By Fr. David Purcell, C.Ss.R.
The Co-ordinators of Vocation Ministry in North America, met in Glenview, Illinois on the 2nd and 3rd of October. We were especially encouraged because we just celebrated first vows for several men in Houston and in Toronto. We have over 30 students in theology who are preparing for priesthood in Montreal, Boston, Chicago, and Houston. We have several novices presently studying in Long Beach. We have almost 30 men who are presently living in a Redemptorist community in New York and in Dallas, to explore their vocation to our Congregation. We also have a number of men who live independently but are discerning their call to religious life with the guidance of a Redemptorist. Thank-you in particular to the Saskatoon community who are accompanying a man who is at that stage of discernment. Thank-you also to the confreres with the Ste Anne de Beaupré Province and especially Fr. Pierre Bach, who are offering spiritual guidance to a man in Montreal who would like to join the Edmonton-Toronto Province.
Left to right: Fr Tat-Thang Hoang (Denver); Fr. Richard Bennett (Baltimore); Fr. David Purcell; Fr. Joseph Le (Ex Patriam); Fr. John Sianchuk (Yorkton); Br. Larry Luján Angel (Denver); Fr. Pierre Bach (Ste Anne de Beaupré);
I noticed that our vocation ministry is primarily made up of two parts. The parts I have mentioned above we commonly call the discernment process. But, I notice that we have much more difficulty with the work of announcing or promoting God’s call to the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer. We spent much time at our meeting sharing wisdom about what works and what does not work, when we promote life in our Congregation as a call from God. We noticed that when we work together at the promotion of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, we are most effective at attracting candidates.
Therefore, please note:
The vocation ministry co-ordinators from across North America are willing to go to one location or area within the Edmonton-Toronto Province in 2013. We are available for one week in the summer of 2013 or for a weekend during the fall of 2013. We are willing to carry out whatever a local community plans in order to announce the call to religious life in our Congregation. Among our group we have people who speak English, French, Ukrainian, Vietnamese and Spanish. There is also one person who celebrates in the Byzantine Rite. We have many skills to put at your disposal. If you have any questions about this or if you have a plan to propose to us, please contact me directly at 416-789-3217, ext 248 or at vocations@redemptorists.ca . This will likely be offered on a “first come – first served” basis.
