Called By Name

A number of parishes in the Archdiocese of Toronto, including our own, are participating in "CALLED BY NAME", a program of vocation awareness.

This is an opportunity for us:
-to pray for vocations
-to recognize the gifts and potential for leadership and service in members of this parish community
-to call forth and encourage those members to share their gifts in possible religious vocation.

Perhaps you know a person who, in your view, possesses the qualities to become a priest, sister, brother or permanent deacon. During the next two weeks, may I suggest you pray about it, perhaps personally speak to someone you deem might have a possible vocation, and perhaps invite them to pray and to think about it also? No vocation is simply decided on one aspect alone, but is rather assisted through the support and encouragement of others in the community.

The Archdiocese will be hosting a day of reflection for men and women discerning a vocation to the priesthood, religious life, and the permanent diaconate, on Saturday, April 28th, 2007 at Blessed Trinity Parish, North York. People from many parishes who have been suggested to attend through the "Called By Name" program will be invited to attend. This event is also be supported by the various religious communities of the diocese. There is obviously no commitment beyond allowing this event to become a further means by which a person may learn more about the meaning of vocation as it applies to service within the church.

As mentioned (in last week's bulletin), we are very blessed, in our local community, to support a number of people who are in discernment at local seminaries or within local religious communities, as well as a candidate in studies for the permanent diaconate. Please continue to keep them in prayer. You may meet some of them over the next two weeks as they visit us during this vocations program. We are also delighted to have the witness of so many different religious communities of men and women in our midst. This university community is indeed blest by their presence. As part of our celebration of Consecrated Life weekend and “Called By Name”, Sr. Pat Boucher, csj, and Ed Curtis, a seminarian familiar to all of us at Newman, will speak at Mass over the next two weeks on their specific vocations. I am grateful for their participation and support.

I am also grateful to Bishop Peter Hundt, Vicar for Religious, and auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Toronto, for his support. Bishop Hundt will visit with the religious representatives of the Toronto Area Vocation Directors Association (TAVDA), February 3rd, at the Newman Centre.

Finally, know of my personal willingness to assist. If you wish to speak. or to "nominate" someone you think should consider a possible vocation, feel free to contact me. For example, when I helped to coordinate this program a few years ago, I recall a young man who had been "nominated" three times by various people in the community. I spoke with him and, although surprised, he did admit he had been thinking about it anyway. The conversation helped him to better appreciate the impact he had on others, and so he began to think about a vocation more seriously. He is now a priest of the Toronto Archdiocese! I trust this story only helps to remind us of the power of the Holy Spirit working within the local community. In closing, please don't forget, in all of this, to remember all those already engaged in ministry as priests, sisters, brothers, and deacons. As one of them, I count on your prayers as well!

Fr. Pat