A Call to Action ~ Please Pray for Vocations - Oct 16, 2022

This past week the priests of the Diocese of Austin gathered for three days for the annual Priests Convocation. Our Diocese holds a convocation every year at the Marriott Hotel in Round Rock. It is a time of prayer, socialization, and education. This year’s theme was vocations, especially vocations to the priesthood and religious life.

There will be no ordinations to the priesthood this coming Spring for the Diocese of Austin. This has alarmed the Diocese, especially as the number of Catholics in the Diocese grows rapidly, and a significant number of diocesan priests are set to retire. I can also add that there were no Paulist ordinations this past Spring either.

The situation of lack of ordained priests in this country is bad and getting worse. We need more vocations to the priesthood. So we had presentations by Rhonda Gruenwald who has begun a successful vocation ministry in her home parish of St. Cecilia in Houston, and now has taken it on the road, speaking to dioceses across the country. She has enthusiasm and passion for promoting vocations to the priesthood and consecrated life. She also presented many possible actions for promoting vocations. Visit her website, Vocation Ministry. 

Some of her suggestions would be applicable to our parish and our Catholic School. Prior to the covid pandemic we had a vocations committee here at St Austin. It is time to revitalize that effort. If you have a desire or passion to work to promote vocations to the priesthood and religious life, please let me know. I am sure we will be organizing an effort here to promote vocations in our parish.

Meanwhile, continue to pray for vocations to the priesthood and religious life. Ask the Master of the harvest to send more workers into the harvest. There is a great need for good priests in our country. If you know of someone who would make a good priest, please mention that to him.

We are currently building a new home for our parish ministries and our parish school. But we also need to generate more priestly and religious vocations to serve in these buildings and beyond. Keep praying for vocations to serve the Church. 

God bless!