“Every vocation is born, is nourished, and develops in the Church and is linked to the Church in its origin, purpose, and mission. For this reason diocesan and parish communities are called to strengthen their commitment to the priesthood and religious life…”

XXXIII World Day for Vocations (1996)
Message of John Paul II

Monthly Prayer of the Faithful Petitions

Please include our monthly Prayer of the Faithful petition for vocations to the priesthood on the first Sunday of each month. This would allow the entire Archdiocese to unite in prayer for an increase in priestly vocations.

Click below to download prayer petitions December 2009 – November 2010

Prayer Petitions English
Prayer Petitions Spanish
Prayer Petitions Polish


Traveling Cross – Parish Vocation Cross Program

Consider initiating the Parish Vocation Cross Program in your parish. It is a simple program. Each Sunday a family, couple or individual will be called forward at Mass to receive the vocation cross and special prayers to accompany it. In taking the cross they commit to pray during the week, in the name of the parish, in thanksgiving for all the Church vocations and ask God to increase the holy vocations in the parish. The following week the cross is return and given to a new family.

The Parish Vocation Cross packet contains 5 sheets:

• Parish Announcement
• Explanation
• Sending Forth
• Sign up Sheet
• Prayer Sheet

Click below to download Parish Vocation Cross materials:

Vocation Parish Cross Program English
Vocation Parish Cross Program Spanish
Vocation Parish Cross Program Polish

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Quarterly the Vocation Office sends out Bulletin Announcement for Priestly Vocation. Please help us promote the vocation message at your parishes.

Click below to download bulletin announcements for December 2009 – February 2010

Bulletin Announcements English
Bulletin Announcements Spanish
Bulletin Announcements Polish

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A Prayer for Priestly Vocations

O Lord, my God, You renew the Church in every age by raising up priests outstanding in holiness, living witnesses of Your unchanging Love. In Your Plan for our salvation You provide shepherds for Your people. Fill the hearts of young men with the spirit of courage and love that they may answer Your call generously. Give parents the grace to encourage vocations in their family by prayer and good example. Raise up worthy priests for Your Altars and ardent, but gentle servants of the Gospel. Give the Church more priests and keep them faithful in their love and service. May many young men choose to serve You by devoting themselves to the service of Your people.

(Rev. Lawrence G. Lovasik, S.V.D.)

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Totus Tuus

Totus Tuus is a weeklong summer Catholic youth program dedicated to sharing the Gospel and promoting the Catholic faith through catechesis, evangelization, Christian witness, and the celebration of the Eucharist. The goal of Totus Tuus is to help young people grow in their understanding of, and strengthen their faith in, Jesus Christ. Totus Tuus seeks to foster openness to vocations in the young people we serve as well as among the program teachers. This is accomplished by placing special emphasis on the importance and necessity of prayer, Eucharistic devotion, and Marian devotion, in addition to catechetical instruction and formation in the Catholic faith. To host a Totus Tuus team at your parish or for more information, contact Pat Pacer in the Vocations Office at 312-534-2587 or ppacer@archchicago.org or go to www.totustuuschicago.com.

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Called by Name

Called By name is a program that was instituted in the Archdiocese in the winter of 2008 . It envisions the parish community recommending men and women whom they believe demonstrate qualities that show potential for a vocation to the priesthood or religious life. Nominees will be invited to attend programs sponsored by the Assistant Vocation Director of the vicariate designed to help them explore the possibility of a vocation to the priesthood. Names of women and men nominated for the religious life will be referred to the Office for Religious. For more information, contact Pat Pacer in the Vocations Office at 312-534-2587 or ppacer@archchicago.org.

Program Invitation 2010
Full Program Packet

Announcement-English
Bulletin Nomination-English
Nomination Forms-English
Form graphic-English
Poster-English

Announcement-Polish
Bulletin Nomination-Polish
Nomination Forms-Polish
Form graphic-Polish
Poster-Polish

Announcement-Spanish
Bulletin Nomination-Spanish
Nomination Forms-Spanish
Form graphic-Spanish
Poster-Spanish

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“What is My Vocation?” (A Vocations-Awareness School Curriculum)

The Archdiocese of Chicago Vocations Office has created a Vocations-Awareness School Curriculum for 6th or 7th graders entitled “What is My Vocation.” The text covers all Christian vocations, and has received a Nihil Obstat and Imprimatur. For more information, contact Anna Freeman in the Vocations office at 312-534-1037 or afreeman@archchicago.org.

www.whatismyvocation.com

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Vocation Parish Program

Program Framework
The Archdiocese of Chicago Vocations Office has created a Vocation Parish Program to encourage parishes to deliberately, actively and joyfully promote and encourage all Christian Vocation as an underlying element of all parish activities.

Vocation Parish Framework

Vocation Parish Newsletters
July 2010 Newsletter
June 2010 Newsletter
May 2010 Newsletter
April 2010 Newsletter
March 2010 Newsletter
February 2010 Newsletter
January 2010 Newsletter
December 2009 Newsletter
November 2009 Newsletter
October 2009 Newsletter
September 2009 Newsletter
July / August 2009 Newsletter
June / July 2009 Newslette
May / June 2009 Newsletter
April / May 2009 Newsletter
March / April 2009 Newsletter

What Can I Do?
Vocation Parish Training
Get Started


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What Can I Do?
The Vocation Office has a “What Can I Do” brochure to let you know what you can do to promote vocations to the priesthood and consecrated religious life. Make copies of the brochure for your parish. Here are some of the things you can do:
Pray – attend daily Mass, say rosary, make holy hour before Blessed Sacrament.
Encourage family and friends to think about priesthood or religious life
Exhibit your love for your faith.
Serve as a Vocation Parish Contact.
Get to know your seminarians.

What Can I Do brochure

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The 2nd Annual Vocation Parish Training program will be offered on a Saturday in April 24, 2010 at the Quigley Center at 835 N. Rush Street, Chicago.. The training is a multi-media interactive opportunity to share all the vocation efforts in our parishes, to create parish action plans and to join together in prayer for vocations. Letters were send to all Pastor inviting them to attend or to send a parish representative. All attendees received a Vocation Parish Guide. Last year 20 parishes and 25 people participated, representing all six vicariates. The participants included priests, deacons, sisters, lay staff and parishioners. This year we hope to have the returning parishes and new parishes share their success stories.

For more information contact Susanne Smith at 312-534-5234 or by email susmith@archchicago.org.

Get Started
For more information on how you can help your parish to become a “Vocation Parish” contact Susanne Smith in the Vocation Office at 312-534-5234 or susmith@archchicago.org .



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Eucharistic Adoration

Did you know - In our Archdiocese, there is a direct correlation between parishes that have regularly scheduled Eucharistic Adoration and parishes who have men entering the seminary?

30% of all Mundelein seminarians come from a parish that has Eucharistic Adoration.

60% of the seminarians from Vicariate I come from a parish that has Eucharistic Adoration.

Does your parish have Eucharistic Adoration?

Does your parish have a weekly Holy Hour For Vocations?

Become a laborer of the harvest for Our Lord, by organizing a “Holy Hour” of prayer at your parish or adoration chapel. The Pope John Paul II Eucharistic Adoration Association is comprised of all volunteers who dedicate themselves to promoting Eucharistic Adoration throughout the Chicago Archdiocese. To help you get started, call (708)728-0840 or go to http://www.pjp2ea.org/pjp2ea/HolyHourPriests.asp

Click here to learn more about the Congregation for the Clergy's "Pray for Priests" campaign.

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Other Ideas

• Invite religious communities to be part of a Parish Vocations Festival
• Offer a votive Mass for vocations
• Sponsor a vocations-themed parish mission
• Encourage young people to take on service roles in the parish—Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion, Lector, Usher, Sacristan, parish committees, etc.
• Host a vocations retreat for college students and young adults

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Seminarian Prayer Calendar:

The Vocations Office is asking parishes, schools, seminaries, and other organizations within the Archdiocese of Chicago to take an active role in praying for our seminarians as part of your stewardship. To help facilitate this “prayer campaign,” Seminarian Prayer Calendars have been created which highlight a different seminarian each weekday from one of our seminaries/ seminary programs. You may wish to use these calendars to:

• Include the seminarian of the day in the Prayers of the Faithful at each weekday
  mass
• List the seminarians to be prayed for during the upcoming week in the parish
  bulletin, or include the entire prayer calendar as an insert in the parish bulletin
  each month
• Encourage prayer for seminarians at the parish school
• Encourage parishioners to “adopt a seminarian”: commit to praying for him,
  send him letters/cards, invite him to a meal with the family
• Post the calendar around your parish: bulletin boards, adoration chapel, etc.

Seminarian Prayer Calendar October 2009 - May 2010

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Priest As Inviter
The Vocation Office prepared the Priest As Inviter booklet as a vocation resource for all priests and their parish community. It provides practical hints on inviting people to consider vocations to the priesthood or consecrated religious life. It includes:

Section I: Vocation General Contact Information
Section II: Vocation Inviters, Mentors & Seminary Requirements – practical hints
Section III: Vocation Discernment & Promotion - programs
Section IV: Vocation Websites & Books - resources
Section V: Vocation Prayers - inspiration

Sections of the Booklet will be posted at a later date.. The following is a summary of the section contents:

Priest As Inviter Summary

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