BORN INTO a peasant family in a rural area of Central Vietnam, I am the second of five children. Growing up, I had to work very hard as a farmer.
vocations
Lessons Learned on the Path to Priesthood
by Joseph Hadzovic
I’VE BEEN THINKING about becoming a priest since I went on a retreat with the Salesians of John Bosco when I was 14.
The Harvest Is Rich, Pray for More Laborers
THIS SUNDAY MARKS the 55th World Day of Prayer for Vocations. The purpose of the World Day of Prayer for Vocations is to publicly fulfill the Lord’s instruction to “Pray the Lord of the harvest to send laborers into his harvest.”
Divinely Initiated and Totally Unmerited
A vocation is, like all graces, divinely initiated and totally unmerited. But as incarnate beings, vocations come to women and men in particular circumstances.
Working Together to Foster Vocation Ministry
AS THE DIOCESE of Brooklyn continues to celebrate the Year of Vocations with the theme “Reawaken the Call,” it encourages everyone to become involved in this important ministry in the life of the Church.
Revitalize Family Life to Foster Vocations
by Sean M. Suckiel
Promoting vocations to the priesthood, religious life, diaconate and married life must penetrate the life of the Church in the Diocese of Brooklyn at all levels. It is one of the most urgent tasks that the Church is facing today.
Vocations Are Nourished Within Families
by Msgr. Steven Ferrari
“LET THE DEAD bury their dead” (Matthew 8:22), declared Our Lord Jesus when confronted by a would-be disciple. Yet, one of the corporal works of mercy in our Christian tradition demands that we, the “living” Body of Christ, bury our deceased sisters and brothers with dignity and honor.
We All Have a Unique Purpose to Pursue
IN THE WEEK ahead, the Catholic Church in the United States is celebrating National Vocation Awareness Week. It is a celebration that is dedicated to promoting vocations to priesthood, religious life, the permanent diaconate and married life through prayer and education.
What Are You Doing to Promote Vocations?
THE PARISHES THAT make up the Diocese of Brooklyn are at the forefront of praying for vocations. Praying for vocations cannot be a one-day event, but a constant commitment for the entire parish community. Therefore, as a new pastoral year begins, let us address what we can do in our parishes so that everyone becomes actively involved in creating a greater awareness for vocations.
Encountering God on El Camino de Santiago
This summer, I made a pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima in Portugal along with eight of my brother seminarians and one priest faculty member from St. Joseph’s Seminary in Dunwoodie. We spent nine days – or just about 130 miles – on El Camino in Spain, walking the traditional Camino Frances route from Ponferrada to Santiago de Compostela.