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16 Ways to Support Vocations
There are many ways that you can support the awareness, development, and increase in vocations to priesthood, consecrated life, and marriage within our diocese. Here are some of the various ways:
1. Pray the Prayer for Vocations daily. You can do this individually, as a family, or as a parish community.
2. Participate in your Parishes Vocation Cross program. Numerous parishes in the Diocese of Manchester offer to parishioners the opportunity to take home for one week the Vocation Cross. Individually or as a family you can pray in a concerted way for vocations. Learn what you parish is doing and find ways to participate.
3. Pray a rosary daily together as a family at dinnertime or bedtime, or individually; for vocations.
4. Write letters to the seminarians, remembering that they are still in the process of discerning whether God is calling them to the priesthood, encouraging them and assuring them of your prayers. CLICK HERE for a list of seminarians
5. Contribute to the Seminarian Collection Fund which provides the support our seminarians need and helps us cultivate a culture for vocations.
6. Visit the Blessed Sacrament Chapel to pray for vocations.
7. Invite a priest, seminarian, or consecrated person to dinner and ask them about their vocation.
8. Celebrate the feasts of the saints, especially Alphonsus de Liguori , patron of vocations (August 1), John Vianney , patron of priests (August 4), St. Therese the Little Flower, patroness of priests (October 1), Benedict, patron of religious (July 11), and Teresa of Avila, patroness of religious (October 15).
9. Read about the lives of the saints and talk about them together as a family.
10. Set an example for one another of prayer and holiness, following God's call. Discuss the importance of and how to follow God's call every day.
11. Pray for the priests and consecrated persons that you know, and for those who are discerning their vocation.
12. Live a life of service to others.
13. Encourage those you know who might be called to priesthood or consecrated life to consider such a vocation.
14. “Adopt” a retired priest or consecrated person – send them cards or letters, invite them to dinner.
15. As parents, be a witness to your children, encourage them to consider a vocation to priesthood or consecrated life, and pray that one of them might be called to one of these vocations. Pray that your children will follow God's call, whatever it may be.
16. Consider whether God might be calling you to the priesthood or consecrated life.