Vocação requer cultivo! the large banner hanging in the sanctuary of the Shrine of St. Jude the Apostle in São Paulo, Brazil proclaimed. I didn't need to ask. Without knowing Portuguese, the message of the banner was clear: Vocations require cultivation!
The days of fishing for vocations must be over, Virginio Bressanelli, scj recently said. It is time to cultivate vocations. First, we awaken the seeds planted within the hearts of adolescents and young adults. Then we nourish and strengthen their awareness of God's call to enable young adults to make the appropriate response.
Virginio is impressed with the approach developed by the Church in Brazil to foster vocations. Plans are being developed by the South Brazil Province to host the second international gathering of SCJ vocation directors next August. Tom Cassidy, scj, who oversees vocation animation in the congregation, asked me whether I could join him on a trip to Brazil this past summer to begin to learn about their approach. It didn't take me long to clear my calendar and say yes.
The hospitality of Claudio Weber, scj, provincial superior, and all the SCJs I met was outstanding. In a short period of time we were able to see many areas of the province. This is not meant to be a travelogue so I will not speak of the places we visited. Instead, I want to share with you some of my understanding of the approach they use for vocation promotion.
It wasn't necessary to understand Portuguese to experience the fervor with which the young and old, males and females, participate in the liturgy. I was struck by the large number of young adults and the number of males of all ages who were actively and attentively involved. Of all the things that I experienced in Brazil, I was most impressed and touched by the faith of the people. On weekends, the churches were filled beyond capacity with people in the aisles and standing outside.
A Vocations Month has been celebrated in parts of Brazil since the '70s. On a national level, the National Conference of Brazilian Bishops established August as the Vocations Month in 1981.
From our perspective, August might seem to be a strange month for Vocations Month. Remember that Brazil's seasons are the reverse of ours. Their summer vacation is mid-December through March. August is the middle of winter (if you consider 75-80° in São Paulo to be winter!), and the start of second semester. From this perspective, August is a perfect month for vocation activities.
Often we use the word "vocations" to refer only to priesthood and religious life. The basic premise of Vocations Month in Brazil is that every baptized Christian has been called by God and that every vocation is sacred. The various activities surrounding Vocations Month in the home, school and parish are designed to fulfill the following goals:
· to develop in children, teens, young adults, and adults a clearer awareness of their baptismal call to follow Jesus.
· to provide information about the various vocations and their expressions within the Church: marriage and family life, single, religious life, priesthood, etc.
· to foster a responsibility in the parish community regarding vocation ministry, encouraging adults to assist in the nurturing of vocations within their parish and family.
· to animate and parish vocation committees and provide continuing education for those involved in this ministry.
During Vocations Month, the Church in Brazil uses every means at its disposal to accomplish these goals: newspapers and magazines, radio and TV, video and film, essay contests and posters, even bumper stickers and balloons. The weekly focus is developed throughout the country in parishes, schools and at home. Good use is made of the natural rhythm of the liturgical and civil calendar to focus on specific vocational choices each week:
· August 4 is the feast of St. John Vianney, the patron saint of parochial priests. The focus of the first week of August is the priesthood.
· Fathers' Day in Brazil is celebrated on the second Sunday of August. The focus of the second week is the laity with particular emphasis on marriage and family life.
· August 15 is the feast of the Assumption of Mary, a model for all Christians, especially all religious. The third week focuses on religious life as sister, brother or priest.
· The fourth week focuses on the vocation of catechists and missionaries, both of whom help to spread the faith. Catechists are often extraordinary ministers of baptism and marriage and celebrate the Liturgy of the Word when a priest is not available to celebrate Eucharist.
The family is recognized as the birthplace of all vocations. Vocation and family ministries work together to develop materials:
· to provide education for parents about the vocational choices possible within the church
· to encourage conversations between parents and children on vocational choices
· to provide prayers that can be used by families asking God for guidance.
After the family, the parish is the most normal place for vocation ministry. Throughout August, the liturgical celebrations are well prepared with homilies, hymns, prayers of the faithful and handouts developed around the weekly focus. Well designed banners with messages such as "God always calls. What will be your response?" and "Lord, how shall I follow?" were displayed in many of the churches. Parish newspapers included vocation stories, schedule of parish events, family activities and prayers.
The parish and school sponsor class presentations, discussion groups, periods of reflection and youth pilgrimages. Creative activities such as poetry, essay and art contests &emdash; and even races &emdash; are used to encourage young adults to think and talk about vocational opportunities and choices.
During August, the Church in Brazil awakens a sense of vocation among the youth and young adults and fosters within the local parish community a sense of responsibility in the nurturing of vocations. The question that the Church places before its young adults is not whether they will respond to the invitation to follow Jesus but how will they respond.
Throughout the rest of the year, the Church builds on what happens in August. The parish vocation ministry &emdash; a group of adults including a priest and religious as well as laity &emdash; accompanies young adults who are actively discerning God's call. In many parishes, this group gathers for eight Saturdays during the year to reflect, pray and discuss their faith as they discern God's will. Retreats, pilgrimages and regional gatherings for young adults are also organized.
Some programs are designed to specifically promote priesthood and religious life. If the parish wants priests and religious as part of its future, it must ensure its young adults are encouraged to consider these vocations. "A parish without vocations to the priesthood and religious life is like a family without children." was a slogan used to increase awareness of the need to nurture priestly and religious vocations within the parish. Parishes pray for seminarians and candidates by name. Pictures of seminarians and candidates posted on the bulletin board remind others considering the priesthood and religious life that they are not the only one considering this choice. Anniversaries of ordination and profession are celebrated within the parish as a way to celebrate these vocations.
In every parish I visited, there were clearly identified signs that the parish was staffed by SCJs. A large sign in the Shrine of St. Jude the Apostle in São Paulo indicates that the Dehonians were founded by Leo John Dehon and that we are present in more than 30 countries. The sign lists the countries in Latin America where we serve, the cities in which we minister in Brazil and our parishes and programs in São Paulo. It would be difficult for the parishioners or visitors not to know that the priests providing pastoral care at the Shrine are part of a religious congregation serving other parts of the city and world. In other parishes, pictures of Dehon, congregational shields and symbols on the walls or in stained glass, and Dehonian vocational material helped to establish the congregation's identity.
The spread of the lay Dehonian movement in Brazil gives strong evidence that the charism of the congregation is being shared within the local parish communities. Young adults as well as older adults wear a Dehonian cross as a symbol of their active and proud participation in this movement.
The pastors of the South Brazil province have organized an annual three week youth missionary experience as another way to accompany young adults as they discern their vocational choice. Held in January during summer vacation, this experience provides an opportunity for young men and women from our parishes to live, pray, and work together while providing service in a particular area of the province. About 150 &emdash; 180 young adults (18-22) participate each year.
It is not wise to simply replicate in the United States programs that appear to be successful in other countries. Yet, there are things that we can learn from the experience of others.
We spend too much time and energy "fishing" for vocations. Like other communities, we use posters and advertisements in newspapers and magazines like bait, patiently waiting for someone to take a nibble. I'm not suggesting that we drop the posters and advertisements. They have an important role in increasing vocation awareness.
However, we need to develop parish-based programs designed to achieve similar goals as the August Vocations Month in Brazil, programs that address vocations and discernment from a broader perspective. By short-circuiting the word "vocation" to refer primarily to priesthood and religious life, the Church does itself a disservice. It is easier to encourage healthy dialogue between parents and young adults on the subject of vocations when priesthood and religious life are viewed as choices among a wider variety of authentic and sacred church vocations.
As we develop programs that seek to make conversations about vocational choice a normal part of life within our parishes, schools and homes there are at least two other lessons from Brazil that we cannot lose sight of. Public awareness of the identity of our congregation and our charism within our ministries and institutions is important. Clear and easily understood symbols and other identifying marks of the congregation are needed so that people know who we are.
More importantly, we need to develop the programs and services that help adolescents and young adults realize that they are a vital part of the Church and have important contributions to make in the parish and the diocese. The Church is more relevant in the lives of young adults when the Church communicates strongly that young adults are relevant to the life of the Church.