In order to better serve them, NRVC's newly formed Resource Advisory Committee invites members to take a 10-question survey about resources. If you belong to NRVC, be sure to give your feedback so we can provide you with the highest quality and most helpful support and resources.

Click here to begin the short survey. The survey will end June 30.

Glenmary Cris Odongo is ordained by Bishop William Medley of the Diocese of Owensboro, Ky.

A new study of U.S. men being ordained to the priesthood in 2015 identified more men eligible for priestly ordination this year than in the recent past.

The total number of men identified by seminary rectors, vicars for clergy, and major superiors as prospective ordinands for the class of 2015 is 595. This number is up from 477 potential ordinands identified by the same study in 2014 and 497 in 2013.

Men ordained to the priesthood in the U.S. in 2015 reported that they were, on average, about 17 years old when they first considered a vocation to the priesthood and were encouraged to consider a vocation by an average of four people. Of those preparing to be ordained, 37 percent have a relative who is a priest or member of a religious order. Seven in 10 of the new ordinands (71 percent) say they were encouraged by a parish priest, as well as friends (46 percent), parishioners (45 percent), and mothers (40 percent).

On average, they lived in the diocese or eparchy for which they will be ordained for 15 years before entering seminary. Religious community ordinands knew the members of their religious institute an average of six years before entering. A full report of the study—conducted by the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate—is at usccb.org.

A newer member of the Congregation of Jesus in England gives an interview to the BBC about her call to consecrated life.

When the Office for Vocations in England and Wales recently released figures showing that the number of women entering religious life has tripled since 2009 (from 15 to 45 in England and Wales), the British media paid close attention. The story of  the rise in entrants garnered coverage from such media giants as the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), London’s Guardian newspaper, and the Telegraph.

Theodora Hawksley, a young scholar who joined the Congregation of Jesus, was featured by the BBC, and she also published an article about her reasons for entering religious life.

See her televised interview here.

See her article in the Telegraph here.

Other coverage can be seen at these links:
 
BBC News channel video story

Article in The Independent

BBC News website article

Guardian newspaper article

BBC Radio 2 Jeremy Vine Show

(Click on 1:40 to find the religious life coverage.) 

Are you new or recently appointed to vocation ministry? Or do you know someone recently appointed as vocation minister for a religious institute?

The presenters at the NRVC Orientation Program for New Vocation Ministers will be Brother Paul Bednarczyck, C.S.C. and Sister Deborah Borneman, SS.C.M.

The Orientation Program for New Vocation Directors will be offered July 24-28, 2015 in Chicago, and October 18-22 in Leavenworth, Kansas.

This workshop is foundational. It provides participants with skills, context, theory, challenges, and practicalities of contemporary vocation ministry. Topics include:  theology of call; candidate issues; discernment, assessment and the application process; the role of membership and religious leadership; advertising and education; ethics and boundaries; and self-care of the vocation director.

Limited housing is available. For details and registration see nrvc.net.

Marge Argyelan

In April Marge Argyelan, an experienced database professional, joined the staff of the National Religious Vocation Conference. As part of NRVC's strategic plan, all database management will be moved back into the NRVC office.

Marge has more than 15 years of experience in database management in the nonprofit sector and has previously served as office manager and business manager for St. Gertrude’s Parish in Chicago.

Thank you to TrueQuest Communications, publisher of NRVC's VISION guide, which has been managing the NRVC database for the past six years.

NRVC is partnering with Catholic Extension to sponsor a June 2 pastoral and vocation skills workshop specifically for Spanish-speaking sisters from Latin America who minister in the United States. The workshop is titled Vocaciones sin Fronteras en un Mundo Cambiante (Vocations Without Borders in a Changing World). The workshop’s aim is to assist participants with skills and knowledge in vocation and pastoral ministry.

This event will include presentations, small-group activities, and time for participants to network with one another. Sisters Raquel Ortez, S.S.N.D. and Elsa Garcia, C.D.P. will be presenters.

There is no cost to attend the workshop itself, but attendees must pay their own transportation and lodging. For further information, click here. Sister Deborah Borneman, SS.C.M. is coordinating this project with Catholic Extension. She can be reached at debbiesscm@nrvc.net.

Your message on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest, and other sites will gain more attention if you use a hashtag within the message. Examples of hashtags used in the vocation world: #consecratedlife, #vocations, #postulant, #popefrancis, #ThankANun.

That last example--#ThankANun--is being promoted by the author and publisher of a spiritual memoir due to be released May 5. John Schlimm, author of Five Years of Heaven: The Unlikely Friendship That Answered Life’s Greatest Questions (Image), is encouraging people to post a message or photo on May 5 using #ThankANun to express gratitude to Catholic sisters. By using the designated hashtag, your message will be grouped by that topic and can be searched.  Messages that incorporate hashtags are re-tweeted and seen more on Twitter and other social media.

One way many religious communities use hashtags is to post using #tbt or #throwbackthursday. This popular weekly online "event" lets social media users view archival photos from religious life. Communities can use #throwbackthursday to point out their own history and charism over the years. They simply post an archival photo, add a message, and include the term #tbt or #throwbackthursday.

Learn more about the use of hashtags at these links:

Hashtags in Catholic Youth Ministry slide show

Catholic Tech Talk column

Have you ever wanted information at your fingertips for a presentation or report? The NRVC website was recently  updated to include even more studies and vocational statistics to provide you with the latest, most accurate information on trends, demographics, and best practices.

The "About" tab has a section for this type of information called "NRVC Professional Documents." This section will be updated even further this summer.

If you have an idea or suggestion for nrvc.net content, please contact Sister Deborah Borneman, SS.C.M., NRVC director of member relations and services at debbiesscm@nrvc.net.

Catholics on Call

Young Adult Summer Conference

Catholics on Call is sponsoring a Young Adult Summer Conference in Chicago August 4-8, 2015 for men and women ages 18-30 who feel called to a life of service in the church and are seeking direction. They may apply online. Or email catholicsoncall@ctu.edu.

Partner Conference

Catholics on Call invites vocation directors to attend its Partner Conference to be held September 24-25, 2015 in Chicago. The featured speaker will be Kathleen A. Cahalan, professor of theology at Saint John’s University School of Theology Seminary in Collegeville, Minnesota. She will discuss the call to discipleship, the vocation to ministry, and practices for accompanying young discerners.

Learn more here. Or email catholicsoncall@ctu.edu.

Conference of Major Superiors of Women Religious

Symposium “To Wake up the World”
The Council of Major Superiors of Women will host a fall symposium, “To Wake up the World,” November 13-14, 2015 at the Drury Plaza Hotel at the Arch in St. Louis. The symposium will be a national event where scholars and religious come together to discuss the beauty and prophetic witness of religious life. Keynote address by Archbishop Augustine DiNoia, OP, adjunct secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.  Open to all religious, priests, and laity! Register at cmswr.org.

Esposas de Cristo, Hijas de la Iglesia
A summer course in Spanish, “Spouses of Christ, Daughters of the Church,” from Monday, July 6 to Friday, July 17 at the Pax Christi Liturgical Retreat Center, Corpus Christi, Texas. The summer course invites Spanish-speaking women religious to celebrate the Year of Consecrated Life by exploring together the lives, times, and key texts of the early church.  Join us in taking up anew the call of the Second Vatican Council to religious “to strive during the whole course of [our] lives to perfect the culture [we] have received in matters spiritual and in arts and sciences (Perfectae Caritatis, sec. 18).” For details and to register, click here.

Religious Brothers Conference

RBC annual assembly

The Religious Brothers Conference 2015 assembly will take place July 16-19 at Bon Secours Retreat Center near Baltimore. Registration is open. See www.todaysbrother.com for more information.

St. Luke Institute

Celibacy Formation Conference
Registration is filling up for the “Practical Models for Celibacy Formation” conference scheduled for Dec. 6-9, 2015 at St. Meinrad Archabbey and Seminary. This program is co-sponsored by St. Meinrad and Saint Luke Institute. Details are online at www.sli.org/conferences/formation.
 
Upcoming webinars on SLI connect
Brother John Mark Falkenhain, O.S.B. will present a webinar on “Integrating the Psychological with the Spiritual” on May 21. Suzanne Hollman, Psy.D., will address “Intercultural Communication and Empathy” on June 18. Visit SLIconnect.org for details. The presenters will answer questions during their webinars, which may be watched live or as a recording after the live presentation.

How long have you been in vocation ministry?

Four years.

Are you part of a vocation team?

Yes, I am a member of the American Province Vocation Team. As the vocation director, I serve as the facilitator for the team, which includes Spanish speakers and a coordinator.

Has belonging to NRVC helped you in your ministry?

Absolutely! My membership in NRVC has provided invaluable resources and tools. I have felt the support and encouragement of staff and fellow vocation directors. This encouragement nurtures me and helps me to create a culture of vocations in my community.

What have been your best vocation efforts?

Two things come to mind:

1. Implementation of the NRVC program, Keys to the Future. (Purchase "Keys"  here, learn about it here.)

This program enabled us to be frank about where we are with vocations and created an enthusiasm to keep working to be more visible as women religious. Because of this program, we have now established a group of 22 sisters who connect bi-monthly to foster vocations wherever we are.

2. We offer a stress management program at Rosemont College during exam week: "Make Space, Take a Break."  This program has opened many relationships with students and the campus ministry staff.

What do you find most rewarding?

Building relationships with those interested in religious life and with my fellow vocation ministers.

Contact Sister Anita at aquigley@shcj.org