Program outlines

Program outlines

Program outlines

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Effective vocation programs with a mentoring dimension

By Carol Schuck Scheiber

There are many ways to bring together those who are considering religious life and those who have lived it for years. Any time people from those two groups come together, the door is opened for mentor-type relationships to emerge. Read more...

Sister, you go girl: a cool way to present religious life to young people

By Danielle Rossi

I am very interested in the future of religious life. As a candidate for the Sisters of St. Read more...

Volleyball as a vocation tool

By Vicki Lichtenauer S.C.L. and Barbara Schrader S.C.L.

They ask us, “Where are you?” As women religious we are frequently asked this question. Many of us no longer wear a habit or work in the traditional settings of education or health care, so it is a challenge to be a visible sign of religious life. Read more...

How we stay in touch with promising high school students

By John Hanley O.S.F.S.

In the preface of Introduction to the Devout Life, St. Francis de Sales pointed out that the advice given in his new book was not original, nor should it be. Read more...

Seeking a new dawn together: organizing a vocation symposium

By Mary Pat LeRoy S.N.J.M.

This is an adventure story lived by many people for the sake of mission and new life in our congregation, the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary.1 There are hundreds of versions of this story about how our congregation turned our collective focus toward new membership for the sake of mission. Read more...

Meeting our diocesan counterparts: a positive joint meeting of NRVC and NCDVD

By Kathleen Pales S.S.J.

Aware that both national vocation organizations have long recognized the value of collaboration, members of the two groups in the Pennsylvania/New Jersey region decided last year to meet. We felt the time was right to come together to pray, socialize, and talk about how we can work together more effectively. Read more...

How one community started building bridges to young adults

By Sisters of St. Francis of the Immaculate Conception

The authors of this article found the Convocation 2000 content on “Building bridges to Young Adults” so helpful that they decided to bring it home to their congregation and put it to work. The Sisters of St. Read more...

A successful vocations program I discovered by accident

By John Merkelis O.S.A.

The first step to any high school discernment program is to identify potential candidates. All right, this part is not by accident … but it is easy! You keep your eyes and ears open. Read more...

Programs that work: Pilgrimage Tour, Women’s Retreat

By Sister Mary Pellegrino C.S.J.

Vocation minister Mary Pellegrino presented the following two programs at NRVC’s Summer Institute 2001 as part of a workshop on Millennials. These programs work well with Millennials, but, as she points out, they can be adapted to other age groups as well. Read more...

Outline of a successful vocation retreat for Hispanic young adults

Targeting overlooked Hispanics

By Clemente Barrón CP

A vocation minister who doesn’t collaborate with others in this ministry may soon suffer burnout. At the same time, vocation promoters today are aware that collaboration can be valuable at all levels of church life. Read more...

How to develop an effective discernment house for college students

By Larry Atkinson C.S.C.

Many religious orders are starting young adult houses of spiritual growth and discernment. Here are words of wisdom about starting such a house from an experienced hand. Read more...

A parish mission that fosters vocation culture

By Marilyn Minter C.S.S.F.

Parishes around the country are thinking seriously about vocation thanks to this parish mission program. Read more...

A workshop to energize the community and form bonds with young adults

By Jim Kent, O.F.M., Conv.

Here’s a workshop that puts community members into direct contact with Catholic young adults and motivates the community to be involved with vocation ministry. Read more...

Samuel Group: a year-long discernment program

By Tiziana Mazzei, A.I.L.

By regularly meeting for prayer and spiritual formation, young adults in the Samuel Group learn how to discern their life’s vocation. Read more...

Ready? Set ... GOD!

Introducing high school students to prayerful discernment for life choices

By Randall Kin, O.F.M. Conv., Pat Dorobek S.N.D., and Sandra Sherman O.S.U.

Here is a program that helps high school students develop spiritual depth for making prayerful decisions. Read more...

Process for preparing a community to welcome and mentor new members

By Carole Riley C.D.P.

This author led a men’s community through a five-year process of evaluating its way of incorporating new members and creating a new way to meet that need. Read more...

Vocation visioning weekend

A process for involving membership

By Sr. Patricia Donlin R.S.M.

Vocation ministry cannot succeed without involvement from the full community. The leaders of a program that inspired membership action tell how they did it. Read more...

An international conference to encourage vocations

Through a five-day international conference, two connected congregations of brothers stirred enthusiasm for inviting new members and began forming strategic plans for promoting vocations. Read more...

Get membership involved with a Vocation Summit

When this Franciscan province gathered together college men, those in formation and solemnly professed members, the discussion regarding new membership was enlightening and fruitful. Read more...

Helping college students create their own discernment models

By Melanie-Préjean Sullivan

In the context of a college course on the theology of discernment, this campus minister helped each student create a personal discernment model. Read more...

How we organized a Day of Discussion for leadership and vocation directors

By Fr. Scott Jones S.D.S., Sr. Barbara Linke S.S.N.D., Sr. Rose Sevenich O.S.F., and Fr. Joachim Studwell O.F.M.

Milwaukee area vocation ministers took the kernal of an idea—”let’s talk about our ministry with leadership”—and ran with it. Here’s the step-by-step planning that resulted in a day of fruitful exchange. Read more...

What I learned from launching a discernment group for college women

By Sr. Maria Sally Willitzer S.N.D.

College women responded enthusiastically when offered a chance to sort through vocation options in a safe, unpressured, faithful environment. Read more...

Justice retreat provides discernment perspective

Justice retreat provides discernment perspective

By Br. Brian C. Halderman SM

This weekend justice retreat served multiple purposes. It spurred theological reflection, exposed contacts to the Marianist charism and encouraged relationships between discerners and the community. Read more...

How Duchesne House leads students to reflection

How Duchesne House leads students to reflection

By Sr. Mary Patricia White R.S.C.J.

Helping young adults to go deeper in their understanding of the faith requires entering into the young adult world, listening deeply and guiding from a solid foundation. Read more...

Best practices for vocation ministry

By Sr. Mary Bendyna R.S.M.

For years vocation ministers have swapped ideas and shared programs. Now research has confirmed some hunches and pointed the way to the most effective ministry models. Read more...

Examples of best practices

By Br. Stephen Glodek S.M. and Carol Schuck Scheiber

The NRVC-CARA study revealed a number of best practices in vocation ministry. Here are three concrete examples of programs that illustrate some of those practices. Read more...

Turning point: building consensus to make membership a priority

By Father Jim Kent, O.F.M. Conv., Fr. Jim Kent, O.F.M. Conv., and Sr. Patricia Donlin R.S.M.

How do you nurture a corporate commitment to vocation ministry? Here is how two communities have helped move their communities toward a “vocation culture.” Read more...

Pilgrimage as a way to build vocation culture

Pilgrimage as a way to build vocation culture

By Sr. Carolyn Hoying C.PP.S. and Father Ken Schnipke C.PP.S.

Building on the time-honored Christian tradition of pilgrimage, vocation ministers in West Central Ohio have designed an annual trek that promotes vocation awareness. Read more...

How one community is using the NRVC-CARA study to move forward

By Sr. Maria Therese Healy, O.Carm and Carol Schuck Scheiber

The Carmelite Sisters for the Aged and Infirm used findings from the NRVC-CARA study to help their community move forward with a vocation action plan. Read more...

Five winning ways to extend contact with young adults

Five winning ways to extend contact with young adults

By Sr. Gloria Ann Fiedler C.D.P. and Sr. Elsa Garcia C.D.P.

The Sisters of Divine Providence of San Antonio, TX have started five inter-connected initiatives to help them build relationships with young adults. Read more...

What are the best practices for “Come and See” events?

By Joel Schorn

A survey of how vocation ministers conduct “Come and See” events reveals what vocation ministers are doing, what works and what doesn’t. Read more...

Strategies to address the lifestyle gap, help newcomers fit in

Strategies to address the lifestyle gap, help newcomers fit in

By Carol Schuck Scheiber

The Sisters of Mercy are building on their “pockets of energy” to encourage the kind of communal life that young adults seek and to help new members feel at home. Read more...

The six best practices for vocation ministry today

These best practices were gleaned from the results of the NRVC-CARA study of new members released in 2009. See nrvc.net/best_practices to read the full report. Read more...

My week with the sisters

My week with the sisters

An insider view of service

By Caroline Hopkinson

“The week with the sisters gave me a sense of what it means to be the best version of myself, which may not be the same for someone else, but for all of us it involves something greater than ourselves.” Read more...

We’re moving forward

We’re moving forward

By Sr. Krista von Borstel S.S.M.O., Mother Katherine Caldwell T.O.R.., and Sr. Ginny Heldorfer O.S.F.

The Women Religious Moving Forward in Hope project has held gatherings in four cities to bring together a variety of sisters. Together they have bridged differences, gained new insights and developed momentum for their vocation efforts. Read more...

25 ideas that worked

25 ideas that worked

By Members of NRVC

HORIZON recently asked readers for feedback on the best things they’ve ever tried as vocation ministers. Thank you to the many respondents for creative, compelling stories. Read on for a little inspiration of your own. Read more...

Summer retreat kicks off vocation year

Summer retreat kicks off vocation year

By Brother Mike Sheerin F.M.S.

This summer retreat cemented relationships with high school contacts and kicked off a “Year of Marist Vocations.” Read more...

International immersion for discerners

International immersion for discerners

By Jonathan Bishop

The Assumptionists tried taking discerners abroad for a deeper, wider exposure to their charism. The experience was positive for all. Read more...

Responding to inquirers

Responding to inquirers

By Sr. Virginia Herbers A.S.C.J., Len Uhal, and Sister Nancy Gilchriest S.S.N.D.

When a person makes a vocation inquiry, it’s critical that a community respond well. Read more...

Our Vocation Culture Project

Our Vocation Culture Project

By Father Tom McCarthy O.S.A.

The three of us decided we had two choices: do nothing and ultimately die as a province or do something. We decided to do something. Read more...

Talking to college students: two ways to build relationships

Talking to college students: two ways to build relationships

By Sister Paula Jameson I.H.M. and Sister Regina Marie Fronmuller O.S.U.

If young adults are to consider religious life, they need to know sisters, priests, and brothers. They need to meet them in positive settings, and from there everything else can flow. Read more...

We're embracing welcoming communities

By Sister Diane Roche R.S.C.J.

There seems to be a resurgence of interest among young adults in coming together with sisters to share a meal, conversation, and prayer. Read more...

Eight best practices for encouraging new membership

Eight best practices for encouraging new membership

By Carol Schuck Scheiber

While there are no one-size-fits-all solutions, HORIZON hopes these eight best practices—grounded in data and backed up by experience—provide insights that will help your community move forward. Read more...

Building relationships with young people

Building relationships with young people

By Sister Tarianne DeYonker O.P.

If we no longer have positions in schools or parish religious education, we must make the effort to go to places where young adults are. When we meet them, we need to initiate the conversation. Read more...

Better together: vocation panel raises awareness

Better together: vocation panel raises awareness

By John Feister

A group of vocation directors in Cincinnati has banded together to bring awareness of religious life to students in Catholic schools. Read more...

The rich rewards of pilgrimage

The rich rewards of pilgrimage

By Sister Rosemary Fry C.S.J.

Over the last several years, young men and women in a group called Faith Connections—a lay run ministry sponsored by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Toronto—have asked for and collaborated in organizing three pilgrimages with the sisters. The experience has been life-giving for all. Read more...

Use your congregational gathering to further vocation ministry

Use your congregational gathering to further vocation ministry

By Brother Paul Michalenko S.T.

Here’s how to use the next large gathering of your community for constructive conversations about new membership. Read more...

Mother-Daughter Days at St. Francis Convent

Mother-Daughter Days at St. Francis Convent

By Sister Jean Louise Schafer O.S.F.

This summertime tradition at a rural community builds relationships and fosters a culture of vocation. The Sisters of St. Francis of Dillingen in North Dakota have kept alive their tradition of Mother-Daughter days because they work so well to build relationships between the convent and women in the region. Read more...

Accompanying college students

Accompanying college students

By Sister Nicole Trahan F.M.I.

Being present is key as college students grow in faith and make plans for their future. An experienced campus minister shares insights from her experience of cultivating a vocation culture in a university setting. Read more...

HORIZON Fall 2024 ...

This edition focuses on discernment, particularly how vocation ministers can accompany ... More

Convocation Gratitude ...

The National Office and Board extend its appreciation for your participation, ... More

Nominate a board member ...

Board members have the opportunity to lead the NRVC into the ... More

World Day for Consecrated Life ...

There are several ways to celebrate World Day for Consecrated Life! ... More

Bold and Faithful Storymap ...

Our Bold and Faithful Storymap links people interested in religious life ... More

NRVC Member Areas

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National Office Closed

Dec. 24-Jan.1,

Christmas holiday

Southwest Member Area Gathering

January 15, 2025,

via Zoom

Talk it Up Tuesdays

Starting Jan. 28,

Mark your calendars...

Delaware Valley Member Area Gathering

February 12, 2025,

via Zoom

Pilgrims of Hope

Jubilee Year 2025,

Learn more...

Catholic Sisters Week

March 8-14, 2025,

Ideas to celebrate...

Religious Brothers Day

May 1, 2025,

Resources to celebrate...

World Day for Consecrated Life

February 2, 2025,

World Day of Prayer for Vocations

May 11, 2025,

National Vocation Awareness Week

November 2-8, 2025,

VISION Discerner Guide

HORIZON Journal

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Sister Jenny Wilson, R.S.M.

Sister Jenny Wilson, R.S.M.

Short-term volunteer stints have proven to be a good way for Sister Jenny Wilson, R.S.M. to get to know women who might consider religious life. Building a relationship with people is key, she says, and the volunteer experience allows time for that. Read more...

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