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There are many priests, men, and women religious, lay and professional persons, and indeed qualified young people, who can help the young with their vocational discernment. When we are called upon to help others discern their path in life, what is uppermost is the ability to listen.
Pope Francis (Christus Vivit, nr 291)
In recognition of the great need to foster vocations in our time, the National Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa has created a Vocation Apostolate to promote vocations to the priesthood, religious and married life. Father Marcin Ćwierz OSPPE and Father Timothy Tarnacki OSPPE lead the Vocations Apostolate team which also includes a group of dedicated lay people hand-selected for the mission.
The Vocation Apostolate is focused on promoting vocation initiatives at the Shrine but is also working in a coordinated way with the Office of Vocations for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. To aid in these coordination efforts, the Shrine Vocation Apostolate meetings will be attended by Serra Club representatives, who will be liaisons between our Shrine and the Office of Vocations of the Archdiocese.
The Shrine Vocation Apostolate launched in December by participating in a Hundredfold vocations workshop led by Rhonda Gruenewald, the founder of Vocation Ministry, and sponsored by the Archdiocese. This lively training session was attended by representatives from twenty parishes and signaled the beginning of a new focus on building vocations in the diocese.
Learn more about the office of vocations for the archdiocese of Philadelphia and check out their calendar of events
Learn more about vocation ministry and check out their resources
The Shrine Vocation Apostolate held its first meeting in January 2021. At this meeting, the decision was made to dedicate the first Thursday of each month to foster vocations with a special Mass, followed by a Rosary Devotion and Adoration. The Mass will begin at 11:30 am in the Chapel of Our Lady of Czestochowa. Our prayers will be offered for priestly and religious vocations, as well as for all young people that they may hear God’s call in their life. All are invited to sign up and offer a Holy Hour for the intention of vocations during Adoration from 12:30 pm to 5:00 pm.
The Pauline Fathers and Brothers have also launched a new vocation website for the American Province. This website gives information about the Pauline patron saints, charism, spirituality, way of life, formation, and much more!
For more information about vocations or to join in the work of the Vocation Apostolate contact Pauline Fathers at vocation@czestochowa.us
We must remember that prayerful discernment must be born of a readiness to listen: to the Lord and to others, and to reality itself, which always challenges us in new ways. Only if we are prepared to listen, do we have the freedom to set aside our own partial or insufficient ideas, our usual habits and ways of seeing things. In this way, we become truly open to accepting a call that can shatter our security, but lead us to a better life. It is not enough that everything be calm and peaceful. God may be offering us something more, but in our comfortable inadvertence, we do not recognize it.
Pope Francis (Gaudete Et Exsultate, nr 172)
Check out our calendar for vocational events organized by the Vocation Apostolate at our Shrine, as well as learn more about many other events happening in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.
