June 24, 2015

Rev. J. Roger McGuinness
Point person for Creating a Culture of Vocations priority

The Envisioning Program of the diocese, initiated by Bishop La Valley, has set as the first priority that of Creating a Culture of Vocations for all walks of life within the Church. This follows the sacred purpose of the mutually shared vision of a church and diocese that is Christ-led, Christ-fed, and hope-filled.

The Term ‘culture’ means the behaviors and altitudes we learn as we grow throughout life and how we live this culture in the world of which we are part. These behaviors and attitudes set the stage for discernment, which is the key aspect of knowing what it is that God asks of us in this life.

The Universal Call to Holiness established by the Second Vacation Council is the invitation for all Catholics to see their role in living out the various vocations of the Church. These vocations: priesthood, consecrated life, marriage and the family; the single life and the permanent diaconate are the means by which all Catholics grow in holiness of life and fulfill the invitations of Christ to follow him.

Aspects of discernment which are integral to the Culture of Vocations include identifying one’s gifts and talents that a loving God has given to us from birth and who calls us to share these with others.  Discernment also involves the capability and willingness to commit to God through prayer and support of family and parish communities to do God’s will in all things. 

Discernment is based on an individual having a good self-image and self-worth along with self-knowledge and a sense of making a contribution to the good of the world.

Through the discernment process and ongoing reflection, a person responds to God’s call to holiness of life in the challenges and opportunities that are set forth in their life and vocation. 

There are many challengers in our world today that make responding to God’s call to holiness difficult. We live in a world of where our culture does not generally promote the true meaning of life and the call to serve others unconditionally.

Many people today have a very secular sense of the world without any connection to God or values that promote life in accordance with the will of God. However there are many people seeking with openness and generosity of heart to discern God’s will for them and they have the courage and faith to search this out. They do so by the lives they lead and the role modeling they give to others especially our young people, who need to see in them the life of Christ coming alive. This gives the Church hope for the future. 

The vocation committee is working on all the above ideas. We have begun to work on guidelines for the establishment of vocation committees in each parish that will bring the idea of vocation before the people in all parishes. 

The committee is also working on acquiring lesson plans to help in both our Catholic schools and religious education programs. We have formulated ideas and suggestions that will help people of all ages discern God’s call for then now and in the future. Ongoing discernment is an important aspect of what a person may discover in their life of prayer and reflection guided by family, school and parish.

The diocese has attached two goals to the priority of creating a culture of vocations. The first is to create the We are Called Vocational Awareness plan which St. Joseph Sister Mary Gregory Munger and her committee have been working over the past year. The results of their work will be made public later in the year.

The second goal is to convene a Vocation Summit: Come Follow Me which Father Garry Giroux and his committee have been working on and will continue to do so for the next year. The Summit will be held in Lake Placid and is planned for September 2016.

All of this is part of Creating a Culture of Vocations for our church today and tomorrow. All who respond to the Universal Call to Holiness are asked to pray that all Christians will respond to their vocation with openness, generosity and trust following the invitation of Jesus to :”Come and follow me!”