Dear NRVC Member,

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I cannot believe that it is August already. Where has the summer gone? I hope these days have provided you with some much-needed rest, retreat, and vacation time.

European Vocation gatheringIt was my privilege once again to attend the annual gathering for the European Vocations Service (EVS), which was held this year from July 1-4, in Esztergom, Hungary. This conference gathers the directors of vocation services for the 34 European bishops' conferences. This year 16 countries were represented, with simultaneous translations in five languages.

OLD WORLD CONNECTIONS—The closing Eucharist for the European Vocations Service’s July gathering in Esztergom, Hungary was held in the Basilica of St. Mary of the Assumption and St. Adalbert, the mother church of the Archdiocese of Esztergom-Budapest. Participants shared lunch while viewing the beautiful Hungarian countryside.

In recognition of the recent Year for Priests, this year's theme was "Come, and you will see (John 1:39)-The priest: witness and servant of vocations." Keynote speakers included Bishop János Szekely, from Esztergom; Archbishop Jean-Louis Bruguès, OP, secretary for the Congregation for Catholic Education, Vatican City; Father Mario Oscar Llanos, SDB; and Bishop Juan Maria Uriarte Goiricelaya, apostolic administrator of San Sebastian, Spain.

Father Jorge Madureira, EVS coordinator, invited me to give a report on the status of priestly and religious vocations in the United States. My comments focused primarily on the results of our NRVC/CARA study of new membership. Not surprisingly, the results of our research crosses borders as other dioceses and religious institutes are finding similar trends in their own nations.

I am hoping that a representative from EVS will join us for our 2010 Convocation in Cleveland. For those interested in learning more about the European Vocations Service, please consult their website at http://www.vocations.eu/.

Plan now for convocationYou won't want to miss this biennial event, which is scheduled for November 4-8 in Cleveland, OH, at the InterContinental Hotel. Registration and further information regarding the convocation may be found on our website.

Seeking to treat the topic of globalization from various perspectives, we have an excellent lineup of keynote speakers, including Archbishop Pietro Sambi, apostolic nuncio to the United States; Brother David Andrews, CSC, former senior representative to the general secretary of the United Nations; Sister Angela Zukowski, MHSH, former world president of the International Catholic Association for Radio and Television; and Father Bryan Massingale, theologian and president of the Catholic Theological Society of America. We've titled our convocation "Casting the Net: Vocation Ministry in a Global Church and World."

VOCATION FRIENDS AROUND THE WORLD—Brother Paul Bednarczyk, CSC takes a moment with the Irish delegation attending the European Vocations Service gathering in July. Pictured here (top photo, from left to right) are Father Muirdeach Tuffy; Brother Paul; Sister Eileen Linehan, the Vocations Ireland director; Bishop Donal McKeown; and Father Willie Purcell. In the photo on the bottom, Father Eusebio Hernandez, OSA, (second from left) from the Vatican’s Congregation for Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, prepares to make his report to participants.

I would also invite you to consider attending the pre-convocation workshops on November 4:

Behavioral Assessment II with Father Raymond Carey, Ph.D.

Whispers from God: A Workshop for Those Who Teach and Practice Discernment with Dr. Melanie-Prejean Sullivan, D.Min.

Vocation Ministry and the Issues, of Civil, Canon and Immigration Law with Father Daniel Ward, OSB and Anne Marie Gibbons from Catholic Legal Immigration Network.

Be sure to take advantage of this important opportunity to hear great input, to network with other vocation ministers, and to share in great camaraderie and prayer.

NRVC/CARA Study follow-upThis month it will be one year since we released the results of the NRVC/CARA Report on Recent Vocations to Religious Life. Since that time, Sister Charlene Diorka, SSJ, associate director, and I have given approximately 35 talks on this landmark study to various groups, including bishops, major superiors, religious congregations, and other interested parties. In June I spoke to the Oblates of St. Francis DeSales, Philadelphia-Wilmington Province, and this summer Sister Charlene spoke to the Sisters of St. Francis of the Holy Cross in Green Bay, WI; the Marist Fathers and Brothers; Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Scranton, PA; and the Benedictine Sisters of Beech Grove, IN. We have also committed ourselves to several speaking engagements in the future.  

It is encouraging to all of us that religious congregations are using the study results to re-examine their personal and communal lives and vocation programs in light of the study results and best practices.

From September 16-19 NRVC will host the Moving Forward in Hope Project at the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago. This event, which is being funded by a generous foundation grant, will gather approximately 55 invited guests representing various church constituencies. These men and women will include major superiors, diocesan personnel, vocation and formation directors, Catholic educators, media and communication personnel, youth and campus ministers, and younger religious. I am pleased that Father Hank Lemoncelli, OMI will be representing the Vatican's Congregation for Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life at this event.

The purpose of this gathering is to study the research and to formulate a concrete plan of action and strategy that will address the religious vocation question in the United States today. This plan will then serve as a blueprint for further vocation initiatives on a national level.

In addition to me, members of the planning committee include Father Robin Ryan, CP; Brother Sean Sammon, FMS; Sisters Elyse Ramirez, OP and Charlene Diorka, SSJ; and Patrice Tuohy. Our facilitator, Sister Joan Scanlon, OP, also serves as a member of the planning committee. I believe this project will be an exciting venture that will make practical use of the research generated by our vocation study. I will give a full report on the results of this project to the NRVC membership later in the fall.  

New board members selectedDue to unforeseen circumstances, Sister Marcy Romine, OSF will resign from her position on the NRVC Board after the November convocation. Sister Marcy has served on the board since 2007. She is the board liaison to the Latino-Hispanic Committee and a member of the leadership team. She has not only shared with us her passion for religious life but her ministerial competence as well. We wish her well as she discerns her next ministry.

Brother Timothy Raible, MM was appointed to the board in the spring and was to assume his service to NRVC in the fall. In the interim, Brother Tim was assigned to the foreign missions; therefore, he will be unable to fulfill his obligation.

Because of these two unexpected resignations, the NRVC Board is exercising its right to appoint replacements for the departing board members as stated in the NRVC Constitution, Article IV, Section A.4. "If a Board member is unable to complete a term of office, the National Board may select a person to complete the unfilled term."

Sister Elsa Garcia, CDP

I am pleased to announce that beginning this fall, Sister Elsa Garcia, CDP and Sister Marcia Hall, OSP will each begin a two-year term on the board.

Sister Elsa, a member of the Congregation of Divine Providence, lives in San Antonio, TX and has been vocation minister in her community since 2001. Having a master of social work from Our Lady of the Lake University, she has formerly ministered as a psychiatric social worker, AIDS counselor, group therapist, and bereavement counselor. Sister Elsa is also the former co-chair of Region 10.

Sister Marcia Hall, OSP

Sister Marcia is the vocation director for the Oblate Sisters of Providence, a position she has held since 2008. Sister Marcia has a Ph.D. in sociology from the University of Michigan and has spent the majority of religious life in the ministry of education as teacher, professor, and administrator on the secondary, college, and university levels. Living in Baltimore, MD, she is a member of Region 4 and presently serves on the Black Religious Committee of NRVC.

On behalf of the NRVC Board and membership, I extend a warm welcome to both Sister Elsa and Sister Marcia!

NRVC completes another successful Summer Institute

MAKING THE MOST OF THE SUMMER—Thirty-six new vocation ministers became familiar with their new profession by taking part in NRVC’s Orientation Program for New Vocation Directors during the annual Summer Institute held in July at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago.

From July 12 through 27, Catholic Theological Union was inundated with vocation directors seeking professional development and updating for their ministries. This summer's workshops included:

· Behavior Assessment and Ethics in Vocation Ministry with Father Raymond Carey, Ph.D.

· Orientation Program for New Vocation Directors with Brother Paul Bednarczyk, CSC and Sister Charlene Diorka, SSJ.

· Vocation Minister as Spiritual Guide with Father David Couturier, OFM Cap., Ph.D., D.Min.

Our workshops showed strong attendance this year with a total of 103 participants, 36 of whom attended the new vocation directors' orientation program. I am always grateful to Sister Charlene Diorka, SSJ and Debbie Prieto for their assistance and organization in making this annual Summer Institute the success it always is.

Enjoy these remaining summer days and know of my continued prayerful support for you and your ministry.

Sincerely yours in Christ,
Brother Paul Bednarczyk, CSC, Executive Director 

HORIZON advertisers have much to offer vocation ministers. Click on these links to see what they can offer your ministry.

Boston College Sabbatical Program. Be transformed by the renewal of your mind. A flexible sabbatical program for experienced ministers: www.bc.edu/stmsabbatical.

Weber Center Fall Programs. Enrich yourself in a restful Michigan setting. Check out the fall courses and retreats at www.webercenter.org.

Jesuit School of Theology. At the heart of a life of meaning lies faith doing justice. See our many programs: www.scu.edu/jst.

Guesthouse for Women Religious. Amazing grace happens here. For information on addiction treatment: www.guesthouse.org.

Sisters of the Holy Family of Fremont, CA are seeking a full-time vocation director. Learn more at www.holyfamilysisters.org.

Redemptorist Renewal Center. Find calm in the desert: retreats, spiritual-direction, study, writing hermitages near Picture Rocks in Arizona. www.desertrenewal.org

Institute of Religious Formation. Challenging participants to a spirituality that adapts to the needs of our complex global village. Click here.

Lighthouse Catholic Media. Young adults love our Catholic speakers, such as Mother Teresa, Matthew Kelly, and many more; CDs and MP3s starting at $3. http://cursillo-lighthousemedia.org/

Prepare the Word is the perfect preaching and formation resource for busy religious. www.PrepareTheWord.com

The National Communicators Network for Women Religious invites vocation ministers to attend its conference September 21-24 in Denver, CO. Network with other communicators for religious orders, learn new technologies and strategies, and listen to speakers, including keynoter Sister Carol Zinn, SSJ, who will speak on "Moving Mountains: The Power of One for the Life of the World." For more information about speakers, workshops, the sponsoring organization, etc., see www.ncnwr.org. 

Secrets to service program successMore and more young adults, especially those in their 20s, are getting active in service projects. They enjoy working with their hands and, in a short amount of time, making a difference for someone else. Here's a way to make these service projects come alive for young adults:

Organize a service project for a convenient day and time (for instance, Saturday mid-morning or Sunday afternoon)-and be sure the activity has a specific beginning and end time listed in your marketing and invitations.

Pick a project that will have visible, tangible results. People like to know that their efforts will directly benefit someone or something-and in a Google-speed world, many want to see those results instantaneously.   

Start the event by meeting up together (and either driving over to the project or meeting at the project site itself), but be sure to schedule a few moments for meet-and-greet. Young adults of all types enjoy meeting their peers, so give people the chance to meet those whom they'll be working alongside.

After the service component, schedule time for theological reflection. Too often, young adults experience life without fully reflecting on what they've done. Even in their good works, they can miss the point. Spend time in small or large groups talking about the deeper meaning behind their actions. Encourage these men and women to understand the difference between their charity and social justice-and how to bridge the connection between the two.

Finally, be sure to take time to pray for the beneficiaries of the service and for their young adult peers, that they might be inspired to give of their time and energy for the sake of others as well.

--Paul Jarzembowski, National Catholic Young Adult Ministry Association, pjarzembowski@dioceseofjoliet.org

2011 vocation event dates, cycle A

National Vocation Awareness Week    January 9-15
World Day for Consecrated Life     February 6
World Day of Prayer for Vocations    May 15

Kits for these events will be available in September. Pre-orders are welcome at this time! Reminder: Annual bulk permits are valid for one year only. Bulk permit requests must be made annually. All kits are copyrighted by NCCV. Thank you for your cooperation.

New resource! 

Catholics on Call: Discerning a Life of Service in the Church. Who do you want to be in your life? How does God speak to you about your life? This volume, like the Catholics on Call program at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, raises important questions. Respected essayists shed light on the variety of vocational paths in the church while providing insights about discernment, ministry, and prayer. This 176-page paperback book will be available in September 2010. If you place an order, we will back-order your request and ship it as soon as possible. Pre-order for $19.95. Order #2153. Call or see the NEW ITEMS section of www.nccv-vocations.org.

Whispers, Nudges, & A Couple of Kicks: A Guide for Those Who Teach and Practice Discernment. Authored by Melanie-Prejean Sullivan, director of campus ministry at Bellarmine University, Louisville, KY. 121 pages. Melanie was a workshop presenter at the 2008 NRVC Convocation. Order #303, $23. Complete information is at www.nccv-vocations.org.

August sale!Exploring the Charism Menu of Religious Life. Discernment resource for anyone serious about exploring religious life. Helpful insights on charism, discernment, prayer, and the role of a spiritual guide and vocation minister. Order #399, $.45 each (regular $.50). Mention the NRVC August sale when ordering.

Check out the NCCV website at www.nccv-vocations.org for "New Items" regularly posted.

August office hoursThe NCCV offices may be closed at various times during the month of August. A voice message will alert you to these adjustments.

Contact NCCV at nccvvocations@gmail.com, (773) 955-5453 or www.nccv-vocations.org. 

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