National
Vocation Awareness Week
diocesan Office of Vocations continues to promote and foster church related
vocations
by Sr. Margaret McHugh
and Fr. Todd Petersen,
Vocations’ Team members
The Office of Vocations for
the Diocese of New Ulm serves the people of the local church (priests, sisters,
brothers, deacons, and lay persons) in the area of vocation awareness. This
responsibility also belongs to all members of the local church. We should not only pray for vocations, but
support and invite consideration of a vocation to the priesthood or religious
life. It is the aim of the office to empower individuals to foster and nourish
all church related vocations (ordained and lay) and to give them the tools
necessary to do so.
Diocesan Vocations’ Team:
In the Diocese of New Ulm,
the Vocation’s Office consists of the Vocations Team with Bishop John C.
Nienstedt as team chair. Other team members include: Fr. Todd Petersen,
director; Fr. Francis Garvey, seminary internship supervisor; Fr. Brian
Oestreich, Web site supervisor; and Sr. Margaret McHugh, director of vocation
awareness.
Vocation Activities
Operation Andrew dinners - The diocese has offered six Operation Andrew
dinners for high school age boys this past year. Each
dinner is sponsored by the Office of Vocations and hosted by six regional
representatives. The Operation Andrew dinners, named in patronage of St.
Andrew, who according to John's gospel brings a number of people to Jesus,
serve as an opportunity to invite young men, whose names have been suggested as
possible candidates for priesthood, to share a meal and converse about
priesthood with Bishop Nienstedt and other priests of the diocese.
This program is sponsored in
parishes throughout the Diocese of New Ulm. Host parishes in 2004 were St.
Mary's,
As part of the dinner, Bishop
Nienstedt and the participants begin with evening prayer from the Liturgy of
the Hours. Following dinner, the participants watch a video produced and
distributed by Life Teen from their "Legacy Vocations Series"
entitled Carrying the Legacy (this three-tape series
is available for parish use by contacting the Office of Vocations, (507)
359-2966. This tape explores the meaning of priesthood with a number of
interview clips from various priests, and gives some practical hints at
discernment. After the video priests in attendance are
invited to share their vocation story with the youth. Some highlight
their own discernment process while others talk about the joy that their
priestly ministry has meant in their lives.
The participants are reminded that it is God who calls, and all are
asked to really pray about what God wants for them. Bishop Nienstedt speaks at each of the
events, giving encouragement to the youth to continue discerning God's call in
their lives.
Operation Miryam dinners - The Office of Vocations will also be sponsoring
Operation Miryam dinners for young women considering
religious life. Dates, times, and places will be announced.
Diocesan Vocation Fairs - Since 1999, the Diocese of New Ulm has offered
Vocation Fairs to the youth of the diocese. Through these Vocation Fairs,
students in Catholic schools and Faith Formation classes have the opportunity
to hear a priest, brother, sister or lay missionary speak about their vocation.
They are also a great opportunity for youth to be presented with the
possibility of choosing priesthood, religious life or lay ministry.
Each year, different
locations are chosen to host Vocation Fairs.
This school year we will have three locations: New Ulm, Marshall and Glencoe. The last
Vocation Fair was held on
The Story of My Life - a test to assist high school students discern whether or not they
might have the natural inclinations that make a choice for priesthood or
religious life a good fit. This test is
often given in the junior or senior year in Catholic high schools here in the
diocese.
Diocesan Vocation Web site - The Web site can be accessed through
www.OURMIB.org. This creative and upbeat Web site provides information about
priesthood and includes a “frequently asked question” section allowing the
visitor to anonymously ask questions in reference to the priesthood.
Vocation Awareness Week - is celebrated every year in January. During this
time, the Office of Vocations provides each parish in the diocese with
promotional materials such as prayers or intentions to be published in their
parish bulletins as well as suggestion on vocation- related homilies. The 2005
Vocation Awareness Week will be January 9-14. The theme is “Called for the
Victory of Justice.”
Annually in January, a
Diocesan Seminary Aid Collection is held in parishes. This year’s collection
will be held