World Prayer Day for Vocations is
May 7
Kristin Lukowski of The Michigan Catholic
Published April 28, 2006
Detroit – On Sunday, May 7, the world will be pulling together for World Prayer Day for Vocations.
In the Archdiocese of Detroit, various groups that promote vocations are putting out their own reminders for prayers for vocations, or holding their own events in the weeks before and after May 7. Also, this year has been named as the archdiocese's year of vocations.
The May edition of Vocare, the archdiocese's Vocation department newsletter, discusses the vocation of marriage and offers several online resources for married couples: the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops' Committee on Marriage and Family (www.usccb.org/laity/marriage), Couple Prayer (www.coupleprayer.net) and National Marriage Encounter (www.national-marriage-encounter.org).
Pope Paul VI designated the Feast of the Good Shepherd as World Day of Prayer for Vocations, according to the newsletter. The day was selected since Jesus (the Good Shepherd) calls his people by name and "leads them to the fullness of life."
 Vocations
• Visit the Archdiocese of Detroit's vocations Web site at www.vocationsdetroit.org, or call (313) 237-5875.
• Visit the Knights of Columbus at www.mikofc.org or www.kofc.org. • To learn more about the Detroit-Oakland Serra Club, or to learn about beginning a new chapter, call Tom Scholler at (313) 883-8771. | The Vocation office also has events planned before and after World Day of Prayer for Vocations. A Be My Guest dinner, cosponsored by the Archdiocesan Vocation Association, is a chance for priests, sisters, deacons and even lay ministers to invite someone out for dinner and discussion of religious life.
That evening, Wednesday, May 3, will include presentations and prayer. It will be held at Sacred Heart Major Seminary, 2701 Chicago Boulevard, Detroit, beginning at 6:30 p.m. Cost is $13 per person.
The weekend after World Day of Prayer for Vocations, the Vocation office is hosting an overnight retreat for men 16 and older who are considering the priesthood, also at the seminary. The retreat will begin at 7 p.m. Friday, May 12 to 3 p.m. Saturday, May 13. Reservations are requested by May 8.
The Serra Club, another vocations-promoting organization, is not doing anything specific for World Day of Prayer for Vocations in the Detroit area. However, the Detroit-Oakland chapter has encouraged members to coordinate activities in their own parishes, said Tom Scholler, the chapter's vice-president for membership.
At his parish, St. Daniel in Clarkston, the World Day of Prayer is usually mentioned in the Vocations Corner of the parish bulletin. Also, prayers for vocations are usually included during the Prayer of the Faithful, and the pastor is asked to weave something about vocations into his homily if possible.
Tom Parsch, Michigan Vocations Director for the Knights of Columbus and Washington Township resident, said there was a vocations dinner/dance in Warren last Sunday, with proceeds going to support seminarians.
|
