Welcome to the
Fifth Annual
Vocations Convocation
‘Do Whatever He Tells You’
Office of Priestly Vocations
Annual Report
2011-12
~ Programs ~
Attendees
- 3 Discernment Weekends
18
- 2 Discernment Overnights
32
- Day of Discernment w/Archbishop
25
- Vocation ‘Guest’ Prayer & Dinner
44
- Jr. High Vocation Awareness Day
1,500
- High School Vocation Awareness Day
12
- Vocation Convocation
130
~ Present Initiatives ~
- Appointment of Regional Vocation Coordinators
- Letters from the Archbishop -
52
- V.I.V.A - Vicariate Initiative, Vocation Awareness
- Vocation preaching at weekend masses
- Pastoral Plan for Vocational Awareness:
“Do Whatever He Tells You”
Progress Report: Pastoral Plan
‘Do Whatever He Tells You’
- April 15:
Mailed to every parish in the AOD
1- printed copy of the 163 page Plan
2- CD’s with the full Plan in chapter format
- September 15:
Vocation Convocation
- October 15:
Begin meeting with every Vicariate to
present and explain the Plan. RVC’s will be
present for these meetings to assist with the
follow-up of implementing aspects of the
Plan with the parishes/schools in their
Region
~ New Initiatives under Construction ~
- Working with SHMS to attract
- ‘
more minority students
Altar Server Day’
Present statistics show 85% of newly ordained were altar servers. Establish an
annual summer (August) event for all Altar Servers in the AOD to visit the
seminary for Mass, vocation talks, recreation, food.
- More intense focus on High School & College students
College visits by the Archbishop and Vocation Director
Regular High School visits by the Vocation Director & RVC’s
‘walking pilgrimage
- Vocation Director to sponsor a 72 mile
’ on the
Camino de Santiago
For any 18-35 man who ‘at some level’ is still discerning their vocation,
especially to the priesthood. Also to raise awareness for the Fisherman’s Fund.
To take place June 2013.
~ 2011-12 AOD Seminarians ~
46 Total start of year
-
25- College
(9 Pre-Theology)
21- Theology
41- SHMS
2- PNAC, Rome
2- B.John XXIII, Boston
1- Pastoral Year
~ 2011-12 AOD Seminarians ~
40- Total end of year
6- withdrew from formation:
5- College
1- Theology
~ 2012-13 AOD Seminarians ~
36- Returning Seminarians
14- College
(5 Pre-Theology)
22- Theology
7- New Seminarians
6- Accepted
1- Transfer
~ 2012-13 Academic Year ~
43- Total Seminarians
20 – College
(8-Pre-Theology)
23 - Theology
36- SHMS
3- PNAC, Rome
2- Blessed John XXIII, Boston
2- Pastoral Year
~ 2012-13 New Seminarians ~
3- Pre-Theology
3- College
1- Theology
~ 2012-13 New Seminarian Parishes ~
Our Lady of Victory, Northville
St. Anne, Monroe
Assumption (Grotto), Detroit
Our Lady of Good Counsel, Plymouth
SS. Cyril & Methodius, Sterling Heights
St. Frances Cabrini, Allen Park
St. Anastasia, Troy
~ 2012-13 AOD Seminarians ~
Central Region-
6 Seminarians
Renaissance- Grotto (2), St. Josaphat,
St. Jude
Southwest- Holy Redeemer, St. Gabriel
Northwest Region- 8 Seminarians
Pontiac-
St. Joseph (3)
South Oakland- Guardian Angels,
O.L. of Sorrows
O.L. of Albanians,
St. Vincent Ferrer,
St. Anastasia
Northeast Region – 13 Seminarians
Bluewater-
Immaculate Conception,
Our Lady on the River,
St. Mary, Queen of Creation
Central Macomb-
SS. Cyril & Methodius (3),
St. Jane Frances de Chantal,
St. Sylvester, St. Thecla
North Macomb-
St. Isidore
SERF-
O.L. Queen of All Saints,
St.Clare of Montefalco,
St. Paul on the Lake
South Region- 16 Seminarians
Downriver-
Our Lady of the Woods, St. Cyprian (2),
St. Pius X, St. Stanislaus, St.Victor,
St. Frances Cabrini
Monroe-
St. Patrick, St. Anne
Northwest Wayne- St. Colette, St. Maurice-Genevieve,
St. Michael, O.L. Victory,
O.L. Good Counsel
West Wayne-
St. Stephen
Cayman Islands- St. Ignatius
Central Region -
6
Northwest Region -
8
Northeast Region -
13
South Region -
16
“To ensure the continuity and growth
of your saving mission in Christ, you
should foster priestly and religious
vocations as much as possible… The
Lord needs you to cooperate with
Him in ensuring that His call reaches
the hearts of those whom he has
chosen.”
Pope Benedict XVI
Seven Mission Priorities of the
Archdiocese of Detroit
- Evangelization
- Christian Service Outreach
- Youth & Young Adults
- Lay Leadership
- Stewardship & Administration
- Catholic Schools
- Vocations
Mission Priority: Vocations
The vision of the AOD is to have a vocations
friendly environment at every level so that
those who are called by God, especially with
vocations to the ministerial priesthood and
Consecrated Life, may hear and respond.
Its goals are:
- To properly educate, direct and inspire the faithful
of their duty and responsibility to foster vocations
at home, in the parish, vicariate, and region by the
implementation of the Pastoral Plan for Vocations.
- To create Parish Vocation Committees in every
parish in the AOD to assist in the mission of
fostering vocations
- To give priority to fostering vocations to the
priesthood and Consecrated Life at every level of
the AOD.
How do we accomplish all of this?
1. Leadership of the Office of Priestly Vocations
2. Regional Vocation Directors
3. Vocation Committees
4. Pastoral Plan -- “Do Whatever He Tells You”
5. Collaboration with Consecrated Religious
Regional Vocation Coordinators
Central:
Northeast:
Northwest:
South:
Fr. Marie-Ellie Haby
Fr. Philip Ching
Fr. Stephen Pullis
Fr. David Bechill
RVC Ministry
•
•
•
•
Promote, Promote, Promote
Vocation talks
Vicariate/Regional Meetings
Assist with vocation programs
‘Do Whatever He Tells You’
A Pastoral Plan for Vocational Awareness
~
Archdiocese of Detroit
“Vocations to the ministerial priesthood and to the
consecrated life are first and foremost the fruit of constant
contact with the living God and insistent prayer lifted up
to the ‘Lord of the harvest’, whether in parish
communities, in Christian families or in groups
specifically devoted to prayer for vocations.”
Pope Benedict XVI
1. Education:
Sharing the research and
statistics presently at our
disposal
2. Direction:
Providing priests, parish
staff, and laity with the‘tools’
3. Inspiration:
Reminding, via
theological reflection,
why this should be a
priority in the life of the
Church
Chapters for
Do Whatever He Tells You:
A Pastoral Plan for
Vocational Awareness
I. Priest:
 Statistics
 Challenge- Leadership- Shepherd
‘Pro-creative’ Father
 Invitation
Since 1988:
40.6- average per year total of seminarians
49- highest number of seminarians
32- lowest number of seminarians
How does Detroit compare?
Diocese
Bismark
Catholics
59,000
Sems
21
AOD
502
Marquette
50,000
10
282
Lansing
250,000
30
212
St.Paul/Minn.
825,000
69
118
Chicago
2.5million
95
What’s a priest to do?
- Preach, preach, preach vocations
- Invite, invite, invite
- Promote vocation programs
- Functioning Vocation Committee
Chapter II: Catechist/Youth
and Young Adult Minister
 Who will be the heralds of
vocation to our youth?
 There is a need to educate our
parents, DRE’s, catechists, youth
and young adult ministers to their
role and responsibility in
promoting vocations.
The Task of Nurturing Vocations
“The duty of fostering vocations rests with the
entire Christian community so that the needs
of the sacred ministry in the universal Church
are provided for sufficiently. This duty
especially binds Christian families, educators,
and, in a special way, priests, particularly
pastors, Diocesan bishops, who most
especially are to be concerned for promoting
vocations….”
Canon 233
from the Code of Canon Law
What can be done to
help Catechists and
RESOURCES
Youth and Young
click here
Adult Ministers in this
role?
Appendix:




Let the Children Come –
Grades K-8 (pp. 56-103)
Be Not Afraid – lessons and
activities for HS youth and
young adult (pp. 104-118)
25 Ways to Encourage
Vocations (pp. 132-133)
Vocations Reference Guide
(pp. 156-163)
Greatest Resource:
www.detroitpriest.com
RESOURCE PAGE:
 Pastoral Plan for Vocation
Awareness
 National Vocation Awareness Week
 Links: Online information for
General Vocations Information,
Educational Materials, Family
Websites, Consecrated Life and the
Permanent Diaconate.
Particularly in these times, when the voice of the
Lord seems to be drowned out by "other voices"
and his invitation to follow him by the gift of one's
own life may seem too difficult, every Christian
community, every member of the Church, needs
consciously to feel responsibility for promoting
vocations. It is important to encourage and
support those who show clear signs of a call to
priestly life and religious consecration, and to
enable them to feel the warmth of the whole
community as they respond "yes" to God and the
Church.
- 2011 Message for World Day of Prayer for Vocations, Pope Benedict XVI
III. Pastoral Staff:




Connection with the parishioners
Part of the ‘Team’
Parish programming (part of everything)
Invitation
The role of Pastoral Staff
- Outside of the pastor, you have the most
interaction with parishioners
- We need a ‘team of voices’ to attract our youth
- Is parish programming reflective of ALL needs ?
- Have you ever invited anyone to consider a
priestly or Religious vocation?
IV. People of God:




Baptism- the ‘heart of it all’
What is a vocation- do I have one?
Lead by example
Invitation
V. Resources:
 Website/Social Media
 Vatican Documents/Papal
Letters/Decrees/Addresses
 Books/Articles
* Parish Vocation Committee Guide
My Appendix is bursting!!
- For the Priest
- For the Vocation Committee
- For the Parish
- For Reference
Vocation Committees hit the jackpot!
In Review:
•Invite, Invite, Invite
•Pray, Pray, Pray
•Implement Pastoral Plan
•Promote Vocation Programs
•Cooperate with RVC
Prayer for Vocations
Gracious God,
You have showered us with many blessings. We are
grateful for all that You have given us.
Bless our Archdiocese with many who are eager to serve
as priests, deacons, religious sisters and brothers and lay
ministers in the Church.
Show our young people the way of life to which You are
calling them.
Remind them that they will find greatest fulfillment by
pursuing the path you have laid before them.
We ask this in Jesus’s name. Amen.