, family members to respond generously to the calling of the Lord.
Vocations Sunday Prayer
Download Prayer:
Vocations Sunday Message
Pope Francis
Pastoral Letter
Archbishop Malcolm McMahon OP
God is calling each and everyone!
Our short video this year focuses on Sunday's Gospel, John 10:1-10 and is linked with key messages from Archbishop Malcolm McMahon's Pastoral Letter. Archbishop Malcolm is the Chair of the National Office for Vocation.
Events
The Conversation
Wednesday 26th April, 7:30pm - Zoom
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Thinking more about vocation?
Love hearing individual stories talking about mission and discipleship?
Join us for 'The Conversation', where we have a panel of guests to discuss how they live out their vocation and the work they carry out in the Church. See how each person is called to follow Christ in their own discipleship journey and live out their mission.
Our panel
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Jade broadley
Jade lives in Leeds and is National Director at Youth 2000 – a Catholic ministry that provides opportunities for young people to encounter Christ and His Church, primarily through retreat days and weekends, as well as formation programmes. She lived in the United States for 3 years whilst serving with NET Ministries, and loves walking, drinking coffee and having deep chats with friends!
Fr Gladson Dabre OSA
Fr. Gladson Francesco DABRE was born in India after few years of working in social work specializing in fostering and adoption entered the Order of St. Augustine in London. He studied at Oscott College in Birmingham and then Augustinianum in Rome. He made his Solemn Profession of Vows in 2017 and ordained to the Sacred Priesthood in May 2018. Fr. Gladson is the vocations director for the Augustinian province of England and Scotland. He has led retreats in various places. He currently resides at Clare Priory in England and is the parish priest of the Mother of Good Counsel Church Clare. He loves reading, listening to music, traveling and above all loves the Lord and desires to spread the message of God’s love and goodness.
Sr Carino O.P.
Sr Carino is a Dominican Sister of St Joseph based in the New Forest, Portsmouth Diocese. She entered the convent in 2016 and made her Final Profession as a religious sister in September 2023. She works as a catechist for both adults and children, with a particular interest in parent-led catechesis and the catechesis of people with disabilities. She is also currently studying theology at the Maryvale Institute.
Simeon Elderfield
Simeon Elderfield is the Digital Communications Coordinator for the Diocese of Westminster. He is a cellist in his spare time and before he worked for the Diocese, he studied Palaeontology. He also volunteers as the Director of Fundraising for an organisation called the ASCENT, which is a three year discipleship program for young people post-confirmation.
Helena Judd
Helena Gleissner Judd is the National Promoter for Radio Maria England, Confirmation Catechist for St Laurence’s Parish Cambridge and mother to 3 sons and one furry friend. She is a proud, loud American from Georgia. She has been an active leader in parish youth ministries through her time in school, university Chaplaincies and with her parishes in New York City. Professionally, she was the director of inclusive theatre ensembles in New York until 2014, when she moved with her British husband to England to be closer to his family. In England, she has continued creating inclusive theatre for adults with learning disabilities. When Radio Maria England recruited volunteers at her parish, she jumped at the chance to start programmes and radio dramas for families and young adults. Not long after, she joined the editorial team and then transitioned to the National Promoter position to help share the joy and community that Radio Maria brings to listeners around the world.
Sr Maria Robb
Sr Maria Robb is a Daughter of Charity, (St Vincent de Paul), living and working in Glasgow. She is originally from Dundee and is enjoying being back in Scotland and get the chance to visit my family now and again.
Sr Maria is a teacher to trade and she's also spent most of my teaching life working with deaf children in Yorkshire and in Scotland. At present the community have just started a new project here in the East end of Glasgow called, ‘Stop and Blether @......THE LISTENING HEART’. They have a little shop on the Gallowgate, a busy street, where people can just pop in for a chat. Many come in because they are lonely and simply have no-one to talk to. Others come with a little problem they don’t know what to do about and we listen to them and do what we can. Sometimes we accompany them to a more appropriate organisation locally. We opened the project on Shrove Tuesday and already we are kept busy.
As always, we can only offer a service to others because we have great volunteers. Collaboration was something St Vincent de Paul knew was necessary 400 years ago! I think he would approve of the Listening Heart
Anna McCormick
Anna is wife to David and mother to Aaron and Rosa (14 and 11). They live in Southend on Sea in Essex where she was born and raised into a large extended Catholic family all living nearby.
She experienced a gradual reversion to the faith in her twenties, which was deepened by her experience of motherhood and encounters with friends and colleagues living a fuller Catholic life.
She works as both a Project Co-Ordinator in Marriage and Family Life for the Diocese of Brentwood and more recently as a lay-chaplain for All Saints Catholic Secondary School in Dagenham. She is currently in her 2nd year of a Divinity BA with Maryvale University, where she particularly enjoys biblical exegesis and covenant theology.
'The Conversation' takes place on Zoom, in order to attain the link please book (FREE!) using the above link. Come with your questions to ask the panel on all things vocation and discipleship. All questions will be submitted through the chat function in the Zoom call. If you want to submit questions beforehand to make sure they reach us please email us at vocation.enquiries@cbcew.org.uk
Please note the event is only open to those residing in the United Kingdom.
We look forward to welcoming you to the evening!
Vocations Rosary
Sunday 30th April, 7pm
On Vocations Sunday the National Office for Vocation, alongside our young people, organisations in the Church and people living God's call to a particular state of life, will pray the Rosary with special intentions for vocations.
This will be streamed over YouTube, so tune into our YouTube channel and subscribe in order to receive updates and never miss out!
Resources
Vocations Rosary Prayer
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The National Office for Vocation invites you to join us in praying for vocations to serve in our Church.
Where would we be, without our priests and religious?
The life of a consecrated person is totally given over to God and his work. They are “set apart” for God. It is a radical giving of one’s life, dreams, time, ambitions, energies, loves, and talents for the service of their brothers and sisters in the world through so many different ministries and charisms.
Use this Rosary to help you reflect on where God is calling you.