Vocations Resources

General

“Diocesan Priest” is a website with lots of helpful information about diocesan priesthood

“To Save a Thousand Souls: A Guide for Discerning a Vocation to Diocesan Priesthood” by Father Brett A. Brannen is a great resource for Catholic men. Please contact Father Kidd for a free copy.

Discernment

5 Common Discernment Traps and How to Avoid Them feat. Fr. Gregory Pine, O.P.

“Nine Secrets to Discovering Your Call” by Father Michael Scanlon, TOR

“Reflection and our Active Lives” by David Fleming, SJ explains the Exam prayer that is a helpful tool for growing in discernment in prayer

“Figuring Out Your Future: A Catholic Guide for Young Adults on How to Make Decisions with Confidence”.

“5 Ridiculous Things People Say About Discerning a Religious Vocation”

Praying with the Bible – Lectio Divina 

Lectio Divina (Divine Reading) is a method Catholics have used for centuries to pray with the Bible.  
It is a method that helps us experience God through the words of the Bible.

Where to begin?  It is usually best when beginning to pray with the Bible to start with the New Testament.  Pick a short story or a few verses from one of the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John) and then use these 5 steps:

1. Reading (lectio) – hearing God’s Word in the Bible as we read it.
   Pray about the question:What does the biblical text say? What is this text saying at a literal level?

2. Meditation (meditatio) – reflecting on the meaning of the text that we have read.
   Pray about the question: What is God saying to me through this text? What is the spiritual message for me in this text? What words in the text speak to me most?

3. Prayer (oratio) – speaking with God in praise, thanksgiving, contrition, and petition in response to what I have read.
   Pray about the question:What do I want to say to God in response to this text? Which of my ideas, fears, memories, plans, and experiences should I discuss with God because of what I have read in this text?

4. Contemplation (contemplatio) – spending time with God in silence, resting in God’s presence, and allowing God to love you through the words God has spoken to you in this passage.

5. Action (actio) – letting the encounter concretely affect our daily life and work in the world.
   Pray about the question:How will I change what I do today in response to hearing this text?

 “In the sacred books of the Bible the Father who is in heaven comes lovingly to meet his children, and talks with them.”
Dei Verbum#21 - Vatican II

Videos about Priesthood

Buckeye Vocations is a YouTube channel with videos about priesthood and vocations in Ohio

“The Catholic Priesthood” is a promotional video about the priesthood

“Fishers of Men” is an inspirational video about the priesthood: Part One & Part Two

“From Pro Soccer to the Priesthood: The Witness of Father Chase Hilgenbrinck”

“Heed the Call” encourages Catholic men to consider the priesthood

“I Will Follow” features the stories of Father Mike Schmitz and Father Josh Johnson

“Priests Offer Advice for Those Considering the Priesthood”

“When Love Requires Sacrifice”

Frequently Asked Questions

Promoting Vocations in Parishes

PRAYER

• Holy Hours for Vocations. Have a special Holy Hour to pray for priestly and religious vocations.

• Rosary for Vocations. During the rosary mention candidates by name. Vocations Rosary – Luminous Mysteries

• Vocation Prayer distribution. Vocation prayer card given to parishioners on World Day of Prayer for Vocations or during National Vocation Awareness Week.

• Eucharistic Procession for Vocations. On the Feast of Corpus Christi, consider dedicating your Eucharistic procession to pray for vocations to the priesthood and religious life.

ACTIVITIES

• Workshops for Altar Servers. Teach altar servers about vocational discernment.

• Parish Discernment Groups. Small groups of boys or girls led by parish priest or sister, with help from parents, to help them understand vocations. Consider the Melchizedek Project

• Collaboration with Boy Scout Troops. Scouting has long been a friend of vocation promotions. There is even a special camp at Philmont for boys considering the priesthood.

• Attend ordinations. Coordinate for confirmation students or youth groups to attend an ordination

• Travelling Chalice. In this popular program, a chalice that is used at Mass it brought home by a different family each week. It is kept in a special place by the family, who prays each day for more vocations.

COMMUNICATION

• Vocations library. Keep a special corner of the vestibule stocked with vocation-related materials.

• Poster/coloring/ essay/video contests. Organize a contest with a vocations theme for students.

• Vocation stories. Invite priests to tell their vocation stories at parish events.

• Web page. Create a page on your parish website with vocation information.

OTHER IDEAS

• Celebrate ordination anniversaries. Honor parish priests and celebrate within the parish and school.

• Support our seminarians. Send greeting cards to each seminarian at the beginning of a new semester, holidays, exam times, birthdays, ordinations, etc.

• Director of Vocations. Invite the Director of Vocations to the parish for a weekend, for Mass and a meal with parish families. Contact the Office of Vocations for availability.

• Serra Club: https://serraspark.org/tools/

• Vocation Ministry: https://vocationministry.com

Seminary Addresses

Lesson Plans on Christian Vocations

The Diocese of Toledo is happy to provide a free subscription to Vocation Lessonsfor all the parishes and schools in the Diocese of Toledo.  Vocation Lessonsis an online vocation curriculum supplement for grades K-12.

For Catholic schools, there's enough material for one week of Religion classes: 

Session 1 - God Calls 
Session 2 - Marriage 
Session 3 - Priesthood 
Session 4 - Religious Life 
Session 5 - Assessment and Family Feature 

For Parish Religious Education and Youth Groups, the lessons cover all vocations in one session. 

To make use of the FREE access the Office for Diocesan Priestly Vocations has purchased for the Diocese of Toledo, please go to:

www.vocationlessons.com 

Teacher Access Code: ToledoRosary867
Student Access Code: ToledoRosary431