We urgently need to talk about vocations - Irish Catholic

The most recent edition of the 'Irish Catholic' (Ireland's weekly Catholic newspaper) carried an editorial on the need to urgently talk about vocations. The editor, Michael Kelly, is hoping to stimulate a conversation about the topic and will next week explore how a culture of vocations can be created in Ireland. Below, in italics, is the opening contribution on the issue. I find myself in total agreement with his analysis and he reiterates many of the concerns that I have held for some time now. I look forward to the next instalment on this question and hope that it will engage those concerned with vocations promotion to respond and react.

Every time I write about the urgent task of promoting vocations to the priesthood and religious life I get a two-fold response. Many readers - laypeople, priests and religious - get in touch saying they are delighted that I am raising the issue. On the other hand - I get correspondence - sometimes from those involved in vocations ministry - saying I have no idea how difficult their job is.

Let me begin by making it clear that I don't want in any way to discourage those involved in vocations ministry - on the contrary.

Pope Francis said recently that a lack of vocations is 'often due to a lack of contagious apostolic fervour'. I have a very strong sense that many people within the Church are not taking the vocations crisis seriously. Despite the sincere efforts of many, there are many others who give little or no thought to promoting vocations. We hear platitudes that it's about quality and not quantity.

Message from God

Or, it suits some people to say that we have to see a message from God in the ever-declining numbers. I sadly meet some priests and religious who are hostile to new vocations because they hope the decline will lead to a crisis that will force the Church to adopt his or her particular vision of ecclesial or ecclesiastical reform. Other people are even unwilling to use the term 'vocations'. They prefer 'vocation' and like to talk vaguely about every single person having a vocation. 

Vocations Sunday - which we just celebrated - is a day dedicated to vocations to the priesthood and religious life.

There is no vocation to the single life per se. One is either single and free to marry or one is not single and free to marry. It is a logical absurdity to say that one can be called to what one is; nor is there a vocation to marriage - not, at least, in the sense of a supernatural vocation. Marriage is man's natural state. Some people are called to forego the natural state in view of the Gospel and the Kingdom. Others are not. 

Too many priests and religious tread on egg-shells around laypeople as if any mention of priesthood and religious life will be taken as a slight to the lay vocation, or that laypeople are ubersensitive to a sense of feeling excluded by talk of vocations to the priesthood and religious life. This has not been my experience. In fact, it has often been a confusion among priests and religious about their identity that leads to confusion among laypeople.

Vocations' directors should not be afraid to promote the specificity of priesthood and religious life in their ministry. Presenting priesthood and religious life as a community worker or convenor isn't very attractive. It can also serve to demoralise those who are currently in ministry. If a young person feels called to be a social worker, a community organiser or a convenor they can earn a lot more money doing this in the secular sphere than in religious life!

Promotion

The work of promoting vocations to the priesthood and religious life is a challenging, even a daunting role. Vocations directors and promoters are at the forefront of trying to promote a call in a culture and a society that is often deaf to the idea of the supernatural and a culture that finds it increasingly difficult to contemplate a life-encompassing commitment. And yet, the work of promoting a culture of vocations in our dioceses and religious orders, congregations and missionary societies is vital in the true sense of that word - essential for the life of the Church. And if we believe the life of the Church, the Christian life, is vital for the flourishing of healthy, just and meaningful society then this work is vital for Ireland as we grapple to overcome a sense of dazed reality in the wake of the collapse of an economic and moral model that was built on sand.

Vocations Sunday 2014

As we prepare to celebrate the annual Day of Prayer for Vocations, it is opportune to be reminded that over fifty years ago when this special day of prayer was inaugurated by Pope Paul VI there was a perceived need to ask the universal Church to join in prayer - because of the lack of prayer at the time.

All our efforts at prayer will inevitably bear fruit, since we are responding to the direct call of Christ to 'pray the Lord of the harvest to send new labourers to His harvest'. And the Lord will not let us down when we pray - but what may do so is our lack of confidence in Him.

On this day it is good to remind ourselves that Jesus Christ is the only reason to be a priest or religious. With that in mind, I recall one man telling me a number of years ago as I began vocations ministry for the Irish Dominicans that Our Blessed Mother was an important part of his vocational discernment; in fact, one of Mary’s simple phrases helped make his discernment easier, “Do whatever he tells you.”

Your prayers are asked for the men who are currently discerning their call to become Dominicans in Ireland - this Vocations Sunday is an appropriate day to remember them.

Dominican Connect - May 2014

Dominican Connect (the vocations newsletter of the Irish Dominican friars) for May 2014 has been published and features the Dominican Vocations Day in Dublin held recently.

April was the month of Dominican meetings in Ireland with the European provincials' meeting in Dublin and the Lay Dominicans' AGM in Tallaght.

Coinciding with the beatifications in Rome was the installation of relics of popular saints in our church in Tralee.

Finally, in addition to upcoming novenas and tridua is the news of our Vocation Director becoming prior of our novitiate community in Cork.

Follow this link to read an electronic version of May 2014's Dominican Connect -
http://www.dominicanfriars.ie/Dominican_Connect/volume02/Dominican_Connect_v02n09may2014.pdf

Bishop Donal McKeown on Pope's message for Vocations Sunday 2014

The newly appointed Bishop of Derry in Northern Ireland, Donal McKeown, reflects on the message of Pope Francis for Vocations Sunday which will be celebrated on May 11th this year.

Bishop McKeown is the chair of the Council for Vocations of the Irish Episcopal Conference.

New Book: JPII - Access All Areas - The Thought of the Saint

A recently published book to coincide with the canonisation of Pope John Paul II is now widely available throughout Ireland. It is edited by Fr John Harris OP who is the regent of studies for the Irish Dominican province.

The book is divided into 23 short readable chapters enabling readers of all backgrounds to understand better Saint John Paul's various writings. Some of the contributors include Breda O' Brien (journalist) on John Paul II and the dignity of women, John Waters (journalist and commentator) on the late Pope's thoughts on the worker, fr Alan O' Sullivan OP on the new saint's teaching on sexuality and Fr Gerard Dolan on John Paul and the Eucharist.

The new publication is an initiative of 'OnebyOne Press' http://onexone.ie/books/ and is available to purchase from them and also from Veritas stores nationwide www.veritas.ie

Blessed Guiseppe Girotti OP - a new 'Blessed' for the Order

On Saturday last, April 26th, the Dominican Order celebrated the beatification of an Italian friar who led an extraordinary life.

Born in Alba, Italy, in 1905, Girotti entered the Dominican seminary at Chieri at the age of 13 and took his vows in 1923. He was ordained in 1930 and continued his studies in Sacred Scripture at the Angelicum in Rome and the École Biblique in Jerusalem, where he was a student of Marie-Joseph Lagrange. He then became a professor of Sacred Scripture at the Dominican seminary in Turin.

Following the Nazi occupation of Italy in 1943, Girotti became part of an underground network that provided aide to Italian Jews, including helping them find places to hide from the authorities and providing them with false papers. The following year, he was arrested after being caught in the act of aiding a wounded Jewish person and eventually sent to the concentration camp at Dachau.

According to his fellow inmates, Girotti distinguished himself in the camp by his generosity and his gentleness. Under the harsh conditions, he soon fell ill and was transferred to the infirmary, where he died on 1 April 1945. He was likely killed by a lethal injection of gasoline, as was common treatment of ill prisoners at the time.

Following his death, his fellow prisoners carved into his bunk: “Here slept Saint Giuseppe Girotti”.
In 1995, the State of Israel posthumously recognized him as Righteous Among the Nations for his efforts to protect Italian Jews.

Documentary on Cistercian nuns

A recent documentary on RTE television (the national television network) featured the Cistercian nuns in County Waterford. It is the only community of Cistercian nuns in Ireland. The very well made programme follows the life of the community over the period of some months and includes footage of the community at prayer and work. From a vocations perspective, the reception of a novice is a highlight - and the journey that the particular novice makes through a process of discernment with the community.

The Cistercian nuns are to be applauded for allowing the rare access to a documentary crew within their enclosure because it does a great service to the contemplative and religious life but also to the promotion of vocations to all the forms of religious life in Ireland.

The documentary will be available for viewing for the next couple of weeks on the RTE player service. You can view it here: http://www.rte.ie/player/ie/show/10275320/

For more information on the Cistercian nuns in Ireland, please visit: http://www.glencairnabbey.org/

Music for Holy Week and Easter - supporting a Dominican project.

"Célí Dé collective" - Hymns of Passion & Resurrection is a collection of traditional Irish music for Holy Week and Easter.

From "Caoineadh na dtrí Muire" to "An t-Aiséirí ("Lament of the three Marys" to "The Resurrection") the collection is a musical accompaniment for the events celebrated during the Great Week.

The collection is already available for purchase in iTunes and will be available in music shops from April 12^th.

Proceeds from sales will go to the Dominican summer camp at Knockadoon, County Cork.
Go to the Célí Dé website - http://www.celide.ie/

Watch a video of Caoineadh na dtrí Muire:

 

Conversations on John Paul II continued.....

The second and third videos in the series on Blessed John Paul II from our student brothers in Saint Saviour's, Dublin reflect on John Paul II on the culture of life and World Youth Days.

For more, follow the preaching apostolate of our student brothers at www.dominicansinteractive.com

A tribute to Fr Noel Meade OP (RIP)

  

Fr Noel Meade OP of our Galway community died a month ago. Fr Noel spent much of his Dominican life as a missionary in South America. The picture above and the brief tribute below is from Radio Saint Dominic, which fr Noel was instrumental in setting up.

RSD (Radio Saint Dominic) reports the birth to the Lord who in life was fr. Noel Meade, O.P.

This morning (March 3rd, 2014) we heard of the death of fr. Noel Meade, O.P. Fr. Meade - one of the inspirations of the creation of this radio station - has died at the age of 71. His death was triggered by health problems he suffered for the past 3 years; in the last 6 days he was operated on 4 occasions.

Fr. Noel Meade was born in Ireland on 9 December 1942. He worked as pastor of the parish St. Peter from 2001 until 2004. Belonging to the province of Ireland, he spent 2 years in this country then left Chimbote and then worked for 4 years in Uruguay.

Today RSD pays tribute to this great man who gave his unconditional and selfless support to us.
We pray that fr. Noel Meade is resting in peace.

Dominican Connect - April 2014 issue

The April 2014 edition of Dominican Connect the newsletter from the vocations office of the Irish Dominican friars has recently been published and is available from all the usual outlets.

This month's edition features an article on the lay Dominicans by Monica Rapenau in light of the recent letter of the Master of the Order on the vocation of the lay Dominicans and preaching. There is also further news on the lay Dominicans as some of their chapters prepare to welcome new members and receive the life promises of others.

News and events of upcoming retreats, preaching engagements of the friars, and the upcoming canonisation of Blessed John Paul II are highlighted.

Bro Colm Mannion OP, one of our deacons and soon to be ordained to the priesthood is our featured friar in this issue.

To download an electronic copy of the April edition of Dominican Connect click on this link:
http://www.dominicanfriars.ie/Dominican_Connect/volume02/Dominican_Connect_v02n08apr2014.pdf

International meeting of Dominican vocation promoters and formators

I am currently at a meeting in Saint Louis, Missouri of Dominican vocations promoters and formators from the four American provinces, Argentina, England and Canada. These days have been devoted to sharing our experiences and ideas with a view to looking forward to how we can best serve those who are considering a vocation to the Order and also how to accompany more effectively our brothers in formation.

It has been a very fraternal and helpful meeting for all us - with a real sense of solidarity between our respective provinces and the work that we are tasked to do on behalf of the Order in our countries.

We do not often ask for your prayers for our work as vocation directors or formators, but as we spend this time reflecting on doing the work of the Lord, perhaps you could spare a prayer for all us. We need them as indeed the Order does too.

(Thanks to fr Benedict Croell OP for use of the picture above)

Conversations on John Paul II - the 'new evangelization'

Our student brothers along with the Regent of Studies of the Irish province fr John Harris OP are recording conversations in memory of Blessed John Paul II.

The first conversation focuses on the "New Evangelisation" - a term first coined by the late Pope.

Four of our student brothers took part - Bro Matthew Farrell, Bro Philip Mulryne, Br Michael O Dubhghaill and Bro Matthew Martinez.

To follow the upcoming conversations on John Paul II, follow www.dominicaninteractive.com and the vocations website www.dominicanfriars.ie

Dominican Family Vocations Day - April 5th - register now!

The 6th annual Dominican family vocations day takes place on Saturday, April 5th in Saint Saviour's Dominican Priory, Dorset Street, Dublin 1. It is important to register by March 28th if you wish to attend. To do so, please contact Sr Niamh OP (Dominican nuns, Drogheda) on (041)9838524 or by sending her an email with your details to opfamily.vocationsday@gmail.com

As advertised, this day is a great opportunity to find out more about the vocation of the lay Dominicans, the apostolic Dominican sisters (Cabra congregation), the Dominican contemplative nuns at Siena monastery in Drogheda and the Dominican friars. You will get the chance to meet with the various members of the Dominican family and to ask them those burning questions about their Dominican vocation - and yours!

This year, we are delighted to welcome back Dr Andrew O' Connell (communications officer for the Presentation Brothers, journalist and commentator) as our keynote speaker for what will be a lively and informative presentation. A member of each branch of the Dominican family will give reflections and input on their own vocation. Participants will also be afforded the opportunity to pray with us, enjoy the hospitality of the friars at Saint Saviour's and to conclude the day with the celebration of the Eucharist.

So, book now to avoid disappointment!!

A note from Australia

I have been visiting Australia as part of a holiday for the past month and enjoying the hospitality of the Dominican friars based in East Camberwell in Melbourne. Before this holiday, I would have been aware of the connection between the Irish and Australian Dominican provinces and the many friars (and sisters) who were responsible for the building of the presence of the Order over the past 115 years. Therefore it is a great joy to see the Australian province now as it continues its mission of preaching here. The missionary spirit of the province extends to New Zealand, the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea and the brothers are engaged in a variety of different apostolates and missions.

Like much of Western Europe and Ireland, the Australian Dominicans have seen a decrease in vocations to the Order in the past number of decades. However, a presence in chaplaincies in universities that the Order is associated with has seen a resurgence of interest in the ministry and vocation of the friars. The Australian province now has a number of men in formation and just before I arrived here, the province accepted four men (pictured below) into their postulancy programme (pre-novitiate). This is very positive news for them.

As a member of the province that was in some way responsible for the foundation of the Australian Dominicans, there is a deep sense of pride in the contribution that the Irish friars have made here. As the visit to Australia comes to a close, I am earnestly praying for and increase in vocations to both our provinces so that the mission of preaching and the proclamation of the Gospel will continue well into the future.

Finally, a word of grateful thanks to my Australian brothers for the warmth of their hospitality and friendship which will linger long in my memory.

First anniversary of election of Pope Francis - his words on vocations.

Today marks the first anniversary of the election of Pope Francis. During the course of the past year, he has written and commented on the theme of vocation a number of times. It is worth recounting some of these contributions today - and we hope for more inspiration from the Holy Father in the coming years.

From his Angelus message on April 21st, 2013 - the Fourth Sunday of Easter (Vocations Sunday):

"Behind and before every vocation to the priesthood or to the consecrated life there is always the strong and intense prayer of someone: a grandmother, a grandfather, a mother, a father, a community...This is why Jesus said: 'Pray therefore the Lord of the harvest,' that is God the Father, 'to send labourers into his harvest.' (Matthew 9:38) Vocations are born in prayer and from prayer, and only through prayer can they persevere and bear fruit. I am pleased to stress this today which is the World Day of Prayer for Vocations. Let us invoke the intercession of Mary who is the woman of the 'yes'. Mary said 'yes' throughout her life! She learned to recognise Jesus' voice from the time she carried him in her womb. May Mary, our Mother, help us to know Jesus' voice better and better and to follow it, so as to walk the path of life!"

In his homily to seminarians, novices and those discerning their vocation - July 7th, 2013:

"Dear seminarians, dear novices, dear young people discerning your vocations. One of you, one of your formators said to me the other day: 'evangelisation is done one one's knees.' Listen well: 'evangelisation is done on one's knees.' Without a constant relationship with God, the mission becomes a job. But for what do you work? As a tailor, a cook a priest, is your job being a priest, being a sister?  No, it is not a job but rather being something else. The risk of activism, of relying too much on structures, is an ever-present danger. If we look towards Jesus, we see that prior to any important decision or event he recollected himself in intense and prolonged prayer. Let us cultivate the contemplative dimension, even amid the whirlwind of more urgent and heavy duties. And the more the mission calls you to go out to the margins of existence, let your heart be the more closely united to Christ's heart, full of mercy and love. Herein lies the secret of pastoral fruitfulness, of the fruitfulness of a disciple of the Lord!"

In his encyclical letter Lumen Fidei, June 29th, 2013:

"In the family, faith accompanies every age of life, beginning with childhood: children learn to trust in the love of their parents. This is why it is so important that within their families parents encourage shared expressions of faith which can help children gradually to mature in their own faith. Young people in particular, who are going through a period in their lives which is so complex, rich and important for their faith, ought to feel the constant closeness and support of families and the Church in their journey of faith. We have all seen, through World Youth Days, the joy that young people show in their faith and their desire for an ever more solid and generous life of faith. Young people want to live life to the fullest. Encountering Christ, letting themselves be caught up in and guided by his love, enlarges the horizons of existence, gives it a firm hope which will not disappoint. Faith is no refuge for the fainthearted, but something which enhances our lives. It makes us aware of a magnificent calling, the vocation of love. It assures us that this love is trustworthy and worth embracing, for it is based on God's faithfulness which is stronger than our every weakness."

Pope Francis on the need to pray for vocations

Last week, Pope Francis  asked the faithful to pray for vocations, so that God may send priests and nuns whose hearts are for Him only; free from the idolatry of vanity, of power and of wealth.

Speaking during morning Mass at Casa Santa Marta on March 3rd, Pope Francis took his cue from the Gospel reading of day which tells of a rich man who ran up to Jesus, knelt down before him, and asked him what he should do to inherit eternal life. This man – the Pope said – really wanted to hear what Jesus had to say. “He was a good man, a man who had observed the commandments from his youth, but this was not enough for him, he wanted more. The Holy Spirit was pushing him further”. Jesus looked at him, loved him and said to him: ‘Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor; then come, follow me’. At that statement, his face fell, and he went away sad, for he had many possessions:

“His heart was restless, because the Holy Spirit was pushing him to get closer to Jesus and to follow him. But his heart was full and he lacked the courage to empty it. He made his choice: money. His heart was full of money…. But he was not a thief, or a criminal: no, no, no! He was a good man: he had never stolen! He had never cheated anyone: his money had been earned honestly. But his heart was imprisoned, it was attached to money and he lacked the freedom to choose. Money chose for him”.

How many young people – Pope Francis continued – feel this call to get close to Jesus within their hearts, and they are enthusiastic about it. “They are not ashamed to kneel before Him” and to “publically show their faith in Jesus Christ” and “they want to follow Him, but when their hearts are full of something else and they lack the courage to empty their hearts, they turn back and their joy becomes sadness”. There are many young people today – Pope Francis said – who have a vocation, but sometimes there is something that stops them:

“We must pray so that the hearts of these young people may be emptied, emptied of other interests and other sentiments, so that they may become free. This is the prayer for vocations. ‘Lord, send us nuns and send us priests, defend them from idolatry, the idolatry of vanity, the idolatry of pride, the idolatry of power, the idolatry of money’. This prayer of ours is to prepare these hearts so that they are able to follow Jesus closely”.

The man described in the Gospel reading – the Pope said – is “such a good man and then he is so sad”. Today there are many young people like him. This is why we must pray intensely to God:

“Lord, help these young people so that they may be free, not slaves, so that their hearts be for You only; so that the call of the Lord can be heard and can bear fruit. This is the prayer for vocations. We must pray a lot. But we must be careful: there are vocations. We must help them to grow, so that the Lord can enter into those hearts and give this indescribable and glorious joy that belongs to every person who follows Jesus closely”.

Letter from Master of the Order on 'The Dominican Laity and Preaching'.

As part of the lead up to the 800th anniversary of the foundation of the Order in 2016, the Master fr Bruno has written a letter to the Order on the 'Dominican Laity and Preaching'.

It is an extensive letter for all the members of the Order the Master sets out the primary purpose of all Dominicans embodied in the motto 'sent to preach the Gospel'. Fr Bruno notes that while the motto is simple it focuses our attention on what is at the heart of the service that the Church expects of the Order: to proclaim the Gospel.

Here are some helpful quotations from the letter:

"The unity of our Order is in fact given by its evangelising mission: laity, sisters and friars of the Order are members of a single family whose identity is that they were sent to preach the gospel. Or rather, we might say that the 'Dominican' identity is precisely that of a family - of a 'communion' - constituted by this organic bond between evangelisation and the contemplation of that truth that is the living Word that has come into the world, what we try to develop in the three forms of prayer, study and fraternity, each in the specific manner of his/her state in life."

"Among these Lay Dominicans, the members of these Lay Dominican Fraternities clearly have an important place, choosing as they do to commit themselves with a promise to carry out this specific participation in the mission of Christ as members of the Order. They also register their commitment to the living Word not only for the whole of their lives as baptised persons but also within the balance of the whole of their commitments and of their lives which they want to be 'preaching', serving the conversation of God with the world. At the same time, they register for the duration of the life of the Order, the need to preach the Word, always referring this preaching to the constitution of the church of Christ seeking communion and unity. As we know well, today we must reflect on the diversity at the heart of these fraternities, seeking together how we may always best accept, promote and combine this diversity , brought together in a single concrete witness of a lay life that seeks to be preaching."

"It seems to me that lay Dominicans can allow the preaching of the Order to achieve its end more fully in several ways. As in the case of the sisters and friars in the Order, the preaching of lay Dominicans is rooted in the experience of life. This is why the wealth of their specific contribution to the preaching of the Order comes from their experience of family and professional life, their experience of parenthood, their experience of life in the Church, the experience of being young in contemporary society, the particular experience of the baptised person who must testify his/her faith in the midst of a family or a group of friends whom s/he is daily bound by ties of affection but who do not share the same faith and often show no desire to share it....Moreover, they know the difficulty of witnessing the faith in a specific manner: in may places in the contemporary world, the habitual situation of a lay person brings her/him face to face with indifference, scepticism and unbelief, in a very different way from religious, and this must come to enrich the preaching of the Order as a whole. Similarly, through the activities of their professional,  family or political life, lay persons experience how the Christian demands for fraternity and truth, according to which they try to contribute to the transformation of the world, are a form of preaching essentially linked to their state, which comes to be combined with the preaching of the whole 'family of preachers.'"

For the full text of this excellent letter, click on the link:  http://www.op.org/sites/www.op.org/files/public/documents/fichier/cadore-jubilee2014-en.pdf

Dominican Connect - March 2014

The latest edition (March 2014) of Dominican Connect - the newsletter from the vocations office of the Irish Dominican friars has been published.

This month's issue contains a lead article on the rosary and there is news about upcoming events about vocations to the Dominican friars and the Dominican family in Ireland.

Our featured friar this month is fr Stephen Tumilty OP of our community in Newry.

The newsletter will be available in all our Dominican churches and other centres from this weekend and can be downloaded in electronic form by clicking on this link:
http://www.dominicanfriars.ie/Dominican_Connect/volume02/Dominican_Connect_v02n07mar2014.pdf

Year for Consecrated Life November 30th 2014 to February 2nd 2016 - the joy of vocation

More details have been announced about the upcoming year for consecrated life which will begin on the first Sunday of Advent this year and conclude on the feast of the Presentation of the Lord - almost fourteen months later.

In a letter released a couple of days ago by the Prefect and Secretary for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life in preparation for the year, religious have been asked to reflect on the joy associated with the moment when they first realised that God was calling them.

The letter goes on to state that this 'rememberance' of joy of being called will make consecrated men and women better evangelisers and also better promoters of new vocations. The letter states that the 'crisis' of vocations and the crisis many religious are experiencing today represent a crisis of memory that renders many consecrated men and women incapable of experiencing true joy in being faithful.

The year for consecrated life will include meetings with religious orders of other Christian churches along with gatherings for younger religious women and men in Rome and various parts of the world.

As a vocations director it is very heartening that the first official communication about the year for consecrated life focuses on the notion of joy in one's vocation and the call to remember that so that in turn we may attract others to this radical way of life.