Good news on the vocations front!

Amid much of the negative news about religious and priestly vocations in Ireland during the past few weeks, it is great to recount some good news stories on the vocations front as well. Irish Dominican Vocations would like to congratulate our brother Franciscans and Capuchins on their reception of new postulants and novices and also to send best wishes to the Presentation brothers on the occasion of professions recently.

Our Franciscan brothers have three men beginning their postulancy year in Killarney Co. Kerry. They are Denis Ahearne, Ronan Sharpley and Richard Cutting (pictured above with their formation directors).

The Franciscans also have three men beginning their canonical novitiate year in Ennis Co. Clare. They are Adrian McGrath, Vincent Finegan and Dave Connolly (all pictured above).

The Capuchins have two men beginning their postulancy programme in Raheny Co. Dublin. They are Sean Oberc and Antony. They are pictured above with their director of postulants Br Eustace. Irish Dominican Vocations send particularly warm wishes to Sean who has many Dominican connections and friends.

Finally, there was great joy in Killarney, Co Kerry recently as the Presentation brothers received the first professions of Brothers Augustine and Callistus (both from Ghana) who have completed their novitiate. They are pictured above with the congregational leaders of the Presentation brothers Martin Kenneally

If any readers of this blog know of other orders or congreagations are receiving new members at this time, please do let us know so that we can highlight and share the good news. Please pray for all considering vocation to religious life at this time and particularly for those highlighted in this blog post.

Welcome to The Blogging Brother!

Although the blog is a few months old already, I wanted to welcome to the blogging world Br Ray Dwyer (pictured above) who is the vocations director for the Presentation Brothers in Ireland and the UK and his new vocations blog The Blogging Brother. Ray is recently appointed to this new ministry and has really hit the ground running by also being elected to the executive of Vocations Ireland.

On more than one occasion on this blog I have mentioned that the Presentation Brothers in Ireland have made a significant contribution to the promotion of vocations in Ireland as well as to their own province, and more importantly have showed the way to other congregations and orders as to how it can be done. We owe them a great debt because of this. Please drop by the blog and say hello.

A Prophetic Voice on Vocations...

It is a risk I know to label anyone as a prophet - especially when they are still alive and even more so when they are young! So, I hope that you will forgive me for naming a prophet in this brief post. His name is Andrew O' Connell (pictured), who is the communications director for the Presentation Brothers in Ireland. He is, in my opinion, the most authentic and credible commentator on vocations in Ireland. He rarely misses an opportunity at any meeting, gathering, lecture or article to make a case for vocations to priesthood and religious life. And not only make the case but to challenge, inspire, animate and enthuse others about the subject.

A case in point: this week's Irish Catholic newspaper (edition February 26, 2009) Andrew writes in his comment piece about the negativity of many surrounding the so-called 'vocations crisis'. He says that the 'crisis' is not the work of the Holy Spirit but '...due to a pathology of tiredness within the Church in the West. It is due to half-hearted and poorly resourced efforts to build a culture of vocation in the Church'. He proposes that we get back to basics on vocations and he ends with a mighty challenge: 'In particular, on the issue of vocations, it's time for people to make a choice. Lead. Follow. Or get out of the way.'

For many, these words will be difficult to hear, even unpalatable. But they are crucial and important words - just like the words of the prophets of the scriptures.

I am delighted to announce that Dr Andrew O' Connell will be joining us, the Dominicans, to give some input on discernment, at our next Year of Vocation event which will be held in Saint Saviour's Dominican Priory, Dorset Street, Dublin 1 on March 14th next. Details about the event can be found elsewhere on this blog.

Spotlight on Vocations in Catholic Publications in Ireland.

The upcoming 'Year of Vocation' is obviously exercising the minds of editors of some Catholic magazines and publications in Ireland. This weekend I noticed two articles of interest - and both with very different takes on 'vocation'.

The first was in Reality, the excellent publication of the Irish Redemptorists. The article entitled 'Empty seminaries and the future of priesthood' is by Tony Flannery CSsR. In the article he refers to the comments of a the newly appointed bishop of Ossory about the bishop's desire to attract vocations - and particularly to remind the Christian community in the diocese that it is their duty to nourish priestly vocations. Fr. Flannery doesn't have any great confidence that the bishop will succeed. The article centres on a conversation the author had recently with a group of about 30 people. In asking them about the rapid decline of clergy numbers and the problem this creates for ministry in the Irish church, the group did not think that priesthood was a good career choice because of a number of issues. (1) Fear of life-long commitment. (2) The Church's inability to adapt to modern times. (3) Compulsory celibacy. (4) The exclusion of women from the priesthood and (5) while not explicitly stated, the scandals within the Irish church in recent times.

In the end, I wasn't sure who was the real author of the article. Was it the 30 people or Fr. Flannery? That apart, I was left wondering whether the central issue of vocation was touched on at all - namely, that vocation is a divine call given to all the people of God, but in a particular way to some whom the Lord chooses to work as priests, brothers, nuns, sisters in a consecrated fashion.


The second article was in The Word - another excellent periodical published by the Divine Word Missionaries. Entitled 'A Rising Tide Lifts All Boats' and written by Sarah MacDonald, the article centred on the work of Andrew O' Connell, the Communications Director of the Presentation Brothers in Ireland. Andrew explains his guiding philisophy as the message of John Paul II: 'Let no one, on account of our negligence, lose the beautiful gift of their vocation.' In upbeat terms, the article singles out a number of reasons why vocation to religious life is a real alternative by(1) Opening the doors of religious communities to young people to invite them in and de-mystify the notions people have. (2) Presenting vocation as a real and credible option. (3) Have people work full time on vocation (the real secret!). (4) Use human and financial resources to promote. (5) The importance of personal invitation. (6) God!

Andrew also, rightly, cites other issues of real concern, particularly the lopsided theological notion that the fall off in vocations is attributable to the work of the Holy Spirit and that we should accept this and get on with it. He sees the 'vocation crisis' as the effect of aggressive secularism, post-modern confusion and the inability of the Church in Ireland to come to terms with these realities.

Both articles mentioned are important as part of the dialogue we need around new membership to our way of life. But for realism and hope, it's the artcle in The Word - by a mile!!