A final message to the pilgrims at WYD 2008 from Pope Benedict XVI about vocations to the Priesthood and Religious Life

From the Holy Father's homily at the closing Mass of World Youth Day 2008:

"Dear young people, let me now ask you a question. What will you leave to the next generation? Are you building your lives on firm foundations, building something that will endure? Are you living your lives in a way that opens up space for the Spirit in the midst of a world that wants to forget God, or even rejects him in the name of a falsely-conceived freedom? How are you using the gifts you have been given, the “power” which the Holy Spirit is even now prepared to release within you? What legacy will you leave to young people yet to come? What difference will you make?

The power of the Holy Spirit does not only enlighten and console us. It also points us to the future, to the coming of God’s Kingdom. What a magnificent vision of a humanity redeemed and renewed we see in the new age promised by today’s Gospel! Saint Luke tells us that Jesus Christ is the fulfilment of all God’s promises, the Messiah who fully possesses the Holy Spirit in order to bestow that gift upon all mankind. The outpouring of Christ’s Spirit upon humanity is a pledge of hope and deliverance from everything that impoverishes us. It gives the blind new sight; it sets the downtrodden free, and it creates unity in and through diversity (cf. Lk 4:18-19; Is 61:1-2). This power can create a new world: it can “renew the face of the earth” (cf. Ps 104:30)!

Empowered by the Spirit, and drawing upon faith’s rich vision, a new generation of Christians is being called to help build a world in which God’s gift of life is welcomed, respected and cherished – not rejected, feared as a threat and destroyed. A new age in which love is not greedy or self-seeking, but pure, faithful and genuinely free, open to others, respectful of their dignity, seeking their good, radiating joy and beauty. A new age in which hope liberates us from the shallowness, apathy and self-absorption which deaden our souls and poison our relationships. Dear young friends, the Lord is asking you to be prophets of this new age, messengers of his love, drawing people to the Father and building a future of hope for all humanity.

The world needs this renewal! In so many of our societies, side by side with material prosperity, a spiritual desert is spreading: an interior emptiness, an unnamed fear, a quiet sense of despair. How many of our contemporaries have built broken and empty cisterns (cf. Jer 2:13) in a desperate search for meaning – the ultimate meaning that only love can give? This is the great and liberating gift which the Gospel brings: it reveals our dignity as men and women created in the image and likeness of God. It reveals humanity’s sublime calling, which is to find fulfilment in love. It discloses the truth about man and the truth about life.

The Church also needs this renewal! She needs your faith, your idealism and your generosity, so that she can always be young in the Spirit (cf. Lumen Gentium, 4)! In today’s second reading, the Apostle Paul reminds us that each and every Christian has received a gift meant for building up the Body of Christ. The Church especially needs the gifts of young people, all young people. She needs to grow in the power of the Spirit who even now gives joy to your youth and inspires you to serve the Lord with gladness. Open your hearts to that power! I address this plea in a special way to those of you whom the Lord is calling to the priesthood and the consecrated life. Do not be afraid to say “yes” to Jesus, to find your joy in doing his will, giving yourself completely to the pursuit of holiness, and using all your talents in the service of others!"

Article on the Permanent Diaconate and the Twenty-Five Men Ordained in Indianapolis

From the Chicago Tribune

By KEN KUSMER/Associated Press Writer

INDIANAPOLIS - After resisting the idea for more than three decades, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Indianapolis has ordained its first class of deacons, taking some pressure off overworked priests and giving a new role to men who keep one foot in the church and the other in the outside world.

"Everyone kept urging me: 'You've got the makings, you've got the spirituality,"' said Donald Dearman, 57, a Catholic convert and retired correctional officer who was among 25 deacons ordained by the archdiocese last month. "Someone told me they saw the Holy Spirit on the back of my head."

Indianapolis, like most U.S. Catholic dioceses, struggles to recruit enough priests to man its 151 parishes, spread across most of the southern half of Indiana. The number of diocesan priests fell 5 percent from 156 in 2001 to 148 last year. The archdiocese ordained only two new priests this year. Nationally, the number of priests has fallen 13 percent from 45,699 in 2000 to 40,580 in 2008.

At the same time, the number of Catholic deacons in the U.S. has grown steadily, from 898 in 1975 to 16,527 currently, including 13,647 who remain active, according to the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate at Georgetown University.

When Indianapolis first sought deacon candidates five years ago, it was overwhelmed with the response and had to turn away dozens of men interested in going through the four-year process.

Deacons can't fill the priest void completely; they cannot say Mass, consecrate the Eucharist or hear confessions. But they perform other duties that often fall to priests, including performing baptisms, presiding at marriages as long as they're not Masses, leading prayer services and conducting wakes and funeral services. During Mass, deacons can read the Gospel and deliver the homily, or sermon. Many deacons have careers that put them in the workaday world. The first Indianapolis class included a marketing professor, engineers, an insurance agent and a truck driver.

"With the shortage of priests, it's extremely important," said Joe James, among a handful of permanent deacons who were ordained elsewhere and moved into the Indianapolis archdiocese.

The 70-year-old retired psychologist said that very soon, the three parishes he serves in Richmond, Ind., will be sharing one priest.

Indianapolis' new deacons are members of what Catholics call the permanent diaconate. Candidates for the priesthood become deacons in a transitional step, while permanent deacons remain in that role for life.

Unlike priests and bishops, deacons can be married -- but only if they're married at the time they're ordained. Single deacons generally cannot take wives. Women are not allowed to become deacons.

All but a handful of the nation's 195 dioceses began using permanent deacons in the decades after the office was restored during the Second Vatican Council of the 1960s, said Bill Ditewig of St. Leo University in Florida, former director of deacons for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Yet priests in Indianapolis resisted for a number of reasons, said the Rev. Donald Schmidlin, an archdiocesan priest for 50 years. Some didn't want another holy order that wasn't open to women, and others did not want to further emphasize the clergy over the roles of lay women and men who handle much of the ministry in a parish. Some felt the deacon option would erode the number of men wanting to become priests.

The occasional story from other dioceses about a deacon being poorly prepared or ill-suited for ministry provided further disincentives, Schmidlin said.

"We've benefited tremendously from the successes and failures of other dioceses," Schmidlin said.

To head off one potential area of conflict, the archdiocese developed a training program for deacons that also touched on working collaboratively with lay people on church staffs, said the Rev. Bede Cisco, diaconate director for the 230,000-member Indianapolis archdiocese.

"We've been very careful to tell our guys they are the new people serving in the parish and that they certainly need to respect and work well with those who already are serving," Cisco said.

After the archdiocese decided to accept deacon candidates, informational meetings drew 100 men, and the archdiocese received 52 applications for the first class of candidates in 2004, Cisco said. More than half were turned away for a variety of factors, including age and suitability for ministry.

Read the rest of the article HERE.

Hat tip to Deacon Kandra.

"Two Chinese priests missing after being detained by government officials in May"

From Catholic News Agency

Stamford, Jul 15, 2008 / 02:53 am (CNA).- As the Beijing Olympic Games approach, two priests who tried to attend services for the World Day of Prayer for China on May 24 are still missing after having been detained by the Chinese government.

Pope Benedict XVI had announced the day of prayer for May 24, the Feast of Our Lady of Sheshan. Thousands of Chinese pilgrims made a pilgrimage to Sheshan for the event, most of whom doing so with the approval of the Chinese government.

Those who did not have government approval risked arrest and detention.

All of the underground clergy for the Diocese of Shanghai were placed
under house arrest during May to prevent them from making the pilgrimage, the Cardinal Kung Foundation reports. Other underground Catholics were warned not to visit Sheshan on May 24.

The Catholic Church in China is split into two different groups: the official communist-controlled Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association and an “underground” Church which remains loyal to the Pope. Efforts to reconcile the two factions have increased under Pope Benedict XVI’s reign and have been amplified by his letter to the Church in China, issued in June of 2007.

Two underground priests from the Xuanhua district in the province of Hebei were among the pilgrims that fell victim to the state’s efforts to control the pilgrimage.

Father Zhang Jianlin, 42, was intercepted by Chinese authorities in Nanking on his way to Sheshan for the May 24 event. He was sent back to Xuanhua, where he was arrested and detained.

Another priest, the 45-year-old Father Zhangli, was arrested and detained a few days before May 24 to prevent his trip to Sheshan.

Both priests disappeared while in the custody of Chinese authorities. The Cardinal Kung Foundation says it has no knowledge of their status or location.

According to Reuters, police and government offices in Xuanhua District refused to answer questions about the priests or said they had no knowledge of the case. "Nobody would be detained unless they were suspected of violating the law," said an officer from the district public security office who refused to give her name.

www.Religious-Vocation.com

Religious Vocation is an OUTSTANDING new website dedicated to, well, religious vocations.

Check it out - you will be very glad you did.

"Recruiting Missionaries of Charity is placed in God's hands"

Members serve the poor in body and spirit, avoid personal attention

From the Arkansas Catholic
By Tara Little

Published: July 19, 2008

Sister M. Francesca of New York City gives the sign of peace during Mass celebrating the Missionaries of Charity 25th anniversary in Little Rock April 24. She was present at Mother Teresa's deathbed in 1997. Photo by Tara Little

Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta founded the Missionaries of Charity to love Jesus disguised in the "poorest of the poor." Since 1950, these sisters have been feeding him, clothing him and giving him shelter through "the least" among us.

By doing these "little works of love" the sisters aim to give those they serve "a sense of God's tender love for them," said Sister M. Marcella, MC, of St. Louis.

To be able to love in this way, Mother Teresa stressed devotion to the Eucharist, because "Jesus in the Eucharist leads us to Jesus in the poor," Sister Marcella said.

The founder also taught her sisters to serve the poor with joy and gratitude.

"If it wasn't for poor people who accept our works of love, then we wouldn't have that opportunity to show our love," Sister Marcella explained. "We don't do anything spectacular; our ways are very small and down to earth. The poor are so humble to accept the small things we do, and allow us to show our love for Jesus in that way."

Mother Teresa's mission began in the slums of Calcutta, India, with only 12 sisters. Today the congregation has nearly 5,000 members worldwide.

Becoming a Missionaries of Charity sister involves an initial formation process, then postulancy and a novitiate. This training is offered in a candidate's home country. In the United States, postulants go to the Bronx, N.Y., and novices continue their training in San Francisco. After completing the novitiate process a sister can be assigned outside her homeland.

Sister Marcella said her religious order does not recruit sisters and relies entirely on God to "direct vocations." Single women interested in learning more are encouraged to "come and see" at the postulancy house in New York.

These sisters take the normal vows of poverty, chastity and obedience, but also take a fourth vow of "wholehearted and free service to the poorest of the poor."

The poorest are those who are "not being taken care of by someone else in a better way," Sister Marcella explained.

In most cases, this means those who are materially poor, but it can include those who suffer from the poverty of loneliness, especially if they are sick or dying.

Mother Teresa often spoke of how the poverty in the West differs from that of developing nations.

"In my opinion," she wrote, "if abortion is allowed in the rich countries, who possess all that money can provide, then those are the poorest among the poor." ("Heart of Joy: The Transforming Power of Self-Giving" Servant Books, 1987)

She died in 1997 but her spirit lives on through her sisters, who affectionately call her "Mother."

"She is our mother, and all that implies is that we're children of the same family," Sister Marcella said.

Sister M. Nirmala, MC, superior general and successor of Mother Teresa based in India, has preserved that sense of family, Sister Marcella said.

No matter what "corner of the world we call her from, Sister is there to hear what we need and help us to make decisions," she said.

As a rule, Missionaries of Charity are not allowed to speak to members of the press. And it was Sister Nirmala herself who granted Sister Marcella permission to speak with Arkansas Catholic.

Sister Marcella spoke with the newspaper by phone in April following a celebration to mark the 25th anniversary of her order's presence in Arkansas.

She is regional superior for the 17 MC convents in the central United States and Canada, which includes Little Rock.

In 1982, Mother Teresa visited the city and agreed to send four of her sisters to run Abba House, a 13-bed homeless shelter for women, pregnant mothers and their young children. The Diocese of Little Rock established it in 1981. The sisters took over the ministry in 1983. Their convent is next to the shelter on South Oak Street, which is part of an impoverished neighborhood Little Rock's inner city.

Aside from Abba House, the sisters visit the poor, elderly, shut-ins and prisoners. They distribute food weekly to those in need and run a month-long Vacation Bible School each July for poor children unable to afford other programs.

Sister Marcella said her congregation doesn't focus on how many people they serve because "Mother asked us not to worry about being successful, just faithful. ... Many, many, many souls have passed through (Abba House) and hopefully they've received something of God's love."

There are always four sisters in Little Rock. Their assignments normally last three years, but Sister Marcella only served in the city for a few months from 2002-2003.

When asked why her term was so short, she said, "In our society, we just prefer to leave things in God's hands. We never ask why. Whatever is asked of us is what God wants of us. Mother always said, 'Give God a free hand.'"

As missionaries they can be sent anywhere in the world at a moment's notice.

"Our mother's spirit is that we're free, that we're not so attached to the place or so attached to the work that we think it can't go on without us," Sister Marcella explained.

This freedom means not "accumulating things that would hold us down."

Each sister has two blue and white saris (their habit), sandals and an "apostolate bag" which holds rosaries, religious medals, holy cards and holy water to give to the poor when they visit them.

They do not own property or receive personal gifts. They live modestly without modern conveniences such as air conditioning, home appliances, computers or cell phones.

Although Sister Marcella did say she is from the United States, she would not be more specific because she didn't want this story to draw attention to herself. The same goes for her age, which she struggled to remember, because she -- like the other sisters -- no longer celebrates her birthday.

The sisters do not eat meals outside their convent, a custom designed to protect the poor from giving "their last bit of food" to their guests.

In addition to service, the sisters' daily routine includes participating in Mass and prayer, especially a holy hour before the Blessed Sacrament.

Sister Marcella repeatedly quoted Mother Teresa throughout the interview to explain how she lives. She said this is because "Mother's words are a light for us."

In a 1996 book, "Blessings of Love," Mother Teresa is quoted describing who her sisters should be. "Each time anyone comes into contact with us, they must become different and better people because of having met us. We must radiate God's love."

Even before her death, Mother Teresa was believed by many to be a living saint. Pope John Paul II, who called her "one of the greatest missionaries of the 20th century," beatified her in 2003.

Missionaries of Charity Family

In addition to her active sisters, Mother Teresa also founded the following orders:

Missionaries of Charity Brothers, 1963;
Missionaries of Charity Contemplative Sisters, 1976;
Missionaries of Charity Contemplative Brothers, 1979;
Missionaries of Charity Fathers, 1984;
Co-Workers of Mother Teresa, 1969;
Lay Missionaries of Charity, 1984.

For more information, visit the Missionaries of Charity Fathers Web site at www.mcpriests.com. To speak to a sister in Arkansas, call the Little Rock convent at (501) 663-3596.

Advice for her sisters

Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta asked her sisters to follow these virtues. "God needs our poverty, not our abundance. These are means of being humble:

• Speak as little as possible about oneself
• Take care of one's personal matters
• Avoid curiosity
• Do not meddle in the affairs of others
• Accept contradictions with good humor
• Do not focus on the faults of others
• Accept reproach, even if undeserved
• Yield to the will of others
• Accept insults and abuse
• Accept feeling uncared for, forgotten, despised
• Be courteous and sensitive, even if someone provokes you
• Do not try to be admired and loved
• Do not hide behind one's own dignity
• Yield in arguments, even if one is right
• Always choose what is most difficult."
  
  
  Source: "Heart of Joy: The Transforming Power of Self-Giving" by Mother Teresa, Servant Books, 1987

"Vocations Expo at WYD08"

From Independent Catholic News:

A careers fair solely dedicated to encouraging new recruits to become future priests and nuns? Surely it's just wishful thinking? The young pilgrims visiting Sydney for World Youth Day definitely don't think so as thousands pass through the doors of a four-day Vocations Expo designed to help them consider whether they feel called to put aside conventional careers in favour of the vows of chastity, poverty and obedience.

As its name suggests, the Vocations Expo is an exhibition of some of the vocations that the Catholic Church has to offer. Over 100 exhibitors have taken up stands ranging from traditionally habited nuns to those living in more recently established forms of religious community, perhaps wearing jeans and t-shirts. The Vocations Expo is now an established part of World Youth Day and Church leaders hope that the event will inspire a new generation of Catholics to embrace vocations with a life-long commitment.

Father David Toups, an exhibitor and priest representing the United States said: "We have discovered that more than 30% of our new priests in America were strongly influenced by attending previous World Days; therefore it makes sense to be here. Unlike more conventional careers fairs, we are not talking about base salary and possible bonuses, but rather rewards that are literally out of this world."

Rebecca Coyne from Wales who visited the exhibition as part of her World Youth Day experience said: "I have definitely learned a lot from the Expo. I was already considering a call to religious life, but all of the information on display from different religious communities has helped to further crystallise my thoughts."

The young adults visiting the Expo don't just get to pick up the usual free pens and keyrings, there are also DVDs on the priesthood and even cross-shaped USB storage devices. But there is little evidence of a 'hard sell' from the exhibitors - after all the Church views vocation as a call from above and not simply another job. In fact, the young pilgrims are doing most of the questioning as they enquire of the priest and religious exhibitors what it was that made them first respond to their calling and how they are able to sustain it today.

Father Paul Embery from the Vocations Office for the Catholic Church in England and Wales, who is currently in Sydney said: "It has been a truly awesome event. To see thousands of young people passing through the doors who are open to the possibility of a call to the priesthood or to various forms of religious life is very encouraging. Knowing that others are also considering these vocations is very affirming for young people. We hope it will bear fruit over the years to come."

"Youth Flock to Vocations Expo"

Visitors Note Surprise at Number of Religious Orders

From ZENIT
By Carla Maschereno

SYDNEY, Australia, JULY 16, 2008 (Zenit.org).- With a stunning waterfront view and the promise of getting an inside look at more than 110 ways to live the consecrated life, Sydney's Vocation Expo is attracting a constant flow of pilgrims.

World Youth Day already has a reputation for providing an environment in which young people can hear God's call in their lives. Testimonials of thousands of young people speak of a deep faith experience with practical life implications and an increase in vocations.

Sydney is proving to be no different.

This year's Vocations Expo is set at the heart of the city, at the Convention and Exhibition Center in Darling Harbor. The location is close to other popular youth festival venues such as Barangaroo, where the opening Mass was held. More than 110 religious orders, groups and movements are providing information on their style of vocation and consecrated life.

Free gifts such as rosary beads, Aussie tattoos, pens and food snacks aim to woo pilgrims. But visitors affirm that the testimony of those manning the booths are the real draw.

New Zealander Joanna Hardy, 19, said she attended the expo because she wanted to know more about religious orders.

"I don't want to become a nun or anything," she clarified. "But I do want to be aware of the different religious orders. The expo literally blows my mind. I had no idea so many religious orders existed."

Sister Lan from the Sisters of Nazareth based in Victoria, Australia, observed: "It is a unique opportunity for the young people to get to know the religious orders available. Importantly for us, it is a great chance to meet the young people and let them know that we do exist."

"There has been a constant flow of pilgrims," the woman religious added. "It's wonderful."

Other youth are happy to admit they think God is calling them to a life consecrated to him.

Eighteen-year-old Christopher Daniels, from Atlanta, Georgia, said, "I have been discerning my vocation for a while -- although I am not sure which order I would join, this definitely helps." When asked what booth impressed him the most, though, he said, "Those nuns have really got it together."

While many regard the Catholic Church as being in a "vocational crisis," if the expo is any indication, the future looks bright.

Sister Lan agreed: "I wouldn't say there is a vocational crisis. When there is a decline in one country there is always an increase in another. I have a great faith in the Holy Spirit."

The Vocations Expo is under way through Friday.

"Vocations expo a success in Sydney"

From Catholic News Agency

Sydney, Jul 17, 2008 / 02:34 pm (CNA) .- The “Vocations Expo,” which has given religious congregations a chance to showcase their charisms and apostolates to the young people attending World Youth Day 2008 in Sydney has been “a true success,” organizers have revealed.

Diverse congregations, institutes and movements are reaching out to the thousands of young people that have flooded the vocations fair located at the Sydney Exhibition Center at Darling Harbor. The vocations expo was opened on July 15 and will end on Sunday, July 20, at the close of WYD.

According to Father Donai Pellonar, coordinator of the Vocations Expo, “This initiative aims to show the young people of WYD all possible vocations, including the priesthood, the family and the vocation to religious and consecrated life.”

Seventy five institutes, congregations, religious families, movements and associations have set up booths at the vocations expo.

"Amid the freebies, young people gravitate toward booths of religious"

From Catholic News Service
By Cindy Wooden

SYDNEY, Australia (CNS) -- Free Internet access, free coffee, free lollipops and live music were offered at the World Youth Day vocations fair, but the young people seemed most attracted by the generally young brothers, sisters and priests staffing the booths.

A huge hall in the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre was filled with nearly 100 booths offering information about dozens of religious orders, priestly service in Australian or U.S. dioceses, lay movements, evangelization projects and natural family planning.

Young people lined up for Internet access and coffee, but they also crowded around each booth, picking up information and stepping aside for serious conversations with the religious and priests.

A step away from the U.S. bishops' conference booth July 16, a young man from Wisconsin who is in the final stages of discerning his vocation offered practical advice to a young man just starting his search.

"Talk to your vocations director," he said. The process "looks overwhelming, but it is not."

The bishops' booth offered young people a chance to write a note about their favorite priests. Snippets from the notes pinned to the wall included praise for priests who are supportive, who reverently celebrate Mass, a priest who "really gets the point of believing in Jesus," and priests who are "devoted to serving the poor."

One person's favorite priest "is a blast," while another's favorite priest "seems to stop the world to spend time with you."

Missionaries of Charity Sister Milada, originally from the Czech Republic, said: "Without reflection and prayer a vocations expo is nothing. But it is effective in the context of World Youth Day with its prayer, the witness of young religious, the catechesis and the testimonies.

"We have been really busy," said the sister, who does not use her last name.

Saria Blenkinsopp, 21, lives in Sydney. She said the vocations fair was "awesome. I'm going out with someone and I think I will marry him," but the booths gave her an opportunity to see the variety of religious orders and to meet religious who were not much older than she is.

"We can easily miss out on a call if we don't have any contact with priests and nuns," she said. "The sisters that wear habits are a walking sign. They make people stop and think.

"I don't want to knock back those who don't wear habits -- it's important to have both. It depends on the charism of their community and the work they are doing," she said. "But how can young girls think of becoming a nun when they never see one?"

"Lately there has been a lot of emphasis on Christian marriage and the theology of the body, so I don't think the vocations fair takes away from that," Blenkinsopp added. "God calls us in different ways."

Joe Dziok, 16, of Chicopee, Mass., said, "I think it's nice to see how many young people seem interested" in the religious orders.

Asked if he was considering a vocation to religious life, he said: "I don't know. I'm too young to decide right now. If anything, I think I'd be a Franciscan," like the priests who staff his home parish, St. Stanislaus.

Dziok said he did not think any pressure was being put on the young people, but "especially with this World Youth Day (concentrated) on the Holy Spirit, we are focused on the Spirit's influence in our lives. At the catechesis this morning someone said that when you open your mind to the Holy Spirit, your ideas about life can change."

At World Youth Day, he said, "young people are taking their faith seriously" and looking at vocations is part of that.

"It's nice to see," he said.

St. Paul de Chartres Sister Marietta Thieu said the vocations fair, like World Youth Day itself, was an "amazing, wonderful" sign of how God unites people while respecting their diversity.

"All these orders, all these booths, but we have one aim: to find God. And everyone is happy," the sister from Vietnam said. "Only God can unite people like this."

"We're not pop stars, say chart-topping monks"

From The Australian

By Iain Shedden, Music writer

BROTHER Johannes Paul and Brother Edmund are not the only monks visiting Sydney this week, but they must be the only two whose debut CD is in the charts across most of Europe.

The two young men, along with 15 others from the Cistercian Monks of Stift Heiligenkreuz in Austria, have shocked the music industry - and the church - by becoming pop stars with their Gregorian chant music, recorded in their 12th-century monastery near Vienna.

Even more surprisingly, their success has come after they posted a home-made video of their chanting on YouTube for the benefit of tourists.

Yesterday in Sydney the brothers, who are leading a group of 40 Austrian teenagers on a pilgrimage to World Youth Day, were playing down their new-found fame.

"We don't feel like pop stars," said Brother Johannes Paul, 25. "We are monks. As monks, what we do is pray. We published this CD with these prayers. We're happy that many people have listened to it and that we have made people happy. But we don't want to be pop stars."

The monks' CD, Chant: Music For Paradise, came about after Father Karl Wallner from the monastery entered their video in a talent quest organised by record company Universal.

The CD, released in Australia last week, entered the British charts at No7 and topped the Austrian charts when it was released in May.

They can count the Pope among their legion of fans; the pontiff visited the monastery last year to hear them chant.

"The Pope is very devoted to the ancient forms of Christian prayer," said Brother Edmund, 24, "especially the Gregorian chants that we practise in our monastery, so he wanted to come and pray with us."

Unlike most musicians, the monks' day-to-day devotion begins with prayers at 5.15am.

"Life in the monastery is very beautiful," Brother Edmund said. "We dedicate that life completely to God in a harmonious way. With these beautiful ancient chants, we express this life."

Money raised from the CD will be used for the monastery's theology training program.

"We have a papal college for theology students, many from Third World countries, so the more CDs we can sell, the more we can support these students," Brother Johannes Paul said.

The brothers' main source of excitement this week, he added, was "to celebrate our faith and to see the Pope".

"So far (this week) we've only seen him in the newspaper," said Brother Johannes Paul.

"Reflections on Receiving the Holy Habit"

The post below is from the Carmelite Sisters blog - the Carmelite Sisters of the Most Sacred Heart of Los Angeles.

By: Sister Mary Louise, O.C.D.

Wedding dresses, graduation gowns, first communion clothing, prom gowns, these are all familiar these types of clothing as are the special celebrations for which they are worn. They help mark significant moments in life. Worn for a few hours, they are then packed away as precious reminders of an event that has passed. Last Sunday, March 16, three young women were clothed in beautiful garments as a way of marking a certain moment in their lives. The difference was that after a few hours these "gowns" were not packed away. But early Monday morning the young women again put them on.. and again Tuesday morning... and Wednesday...and they will continue to wear them for the rest of their lives. This is because we are not talking about satin and silk but the holy habit of Carmel.

What is the significance of the clothing that we as Carmelites wear? What does it mean to be clothed in the garment of our Immaculate Mother? The answer was clear in the Sacred Heart Chapel on Palm Sunday: conversion. But it wasn't so much that a message was preached, as that a conviction shared in a radical way by each sister was expressed verbally. It was a tangible experience of the presence of sisters who have persevered to the end in the life long struggle of conversion, of sisters with whom we have made it through another day, as well as sisters with arms outstretched eager to begin a life of continual striving for the perfection of charity. They have been approved to make their first vows and in a few months they will commit themselves to our way of life. Now their outward appearance matches the interior reality. Because as we greeted and congratulated the three brides-to-be, the radiant smiles on their faces bore witness to the treasure we have in our community: union in Christ. It was truly their special day, but I think each of us and all of us together took yet one more step closer to our Divine Bridegroom, led by the guiding hand of His Mother, the Queen and Beauty of Carmel. We congratulate Sister Maralisa, Sister Julianna, and Sister Marie Rachel. We congratulate you and we love you, our dear sisters!

Letter to Priests from the Congregation for the Clergy

Dear brother priests,

On the occasion of the August 4th feast of St. John Marie Vianney, the Curé of Ars, I greet you cordially with all my heart, and I fraternally send you this brief message.

The Church knows today that there is an urgent mission, not only “ad gentes,” but also to those Christians living in areas and regions where the Christian faith has been preached and established for centuries and where ecclesial communities already exist. Within this flock, the mission, or the missionary of evangelization, has as its target those who are baptized but who, for different circumstances, have not been evangelized sufficiently, or those who have lost their initial fervour and fallen away. The postmodern culture of contemporary society – a relativist, secular, and agnostic culture – exerts a strong erosive action on the religious faith of many people.

The Church is missionary by its very nature. Jesus told us that "the sower went out to sow" (Mt 13:3). The sower does not limit himself to throwing the seed out of the window, but actually leaves the house. The Church knows that it cannot remain inert or limit itself to receiving and evangelizing those who are seeking the Faith in its churches and communities. It is also necessary to rise up and go to where people and families dwell, live and work. We must go to everyone: companies, organizations, institutions and different fields of human society. In this mission, all members of the ecclesial community are called: pastors, religious and laity.
Moreover, the Church recognizes that priests are the great driving force behind daily life in local communities. When priests move, the Church moves. If this were not so, it would be very difficult to achieve the Church’s mission.

My dear brother priests, you are the great richness, the energy, the pastoral and missionary inspiration in the midst of the Christian faithful, wherever they are found in community. Without your crucial decision to "put out into the deep" for fish ("Duc in altum"), as the Lord himself calls us, little or nothing will happen in the urgent mission, either "ad gentes" or in the territories that have previously been evangelized. But the Church is certain that it can count on you, because it knows and explicitly recognizes that the overwhelming majority of priests – despite our weaknesses and human limitations – are worthy priests, giving their life daily to the Kingdom of God and loving Jesus Christ and the people entrusted to them. These are the priests who are sanctifying themselves in their daily ministry and who are persevering until the harvest of the Lord. Only a small minority of priests have gravely deviated from this mission, and the Church seeks to repair the harm that they have done. On the other hand, it rejoices in and is proud of the immense majority of its priests, who are good and exceedingly worthy of praise.
During this Pauline Year, and pending the Synod of Bishops on the Word of God to be held in Rome next year in October, we call those who are receptive to this urgent mission. May the Holy Spirit enlighten us, send us, and sustain us, so that we might go forth and proclaim once again the person of Jesus Christ, crucified and resurrected, as well as His kingdom!

I greet you again, dear brothers, remaining always at your disposal. I pray for you all, especially for those who suffer, for the sick and for the elderly.


Vatican City State, 15 July 2008

Claudio Cardinal Hummes
Emeritus Archbishop of São Paolo
Prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy

Holy Habit Rocking the Boat "Downunder"

From the Sisters of Life - Love and Life Blog

Holy Habit Rocking the Boat "Downunder"
Sr. Mariae Agnus Dei (SV novice)

About 39 days ago I exchanged the very blue, and somewhat ambiguous Sister of Life postulant outfit, for the flowing folds of the holy habit and became one of eleven proud new novices. Needless to say, after walking the streets of Sydney, Australia for a week, there isn't a flicker of ambiguity about what I am about, and the powerful witness of the habit.
"You are the first Sister in habit I have seen in twenty-three years!" said one woman.
"Look mum, an angel." said one awe-struck five year old on the train.
"I just LOVE your robes...vestments...why your'e so young! Tell me, what ARE you?" exclaimed another Aussie.
The stares are unabashed, and the cellphones and cameras are snapping pictures at furious rates. At times you feel like a bit of a tourist attraction as a five minute walk in the city guarantees a strangers request for a picture with you. If this wasn't enough, (and I give my word this is a true account) I sat in transit on the bus sure that the stylish, blonde-haired, twenty-something, deep into the tunes of her i-pod would remain indifferent to me, her habited peer sitting a seat away. Low and behold, within five minutes she had removed her head gear and was inquiring about mine. With cordial curiosity and openess she asked question after question. I was the very first Sister she had ever seen. She grew more and more in awe as I accounted the essence of religious life, and described the great joy and freedom that embracing Christ's call to love Him with an undivided heart has brought my life, when I just a year ago, like her, was a bright-eyed young twenty-something with the world at my feet. Both equally delighted with the encounter, she bid me 'goodday,' with a smile and the Love and Life Site palm card in hand, hopeful to join us for the festivities and learn more.
No doubt the Holy Spirit is on the move and the Sisters of Life are being called in God's shuffles of witness and Providence. What a grace, what a privilege, to wear the holy habit and serve as public witnesses to Christ.

Sisters of Life at World Youth Day in Australia

(Click on picture to see enlarged version of picture with Cardinal Pell)

The Sisters of Life are at World Youth Day and they have a blog for their time in Australia:

Love and Life Site Blog

The blog has some more great pictures including this one of Sr. Mary Theotokos Ray, SV, who I posted about recently...

You can also visit their main website for the

Love and Life Site

"New England Revolution soccer player retiring, plans to become Catholic priest"

New England Revolution club news release:

FOXBORO - The New England Revolution has announced that defender Chase Hilgenbrinck has decided to leave the club and retire from soccer to enter a Catholic seminary in Maryland to prepare for a new career (again with the "career" - people just don't get it!) in the ministry. Additionally, the Revs announced that MLS rookie of the year candidate forward Kheli Dube has been promoted to the team's 18-man senior roster.

Hilgenbrinck, 26, signed with the Revolution on March 28, 2008 following a four-year career in Chile. He made four appearances in MLS first-team matches, including one start. A native of Bloomington, Ill., he also started the Revs' two U.S. Open Cup victories this month. Additionally, he started all six of the reserve team's games for which he was available, captaining the team twice.

"We understand Chase's decision to retire from soccer and pursue his mission of helping others and we support his desire to make this change in his life." Revolution Vice President of Player Personnel Michael Burns said. "We wish Chase the best and thank him for the service and leadership he provided in his brief tenure with us."

"After years of discernment, I feel strongly that the Lord has called me to become a priest in the Catholic Church," Hilgenbrinck said. "Playing professional soccer has been my passion for a long time and I feel blessed to have successfully lived out this dream. My passion now is to do the will of God, which is wanting only what He wants for me. Though I will miss the game of soccer, I know that I am moving on to something much greater."

From the Boston Herald
Chase Hilgenbrinck leaves for priesthood

When he was playing professional soccer in Chile, Chase Hilgenbrinck would seek comfort in the churches to satisfy his spiritual needs and remind him of childhood Sundays spent at Holy Trinity in Bloomington, Ill.

Even after moving back to the United States last Christmas to play Major League Soccer - a dream of his - Hilgenbrinck felt the pull of his religion.

“I felt called to something greater,” Hilgenbrinck said. “At one time I thought that call might be professional soccer. In the past few years, I found my soul is hungry for something else. I discerned, through prayer, it was calling me to the Catholic Church. I do not want this call to pass me by.”

Hilgenbrinck accepted the calling yesterday when he left the Revolution and retired from professional soccer to enter a seminary, where he will spend the next six years studying theology and philosophy so he can be ordained as a Roman Catholic priest.

“It’s not that I’m ready to leave soccer. I still have a great passion for the game,” he said. “I wouldn’t leave the game for just any other job. I’m moving on for the Lord. I want to do the will of the Lord, I want to do what he wants for me, not what I want to do for myself.”

A 26-year-old defender who was the captain of the Revs reserve team, Hilgenbrinck will attend Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, Md (Suffice to say this is bad news for St. Joseph's Seminary in Dunwoodie, St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Philadelphia, and St. Mary's in Baltimore who play in the Rector's Cup soccer tournament against Mt. St. Mary's). After finishing his studies, he will report to his home parish in Peoria, Ill., for assignment.

“He said it was time for him, that he had been thinking long and hard,” Revs vice president of player personnel Michael Burns said. “Purely from a Revs standpoint, it’s too bad. But a lot of players leave the game not on their own terms. He’s clearly left on his own terms, which is great for him.”

With a short window in which he will be able to play pro sports, Hilgenbrinck considered postponing the priesthood until after his career was over. But he decided with certainty he could not wait.

“Trust me, I thought of that,” he said. “We are all called to do something. I feel like my specific call is to the priesthood. So, no, it was not possible to continue with soccer. It’s absolutely inevitable.”

"Vocations: When Parents Just Say No"

From the USCCB Committee onClergy, Consecrated Life and Vocations
By Reverend Timothy T. Reker

Today’s youth score high in Catholic identity,
but their parents have reservations about
religious callings

Vocations Directors share a telling anecdote about a colleague from a Midwest diocese. The man involved in the story is a happy and effective priest who has a good relationship with a family in his parish. He admires them and thinks their feelings are mutual. Then he asks the parents if they think their teenager might make a good priest. “Oh, no, Father!” they exclaim. “We don’t want our son to be a priest. We want him to be successful.”

It’s a story that hits close to home.

Recent findings by the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate reveal that support for religious vocations is indeed weak among those whose support is most needed -- parents. But the Center’s study, conducted among youth ministers by a Georgetown University research team for the National Conference of Catholic Bishops, indicates cause for hope among young people themselves. In fact, U.S. bishops intend to use the survey of more than 6,000 tens as a blue print for developing youth ministry into the 21st century.

In many ways, the study’s results are good news. Youth score high, for example, in Catholic identity. Results show that almost all are “proud to be Catholic” (94%) and “admire the pope” (89%). Virtually all “feel welcome at church” (90%), which may well offer ripe ground for future vocations.

The survey also found that today’s young Catholics value the Mass -- 72% attend weekly or more often. And about a third, or 30%, have thought about service as a priest, Brother, or Sister -- 36% of young men and 24% of young women.


More discouraging is the area of parental encouragement. Though one-third of the youth have considered a religious vocation, only 26% of young men and 15% of young women report parental encouragement.

Apparently, priestly and Religious life, which were acceptable, even highly regarded career choices decades ago, are less so now. Then, most Catholics were from low- and lower-middle-class- families. Materially, success meant steady employment and a regular paycheck. People entering the workforce aspired to service jobs in policing, fire fighting, and in teaching and nursing. Service in the Church was honorable.

Now, however, as U.S. Catholics have advanced economically, they’ve changed their concept of success. Today, it frequently includes massive earning power, accumulation of wealth, and a prestigious profession.

The problem, of course, touches not just priesthood and Religious life, but all career choices, as any college student can report. More than one collegian has felt pressure from parents to major in business or another lucrative field rather than in English, history, art, philosophy, or education. The advice that “teachers don’t make much money!” is heard in the same homes where parents demand quality schooling. The irony escapes them.


At one time, vocations personnel worried that Catholic parents might be pressuring children to pursue religious vocations. That is not the problem now, and the Georgetown study makes clear that the Church must revise its approach to promoting vocations.

Toward this end, the U.S. bishops’ three-year plan for vocations to the priesthood and Religious life, entitled A Future Full of Hope, states that parents must be included as important partners in building a positive climate for vocations. One task is to address head-on parents’ attitudes toward success, their understanding of Church and vocation, and even their images of Religious life.

In addition to concern for success, there are other reasons parents do not encourage religious vocations.

Loneliness is an issue. Many priests report that their parents worry they will be lonely. And there is no denying that loneliness is a part of the human condition; no one escapes it. At the same time, most priests and Religious live happy and fulfilled lives, usually because they are immersed in the lives of the people they serve. Not to be overlooked either is the Community shared by Religious, who also maintain ties with families and friends.

To be sure, there’s strong statistical data to underscore arguments that priesthood is satisfying. A 1993 survey by the Los Angeles Times, for example, looked as priestly satisfaction and found an incredibly positive feeling among clergy. On the question of the likelihood of leaving the priesthood, for instance, only 2% said they were very likely to leave the priesthood; 87% reported they were very unlikely to leave. A related Times survey moreover, found similar levels of satisfaction among women Religious.


A decreasing awareness of the meaning of vocations also influences parent’s attitudes. Everyone has a vocation -- and persons who see God walking with and guiding them recognize that. This sense of vocation, the call God has placed in the human heart, requires recognition that God loves each person individually into life and gives each a unique mission in the world.

It’s a concept wrapped in mystery. That God has called one to do something special and unique, and that God operates unseen in the everyday world is hard to accept in a pragmatic society where seeing is believing. Consequently, parents who have a deep sense of their own personal vocation, how God has called, guided, and assisted them in living out their baptismal commitment, can better understand and feel honored that their own child might have a religious vocation.

Attitude toward the Church also affects how parents directly advise their children and indirectly convey attitudes toward Church service. When parents have difficulty with the Church, encouraging sons and daughters to serve in the church becomes complicated. It is easy for a parent to pass on a bias or agenda without realizing it: in snide comments, negative judgments, biting critiques. As a result, some young persons may never know the Church as a place of comfort and challenge, of helping others, and of meeting God.


The negative images associated with priests and Religious also have a detrimental effect. Sexual misconduct scandals are an embarrassment to all Catholics, and some parents may fear their children will be tainted by close association with the priesthood. It needs to be recognized, however, that as horrific as cases of pedophilia are, they involve a tiny percentage of priests. This kind of behavior taints other professions that deal with children and families, too.

Another very personal reason that may influence parents is that celibacy deprives them of grandchildren. When a child is an only child this can be devastating. These parents face in a special way Jesus’ challenge to follow Him.

Bishops are now formulating a strategy for strengthening vocations that addresses many parental concerns. Even before the Center for Applied Research pointed to a weakened parental support for vocations, designers of the strategy recognized that developing parental perspective on vocations is vital. This is affirmed by the new study, which recommends “bringing parents into dialogue and developing a greater understanding of a parent’s perspective on vocations.”

This, the study notes, “may have a greater impact on Church vocations than working with youth alone. If parents more directly encourage Church vocations, more youth may well pursue such a path.”

"Nuns on World Youth Day recruiting drive"

From the HeraldSun / Australia

An order of New York City nuns hopes to recruit young Catholic pilgrims to the priesthood and sisterhood during World Youth Day (WYD).

The Sisters of Life order, which has convents in the Bronx and Manhattan, is expecting 20,000 WYD pilgrims to visit the "Life and Love" site near the University of Notre Dame campus in inner Sydney during the six-day event.

The sisters will hold seminars and present an expo on life vocations with talks on love and parenting.

Pilgrims considering entering a seminary or convent, or those curious about marriage, can visit the site at Chippendale tomorrow, Thursday and Friday.

"Many of the sisters discovered their vocations at World Youth Days when they were literally immersed in a microcosm of faith and support," Sister Mary Gabriel said.

She said WYD was an opportunity for pilgrims to hear the calling of a religious vocation.

"I do anticipate that many, many young people will discover their vocation, whether that's to marriage and family, to religious life, to enter the priesthood, across the board.

"I do believe that this event will open the door for many people to recognise their path to definitive love."

"In the Shadow of His Wings"

When you get a chance, stop by the blog of the Passionist Nuns of St. Joseph Monastery - In the Shadow of His Wings

They have two recent posts up about a young woman who recently entered their community.





Sharon's Entrance Day

and

Sharon's Story

Which I post here in it's entirety:

The reason I am speaking to you today has to do with the fact that I am joining a religious community, actually, I will be entering in about a week. I’ve been home for about four weeks now, after having lived with the community for three and a half months, discerning whether God wanted me to enter there. I do believe entering is God’s will for me.

I came to believe that He was calling me to religious life while I was a student at Franciscan University of Steubenville, Ohio. After High School, while following in the footsteps of five of my siblings, I began attending Franciscan University to get a degree in Early Childhood Education. Franciscan had a life-changing impact on my personal relationship with God, which I know was influenced by my family and their faith and the Catholic community at St. Aloysius.

So back to Franciscan, I wish I could tell you about all of my experiences there and the beauty of our Catholic faith that is so present in the priests, students, and faculty, but it would take me a long time. And I only have a few minutes here. But to give you a couple of examples; there is a chapel with the Blessed Sacrament in almost every single building on the campus. And instead of being pressured into parties, drinking, and stuff like that, the community at Franciscan has called me on to greater holiness, through different ways such as attending daily mass, frequent confession, and prayer in front of the Blessed Sacrament. This helped me to look at where I stood in my relationship with Jesus and I realized that He was calling me into a more personal relationship with Him and I began desiring to know Him and love Him more then anything else. At this point, I hadn’t been discerning whether it was possible for Him to be calling me to anything but marriage.

A year and a half ago I had the opportunity to study abroad for a semester in Austria and most of the students take advantage of this wonderful program to study and travel in Europe for four months. I mention this time because this is when God revealed to me that He was calling me to religious life. This was the first time that I put my future in God’s hands instead of just focusing on what I wanted. I truly began desiring what I saw Him asking of me. I confirmed with my spiritual director that God really was calling me to religious life. I was ready to seek out the religious community that was proper to the way of life God was asking me to live. I knew it wasn’t necessary for me to continue pursuing a profession that I may not have been able to use.

The community that I am going to be joining is called the Congregation of the Passion of Christ! They are a cloistered, contemplative community in Whitesville, Kentucky. They were founded by St. Paul of the Cross in Italy during the 18th century. As a Passionist Nun, which is kind of their nickname, I will be devoting my life to learning how to love Christ with an undivided heart. I will be taking five vows, three of which you have probably heard of and are called the evangelical counsels: Chastity, Poverty, and Obedience. The other two vows are to promote devotion to, and a grateful remembrance of, the Passion of Christ, and enclosure. The Passionists’ vow to look at everything in light of what Jesus has suffered through His Passion and death on the Cross. There has never been a greater act of love. And by remembering this we can learn to love as Jesus loves. It seems that by meditating on the Passion of Christ everyone would be walking around really sad all the time, however, they are a very joyful and loving community. Their mission in the Church is one of prayer and sacrifice.

I know this is the way God is leading me to heaven and how He is asking me to be a part of and to serve His Church, which is all of you…I really feel called to offer my life to God as a religious. God bless you all and please keep me in your prayers as well. Thank you.

"Full life of faith for newest priest"

From the Parramatta Sun in Australia:

Andrew Bass became Sydney's newest Catholic priest when ordained by Bishop Kevin Manning in St Patrick's Cathedral, Parramatta, on June 27.

The 34-year-old, an assistant parish priest at the cathedral, is a former parishioner of Baulkham Hills where his family lives, and was born in Harare, Zimbabwe.

In the first 10 years of his life, Father Andrew also lived in South Africa, the United States and Saudi Arabia as his father Michael, an executive in the oil industry, was posted to jobs around the world.

The family arrived in Australia when Father Andrew was 11.

He said that living among the expatriate Christian community was "a transformative experience'' in his development as a Christian.

"We were part of a close-knit community, not unlike the earliest communities of Christians, mindful that under Sharia law all Christian worship is banned,'' he said.

"Despite the risks, my parents continued to practise their faith.

"They refused to bow to an idea that they couldn't practise their faith, so Mass was celebrated secretly in the homes of several families under the guise of social gatherings.'' (Strong witness to the faith by parents = key component in the development of priestly or religious vocations.)

What's really important?

Every now and then we see something, experience something, or as in this case, read something that makes us stop and ask "What's really important?"

I received an email yesterday from a faithful supporter and promoter of this blog, bringing to my attention a tragic but beautiful story of a young man, set to enter religious life with the Franciscans 0f the Immaculate in the fall, whose life ended on June 30th trying to save his father's life. Take the time to read the post at the following links, then take the time to watch the video. You will be glad you did - I certainly am. Eternal rest grant unto them O Lord.

The Passing of a Young Knight.

Laying Our Knights to Rest.

"Birmingham: seven ordinations in 'a summer of exceptional grace' "

From Independent Catholic News

There will be seven ordinations to the Priesthood in the Archdiocese of Birmingham [England] this summer, writes Peter Jennings.

In a statement issued yesterday, Archbishop Vincent Nichols said: "This is a summer of exceptional grace for our Archdiocese as seven new priests are ordained.

"They come from different backgrounds and are of different ages. This shows that the priesthood remains powerfully attractive to those who seek to know God and serve God. It is a joyful and fulfilling way of life."

The Archbishop of Birmingham added: "I hope many more men, young and of more mature years, will come forward to offer themselves to the priesthood."

Read the rest of the article HERE.

"Cloistered nuns would welcome new vocations with open arms"

From the Times of Malta

by Claudia Calleja

As a young girl, Mother Superior Marija Tiralongo laughed at the idea of becoming a nun let alone a cloister nun but, almost six decades after setting foot in the monastery, she now cannot imagine any other way of life.

"If I were re-born I would do it all over again and join the same monastery... except that I would join younger," she smiles as she recalls the experiences that led her to join the Monastery of Santa Skolastika in Vittoriosa that has been her home for the past 58 years.

She is now the mother superior, or badessa as they call her, of the monastery that hosts 15 Benedictine nuns - aged between 36 and 80 - who dedicate their time to working and praying for the people in the outside world.

The nuns, who will be celebrating the feast of St Benedict on Friday, would love to welcome new additions to their monastery and are encouraging any girls or women who think they may have the vocation to contact them to learn more about their way of life.

Sr Marija explained that their day starts at 4.30 a.m. with the morning prayer session followed by Mass at 7 a.m. They continue their day with a series of timed prayer sessions, chores, recreational time and silent-hours until they retire back into their rooms at about 9.30 p.m.

Travelling back to her younger days, Sr Marija said that, as a bubbly young girl, she never considered becoming a nun. But, when her father passed away, she opened her eyes to the world's hardships and started hearing God's call.

She initially ignored the call and continued living life as a typical young lady who loved setting her hair and wearing jewellery and fashionable clothes. Various young men showed interest in her but she always found an excuse to turn them down. "I would say that one had big ears, another would walk in a funny way," she laughed as she added: "God was already keeping me aside and saving me for himself."

One day she went to Mass and the priest spoke about giving oneself to God. That homily marked a turning point in her life. She knew she was destined to become a nun and when she went home she removed all her jewellery and gave it to her younger sister. She immediately started on the path to her vocation and decided to be a cloister nun.

"Once I was going to give myself to God, I wanted to give myself to Him entirely," she said.

She was consecrated at the age of 20 and has never once regretted her decision since. Initially, leaving her family behind was tough but God helped her through it, she said.

Sr Marija then noted that some people questioned why they remained locked behind four walls rather than going out to help people in need. "We are not here for ourselves. We are here to pray for the people outside... The world needs prayer," she said with conviction.

Prayer Request

Brother Gabriel Myriam Kurzawski, O.S.B., who works with Father Fred Byrne, O.S.B. in the St. Vincent Archabbey Vocation Office (Br. Gabriel is the blogger for their excellent vocations blog)contacted me to see if the readers of this blog could offer up at least one extra Hail Mary in their prayers for a few special intentions.

This Thursday, July 10th and Friday, July 11th, 2008 (the Feast of St. Benedict) the monks will have some very important events in the life of the Archabbey as 5 men (ages 22, 23, 33, 34, 39) will be invested in the Holy Habit and begin their year long Novitiate, 4 Novices (ages 23, 23, 34, 51) will profess first vows, and 2 monks will profess solemn vows.

I have confidence in that the prayerful generosity of this vocations "community" and know that we can gratefully storm heaven on behalf of these men.

The picture to the left is of the four novices, including Br. Gabriel, from left to right: Br. Maximilian Maxwell, OSB, Br. Jeremiah Lange, OSB, Fr. Sebastian Samay, OSB (Novice Master), Br. Gabriel Myriam Kurzawski, OSB, and Br. Michael Antonacci, OSB.

Br. Gabriel also sent me this great picture which (I assume) he took of his brother novices with the Franciscan Sisters of the Renewal at St. Joseph's Seminary in Dunwoodie during Our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI's visit. More proof that young, joyful, and faithful men and women are indeed answering God's call. Deo Gratias! Please remember them in your prayers.

"Priestly vocations starting to ascend"

As the U.S. Catholic Church revives from scandal, clergy ranks increase

From the Daily News/Los Angeles
By Karen Maeshiro, Staff Writer

Photo by Evan Yee

William Crowe Jr. made a good living as a machine-shop worker and later as a computer programmer, but he always sensed something was missing.
Though he was materially successful, there was a spiritual void that possessions could never fill.

A product of Catholic schools, the 49-year-old Granada Hills man did not realize his true calling until he started becoming active in his church again during the 1990s.

"I began to realize that God was calling me to work in the church," Crowe said. "The emptiness started disappearing. The satisfaction was there. I felt God was preparing me to do something."

Crowe was among 12 men ordained May 31 by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Angels in downtown L.A.

The 2008 class is the largest ordained for the Los Angeles Archdiocese in the past 19 years. Most years, the class size had averaged between four and five, according to the archdiocese.

Even as the Catholic Church recovers from a sex-abuse scandal that battered its public reputation and its bank account, the number of men entering the priesthood has started gradually increasing, researchers say.

For decades, the priesthood had been declining as a vocation, at least in the United States. Some researchers attribute the recent increase to greater efforts to recruit Catholic immigrants. Also, more mature men are becoming priesthood candidates after having worked at other occupations for years.

Between 1965 and 2000, ordinations of new priests across the country declined by 55 percent, according to the Georgetown University Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate.

But in recent years, they rose slightly - from 442 in 2000 to 456 in 2007.

"The church is trying very hard to bring this out - to let young men know that this is a worthwhile endeavor and noble calling," said CARA senior research associate Mary Gautier.

The average age of U.S. priests is over 60, and the average age of priests ordained this year is 37, an indication more men are entering the priesthood after other careers, Gautier said.

Crowe said the sex-abuse scandal did not make him think twice about entering the priesthood.

"I saw it as a purifying of the church, and I was thinking I was called by God to do this," Crowe said.

"I knew God was calling me into this, and he would give me the strength to get through it."

One way archdioceses have been recruiting new priests is through the ranks of Catholic immigrants.

One-third of this year's new U.S. priests were born outside the country, up from 22 percent in 1999, with the largest numbers coming from Mexico, Vietnam, Poland and the Philippines, according to a CARA study done for the nation's Conference of Catholic Bishops.

The faces of Catholicism have changed in recent years. A survey this year by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life found that immigration is a factor in explaining how the Catholic share of the U.S. population has held fairly steady over recent decades, although former Catholics outnumber converts 4-1.

The survey found that 46percent of all immigrants to the U.S. are Catholic, compared with just 21 percent of the native-born population, and that 82 percent of the Catholic immigrants were born in Latin America.

Besides Los Angeles, other dioceses around Southern California have seen increases in new priests. In San Bernardino, the diocese ordained six new priests this year, the most in its 30-year history. The diocese had ordained only a total of seven in the entire previous decade, according to spokesman John Andrews.

"The diocese has been much more focused on promoting vocation to priesthood throughout the parishes," Andrews said. "It's really important when someone is considering this that they have a lot of support from their parish." (This is a point I have been trying to make for some time. Until Pastors, parishioners and parish communities understand their responsibility to promote and foster vocations to the Priesthood and Religious Life, dioceses will continue to face shortages. There is no reason parishes should go years, even decades without produce a single candidate for the Priesthood, while others continually produce candidates - sometimes multiple candidates at a time!)

Read the rest of the article HERE.

"Whose Will Is It Anyway????"

Below is a homily from Fr. Jim Chern who is campus minister and Catholic Chaplain at Montclair State University. This is an excellent reflection on discernment.

The parts below in black that are in bold are by Fr. Chern, my emphases will be bold in red.

From Father Jim Chern's Blog




HOMILY By Fr. Chern for the 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time:

This couple I had been helping prepare to get married for the last year or so -well the day they had been anticipating for so long had finally arrived. They got married this past Friday, the 4th of July. It’s one of many great blessings as a priest to be able to walk with people through these life-changing moments and to see and witness how God is active in their lives in different ways.

I had met the groom a few years ago when I was the chaplain to the Fire Department. But I didn’t know Joe that well because he was one of the newer guys, only coming on the job towards the end of my time there before I was transferred to another assignment. But one of the things I remembered was that before becoming a Firefighter Joe had played minor league baseball for the Newark Bears, and the Atlantic City Surf.

Friday night at the wedding reception, his brother, one of the best men, was making the toast - and kind of out of the blue he revealed something I never knew about how Joe’s baseball career has ended. Joe basically had to make a choice a few years ago whether to continue to pursue his own dream his own desires and keep giving a career in baseball a shot or to give it up, because he had taken the test for the fire department, his number had been called up and there was no time to defer and no way to do both - it was a now or never situation.

Listening to the best man talk you could hear how much he loved watching his little brother playing in professional sports. It probably had tapped into the his own dreams - living vicariously through his little brother imagining himself on the playing field. The one line that the best man said in the toast that really stuck with me was “Joe - you had to choose between being our hero (on the baseball field) to everyone else’s hero as a fireman...”

Part of the reason Joe made that choice was that he and his (now wife) wanted to get married and want to have a family. That’s the way he would say it - that he “wants” this - but as I explained to him, as Catholics we understand that those wants - marriage and family - are vocations - that God calls a man and a woman to marriage and one of the blessings, one of the fruits and goals of marriage is children. But in order for this guy to respond to that call, that vocation to marriage, he had to die to his own plans, to some of his own desires for what it was God was calling him to in his own life.

It’s kind of easy to hear that story - or for me to see how happy Joe was during the wedding - and that he couldn’t take his eyes off his wife all day Friday and say - he made the right choice. But, the reality is I’m sure it was a painful and difficult decision for him to make – to align his will to what God’s will for him was.

No matter what it is - when we respond to what it is God is calling us to do, we find (to paraphrase today’s Gospel) his “yoke is easy - and [his] burden is light”

That’s basically the question the Gospel challenges us with today - are we following God’s will or our own?

Everyone of us is confronted daily with opportunities to respond to what ever it is God has called us to, or we are tempted to fulfill some desire that we want... I’ve met more than a few individuals who God is calling to be a priest or a religious, but they jump from one thing to another - one job to another job, relationship to relationship almost trying to dodge God and they can’t figure out why they are still unhappy, still unsettled, still not as at peace.

But responding to God’s will doesn’t always have to be a major life changing decision - often times it can be little things, which gradually can add up:

I’ve heard the story so many times: a choice here or there that put a person’s career over their family - then in time there’s resentment and tension in the home. That’s why a lot of times when I’m talking with a couple who are going through a difficult time, they can’t pinpoint a single event that caused it, but little decisions that seem insignificant at the time that build up. People sometimes don’t even realize that they’ve put themselves ahead of God and their families.

Even in my own life I can see ways that I struggle to follow God’s will daily over the choice to follow my own... It can be something as simple as the choice over my morning prayer against the desire to get A, B or C done first. And when I make the wrong choice, I allow myself to get distracted with paperwork and administrative stuff, all of which is legitimately important stuff, but not as important as my duty, my obligation to prayer as a priest.

The reality is, when I give into those temptations, I’m not at peace, I’m not centered, I’m not happy. In fact it’s the opposite. When I put my own list ahead of what God has called me to do, I can see that I’m more stressed, more burdened.

Which is why Jesus is inviting us to come to Him those who labor and are burdened - not because by following him we won’t have to work anymore. He’s saying let go of the burdens we create for ourselves - let go of the image that we have of ourselves - and see ourselves as God sees us. His creatures, created in his own divine, beautiful and loved image. And how do we do that? By letting go of all the ways we try to manipulate and control our lives and truly living the life God has called us to.

It’s hard because it’s not just a thing where we make one decision - give up that dream at baseball - say I do in marriage or to a religious vocation - pass on that promotion because it will pull me away from my family - and we’re all good and it’s all done....Our desires for things, for control over everything, for the attention and validation that feeds our ego will always come and distract us - promising us a short cut to fulfillment, to happiness.

That’s why it has to be a daily prayer – that we will make God’s will for us - our will for ourselves. Can we hear the invitation Jesus is making to each of us in today’s Gospel - to lay aside the things we’ve weighed ourselves down and trust Jesus’ promise when he says to us my yoke is easy - my burden is light? Sure beats the “yokes” and “burdens” we put on ourselves...

"Path to priesthood a voyage of discovery"

From the Northern Star

By ANDY PARKS

THE first priest to be ordained in Lismore since 1993 (15 YEARS without an ordination! That is a pretty significant drought!) made his commitment before a packed congregation at St Carthage's Cathedral on Thursday night.

Nicolas Maurice, 33, said there was no moment of clarity when he knew the priesthood would be his calling; it was a slow process of discovery.

"I was blessed to have a wise old priest in Brisbane who I could see regularly. Father Drury gave me spiritual direction. He would talk about what was happening in my life and how the Lord might be influencing it," he said.

"That was very helpful for me, so I guess it was a process of slowly seeing how things were unfolding."

Nicolas Maurice was born in South Africa and his family immigrated to Brisbane when he was 15.
They would say Grace before meals and go to Mass every Sunday, but were not 'fanatical' Catholics, he said.

Fr Maurice believes he is the first member of his family to enter the priesthood, although his mother had an aunt who was a nun.

He studied engineering at the University of Queensland and then worked for an environmental consultancy before doing a year's voluntary youth work in the West Australian Kimberly region with a Catholic apostolate.

In 2001, he met Lismore Bishop Geoffrey Jarrett and became his student.

Fr Maurice studied for two and half years at the Good Shepherd Seminary at Homebush in Sydney, before Bishop Jarrett asked him to finish his studies in Rome.

He spent four years in Rome and will return in September to complete his studies.

Fr Maurice described the ordination ceremony at St Carthage's as 'very moving'. "It was the culmination of a long period of preparation and something that was bigger than me," he said.

Fr Maurice also conducted his first Mass yesterday morning.

"It was very good as well. I was so excited to be able to offer Mass," he said.

Fr Maurice is now looking forward to World Youth Day celebrations and will be travelling to Sydney with the St Carthage's parish group.

Pope Benedict XVI to Priests, Deacons and Seminarians of Brindisi

"Place Yourselves With Ever Growing Openness at the Service of the Gospel"

Below is a Vatican translation of Pope Benedict XVI's June 15, 2008 address to the priests, deacons and seminarians of the Archdiocese of Brindisi.

* * *

Dearest priests, deacons and seminarians,

I am pleased to address my cordial greeting to all of you gathered in this beautiful Cathedral, reopened for worship after its restoration last November. I thank Archbishop Rocco Talucci for the warm welcome he has addressed to me in your name and for all his gifts. I greet the priests to whom I wish to express my satisfaction at the immense and structured pastoral work they carry out. I greet the deacons, the seminarians and everyone present and express my joy at being surrounded by a large crowd of souls consecrated for the advent of the Kingdom of God. Here in the Cathedral, which is the heart of the Diocese, we all feel at home, united by the bond of Christ's love. Let us commemorate here with gratitude those who spread Christianity in these regions: Brindisi was the first city of the West to welcome the Gospel, which reached it on the Roman consular roads. Among the evangelizing Saints I think of Bishop St Leucius, of St Oronzo, St Theodore of Amasea and St Lawrence of Brindisi, proclaimed a Doctor of the Church by John XXIII. Their presence lives on in the hearts of the people and is witnessed to by many of the city's monuments.

Dear brothers, in seeing you gathered in this Church, in which many of you received your diaconal and presbyteral ordination, I remember the words that St Ignatius of Antioch wrote to the Christians of Ephesus: "Your excellent presbyters, who are a credit to God, are as suited to the Bishop as strings to a harp. So in your harmony of mind and heart the song you sing is Jesus Christ". And the holy Bishop added: "Every one of you should form a choir, so that, in harmony of sound through harmony of hearts, and in unity taking the note from God, you may sing with one voice through Jesus Christ to the Father. If you do this, he will listen to you" (Letter to the Ephesians, 4). Persevere, dear priests, in seeking this unity of intention and reciprocal help, so that fraternal charity and unity in pastoral work are an example and incentive for your communities. This, above all, was the goal of the pastoral visits your Archbishop made to your parishes which ended last March. Due, precisely, to your generous collaboration, it was not merely a juridical exercise but an extraordinary event of ecclesial and formative value. I am certain that it will be fruitful since the Lord will make the seed sown with love grow abundantly in the hearts of the faithful.

I would like to encourage you with my presence today to place yourselves with ever growing openness at the service of the Gospel and of the Church. I know that you already work with zeal and intelligence, sparing no energy in spreading the joyful Gospel proclamation. Christ, to whom you have consecrated your lives, is with you! In him we all believe, to him alone we entrust our lives, it is he whom we desire to proclaim to the world. May Christ who is the Way, the Truth and the Life (cf. Jn 14: 6), be the object of our thought, the topic of our words, the reason for our life. Dear brother priests, if your faith is to be strong and vigorous, as you well know, it must be nourished with assiduous prayer. Thus be models of prayer, become masters of prayer. May your days be marked by times of prayer, during which, after Jesus' example, you engage in a regenerating conversation with the Father. I know it is not easy to stay faithful to this daily appointment with the Lord, especially today when the pace of life is frenetic and worries absorb us more and more. Yet we must convince ourselves: the time he spends in prayer is the most important time in a priest's life, in which divine grace acts with greater effectiveness, making his ministry fruitful. The first service to render to the community is prayer. And therefore, time for prayer must be given a true priority in our life. I know that there are many urgent things: as regards myself, an audience, a document to study, a meeting or something else. But if we are not interiorly in communion with God we cannot even give anything to others. Therefore, God is the first priority. We must always reserve the time necessary to be in communion of prayer with our Lord.

Dear brothers and sisters, I would now like to congratulate you on the new Archdiocesan Seminary which was inaugurated last November by my Secretary of State, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone. On the one hand, it expresses the present state of a Diocese, understood as the culmination of work undertaken by priests and parishes in the area of the pastoral care of youth, in teaching the catechism, in the religious animation of families. On the other hand, the Seminary is a precious investment for the future, because it ensures that through patient and generous work the Christian community will not be deprived of shepherds of souls, of teachers of faith and of zealous guides and witnesses of Christ's charity. Besides being the place of your formation, dear seminarians, true hope of the Church, this seminary of yours is also a place for the up-dating and continuing formation of youth and adults who wish to make their contribution to the cause of the Kingdom of God. The careful formation of seminarians and the continuing formation of priests and other pastoral workers is a primary concern of your Bishop, to whom God has entrusted the mission of guiding the People of God who live in your City as a wise pastor.

Another opportunity for the spiritual growth of your community is the Archdiocesan Synod, the first since the Second Vatican Council and since the unification of the two Dioceses of Brindisi and Ostuni. It is an opportunity to relaunch the apostolic commitment of the entire Diocese but above all it is a privileged moment of communion that is a help in the rediscovery of the value of fraternal service, as indicated in the biblical scene of the washing of the feet (cf. Jn 13: 12-17) that you chose, with the words of Jesus that comment on it: "As I have done" (Jn 13: 15). If it is true that the Synod, every Synod, is called to establish laws and to issue the appropriate norms for an organic pastoral activity, raising and stimulating renewed commitment to evangelization and Gospel witness, it is also true that a Synod must reawaken in every baptized person the missionary outreach that constantly animates the Church.

Dear brother priests, the Pope assures you of his special remembrance in prayer so that you may continue on the journey of authentic spiritual renewal which you have been making with your community. May the experience of "being together" in faith and reciprocal love help you in this commitment, like the Apostles around Christ in the Upper Room. It was there that the Divine Teacher taught them, opening their eyes to the splendour of the truth and giving them the sacrament of unity and love: the Eucharist. In the Upper Room, during the Last Supper, at the moment of the washing of the feet, it clearly emerged that service is one of the fundamental dimensions of Christian life. It is therefore a duty of the Synod to help all the members of your local Church to rediscover the meaning and the joy of service: a service for love. This applies above all for you, dear priests, configured to Christ "Head and Pastor", always ready to guide his flock. Be thankful and happy for the gift received! Be generous in carrying out your ministry! Sustain it with assiduous prayer and a continuing cultural, theological and spiritual formation!

While I renew the expression of my lively appreciation and my warmest encouragement, I invite you and the entire Archdiocese to prepare for the Pauline Year which is shortly to begin. It can be an occasion on which to relaunch generous missionary activity, for a more profound proclamation of the Word of God, welcomed, meditated and translated into a fruitful apostolate, as it happened exactly for the Apostle to the Gentiles. Conquered by Christ, Paul lived entirely for him and for his Gospel, spending his existence even to the point of martyrdom. May you be assisted by the Blessed Mother of the Church and Virgin of Listening; may the Patron Saints of this beloved land of Apulia protect you. Be missionaries of God's love; may each of your parishes experience the joy of belonging to Christ. As a pledge of divine grace and of the gifts of his Spirit, I gladly impart the Apostolic Blessing to you all.