On December 14, the Vatican released a 54-page statement that examines the vocation of brotherhood and affirms its validity. Called "Identity and Mission of the Religious Brother in the Church," the statement points to Jesus as the model for brothers.

De La Salle Brothers

"Jesus Christ first of all became brother, shared our flesh and blood and was in solidarity with the sufferings of his brothers and sisters. This is the title Jesus gives his disciples after his resurrection,” states the document, which was released by the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life. 

The Conference of Major Superiors of Men will sponsor a major symposium on Catholic brothers. NRVC's Brother Paul Bednarczyk, C.S.C. will be co-chairing the event. Details about the symposium will be announced in this newsletter as they become available.

Other statements made in the document include these:

“The religious brother, living his lay state through a special consecration, is witness to the value of the common priesthood received in baptism and confirmation."

“His religious consecration is in itself an exercise in the fullness of the priesthood of all the baptized.”

“Rooting his life deeply in God, the brother consecrates all creation, recognizing the presence of God and the Spirit’s action in creation, in cultures and in daily events.”

“Because he recognizes this active presence, he can proclaim it to his contemporaries. This ability is the fruit of an ongoing process of openness to God through consecration, that is, through the daily experience of his baptismal priesthood.”

Click here to read more.

To download the document, click here.

Participants spent a day at the French Bishops' Conference meeting with conference representatives from vocations and consecrated life as well as the heads of the Conference for Religious in France.

In Paris, from November 30 to December 3, NRVC convened a sub-group follow-up meeting of the February 2015 International Vocations Conference.

The February conference brought together religious life leaders and directors of vocation centers from nine countries. At that initial gathering a topic of concern was that many countries have no coordinated action to support vocations to consecrated life.

At the December meeting, the sub-group explored possible ways to support coordinated vocation efforts around the world.

Facilitated by NRVC Executive Director Brother Paul Bednarczyk, C.S.C. and hosted by Sister Nathalie Becquart, Xav., director of the National Service for the Evangelization of Youth and for Vocations, Bishops’ Conference of France, participants included:

• Sister Deborah M. Borneman, SS.C.M., NRVC director of member relations and services;
• Sister Gabrielle Farrell, O.L.V., executive board member of Vocations Ireland;
• Brother Ronald Hingle, S.C., NRVC board chair;
• Father Christopher Jamison, O.S.B., director of the National Office for Vocation, Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales;
• Mr. Brad Myers, senior program officer, Conrad N. Hilton Foundation; and
• Sister Mary Rowell, C.S.J., president of Canada’s National Association of Vocation and Formation Directors (NAVFD).

At the February 2015 International Vocations Conference, the major international religious life organizations were present:

• CICLSAL:  Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life
• UISG:  International Union of Superiors General (for women's institutes)
• USG:  Union of Superiors General (for men's institutes)
• UCESM: Union of the European Conferences of Major Superiors (men and women) 

Don't miss your chance to learn about the newest generation of Catholic sisters and why we need them now more than ever at one more upcoming gathering. Hear remarkable stories from these modern women who have answered the call, and learn how they perceive their mission.

These unique gatherings, hosted by NRVC during the Year of Consecrated Life and made possible by a grant from the GHR Foundation, feature several young sisters, along with the authors of New Generations of Catholic Sisters: The Challenge of Diversity.

A Q&A session and raffle follow the main presentation. Refreshments will be served. This is an excellent chance to generate support for Catholic sisters now and in the future. Please plan on attending—and bring friends!

Upcoming schedule

Jan. 23, 2016 at 9 a.m.-12 p.m. - Mount Saint Mary’s University in Los Angeles, California

Featured speakers

Authors of New Generations of Catholic Sisters: Sister Mary Johnson, S.N.D.deN., Sister Patricia Wittberg, S.C., and Dr. Mary Gautier.

Questions? Call the NRVC offices at 773-363-5454. Learn more here.

Participants in Summer Institutes have a chance to network, learn, and enjoy downtown Chicago during its best season. Pictured here are participants in the 2014 Summer Institute.

The National Religious Vocation Conference will again be conducting summer workshops at DePaul University in downtown Chicago. Details are being finalized and will be announced in this newsletter and on nrvc.net. Meanwhile, members are encouraged to set aside these dates so they can attend the workshops that will best further their professional development.

•  Orientation Program for New Vocation Directors—July 13-17

•  Ethical Issues in Vocation and Formation Ministry—July 18-19

•  Behavioral Assessment 1—July 21-23

Prepare to be part of the next issue of VISION, the most comprehensive vocation discernment resource available. This coming year is an important promotional year with the Krakow convening of World Youth Day. Sponsorship information is available online.

Also please remember to post your Lenten events and any other upcoming events on the VISION calendar.

Two separate reports released in December on men and women religious provide further understanding of these two groups.

Understanding U.S. Catholic Sisters Today

This report, commissioned by Foundations and Donors Interested in Catholic Activities (FADICA) and written by Kathleen Sprows Cummings from the University of Notre Dame, delves into the latest sociological studies of U.S. sisters to present a new and comprehensive look at women religious today. Find the report on the recently launched website, WeAreSisters.net.

FADICA has asked that NRVC members share the report and website with their contacts via email and social media.

Special report on Population Trends among Religious Institutes of Men

This report was written by the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate. It is a longitudinal study of religious institutes of men, drawing on data reported by these institutes to The Official Catholic Directory (OCD). 

The study takes into account information from 1970, 1980, 1990, 2000, 2010, and 2015. Although total membership in these institutes of men has decreased from 42,000 in 1970 to 18,000 in 2015, the total number of institutes listed in the OCD has increased. The special report looks beneath these overall trends to explore more deeply particular trends in membership across this period. Find the study on nrvc.net.

World Youth Day organizers have made available resources to "help prepare pilgrims' hearts" for World Youth Day in Krakow, Poland July 25-31.

In addition they have announced the release of three leaders guides to help WYD group leaders plan for the event. Find all these resources at wydusa.org.

Furthermore a webinar will be aired Thursday, January 14 at 2 p.m. Eastern Time. Log onto this webinar for the latest information about Krakow 2016 and for specific details for pilgrims from the USA.

Further information about logging into the webinar can be found at wydusa.org.

NRVC and its VISION and HORIZON editors are seeking feedback from religious communities about how they are marking the Year of Mercy. 

If your religious community will be undertaking any type of activity in commemoration of the Year of Mercy, please write to NRVC publications editor Carol Schuck Scheiber at cscheiber@nrvc.net.

Information about what you are doing, when, and with whom is welcome. Photos of events are also encouraged.

In other Year of Mercy news, NRVC's Brother Paul Bednarczyk, C.S.C. was able to take part in the opening Mass with Pope Francis for the Year of Mercy. Brother Paul was in Rome presenting a workshop for Holy Cross vocation directors.

Brother Paul in St. Peter's Square for the opening Mass for Year of Mercy on December 8, 2015.

Two groups dedicated to women religious are receiving or distributing funding for the purpose of invigorating women's communities: the Communicators for Women Religious and the Catholic Volunteer Network's "From Service to Sisterhood" program.

Communicators for Women Religious (CWR) in December received Hilton Foundation funding in order to broaden and deepen the organization's impact. Meanwhile Catholic Volunteer Network (CVN), through assistance from the Hilton Foundation, in November awarded $375,000 in grants to 16 communities of women religious for establishing volunteer programs.

The Communicators for Women Religious is a professional organization for those who do communications work for communities of Catholic sisters. With its $1.5 million grant, CWR plans to establish a physical office presence, hire full-time staff, and launch programs and outreach initiatives that are outlined in its new three-year strategic plan. Learn more at c4wr.org

The volunteer programs that have been funded by Catholic Volunteer Network's "From Service to Sisterhood" program are all sponsored by religious orders of women. The funding initiative is aimed at increasing the vitality of communities of sisters. A study by the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate has shown that young people who do a year or more of volunteer service join religious communities much more than non-volunteers. Learn more at catholicvolunteernetwork.org.

As the Year of Consecrated Life draws to a close on February 2, the Vatican will hold two special events, and Executive Director Brother Paul Bednarczyk, C.S.C. will be present, representing NRVC. The closing days of the Year of Consecrated Life will gather approximately 6,000 religious from around the world for prayer, meetings, and an audience with Pope Francis.

January 30, 2016

A Thanksgiving Prayer Vigil will be held at Saint Peter's Basilica.

2 February 2016

A World Day of Consecrated Life Eucharistic celebration will take place at Saint Peter's Basilica.

These prayer cards are one of the many resources available at nrvc.net.

Find marked-down prices on many of the resources in the NRVC warehouse. Click here to see what is on sale.

Please direct any questions to the NRVC office at 773-363-5454, which will reopen on January 4.

RFC offering webinar and "ForMission"

RFC will present a webinar on the theme "Hearing God's call: a model for lifelong formation" on January 29 at 3:30 p.m. by Father Brad Milunski, O.F.M. Conv. For details contact Sister Carol Regan, S.U.S.C. at cregan@relforcon.org, 202-827-4562.

Applications are being accepted for "ForMission," a two-year formation program for formators. The program consists of four week-long intensive sessions at various locations throughout the U.S. The first session of the class of 2018 will be June 8-16, 2016 at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago. For more information, click here. Call the RFC national office for an application packet: 202-827-4562.

Center for the Study of Consecrated Life symposium

The Center for the Study of Consecrated Life will host a symposium February 5-6 featuring Father Timothy Radcliffe, O.P. The theme will be "Community Life and Mission: Toward a Future Full of Hope." For more information see ctu.edu/consecratedlife or call 773-371-5431.  

National Catholic Sisters Week

National Catholic Sisters Week reminds vocation directors to post their events for March 8-14 on its website, nationalcatholicsistersweek.org.

Also, vocation directors are encouraged to check out the online resources for Sunday specific intercessions for March. Those who minister in parishes are encouraged to make use of these resources. Click here to find the intercessions (scroll to the bottom of the page).

Canadian vocation organization holding conference

All persons who are passionate about creating a vocation culture in Canada are invited to attend the conference of the National Association of Vocation/Formation Directors April 25-28 in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The theme will be "Live the Word Courageously: New Voices in Vocation Culture." The keynote speakers will be Father Scott Lewis, S.J. and Sister Amy Hereford, C.S.J.

To register, visit vocations.ca. Sponsored by the National Association of Vocation/Formation Directors (NAVFD). Contact navfdco@gmail.com for further information.

St. Luke Institute has resources to address pornography

St. Luke Institute is calling attention to its resources on pornography, which are available at SLIconnect.org/pastoral. Content includes material from Saint Luke Institute and other Catholic organizations, books recommended by Saint Luke Institute therapists, and suggested website blocking and monitoring software. Contact Beth Davis, Saint Luke’s director of education, at 502-632-2471 or sliconnect@sli.org for more information.

CMSWR film on iTunes, leadership forum for young women

CMSWR's recently released vocation film, For Love Alone, is now available on iTunes and for continued DVD purchase through Amazon. Religious orders are encouraged to host a screening. For more information visit cmswr.org. Please let CMSWR know if this film is a helpful tool in your vocations promotion. Contact  the project manager, Aislinn at forlovealone@cmswr.org .

In other news, the Council of Major Superiors of Women Religious is sponsoring "GIVEN: the Catholic Young Women's Leadership Forum," June 7-12 at Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.

This event will bring together 300 rising leaders, selected by application, with religious and lay leaders for a full-scholarship, week-long immersion in faith formation, leadership skills training, and networking. Speakers will include: law professor Helen Alvaré, Catholic Relief Services President Dr. Carolyn Woo, and singer songwriter Audrey Assad.

Applications for a full scholarship are at www.givenforum.org. This event is supported by the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation.

Religious Brothers Conference to hold assembly

The Religious Brothers Conference will hold its 45th annual assembly July 23-26 at the Siena Center in Racine, Wisconsin. Brothers from all communities are welcome to attend. The theme will be "The Brother in the Year of Mercy," and the keynote speakers will be Sister Barbara Reid, O.P. and Brother Steve Bevans, S.V.D., both of whom are on the faculty of Catholic Theological Union in Chicago. For more information, see todaysbrother.com.

What roles do you play in vocation ministry? 

I am director of my community's Office of Vocations, and I'm also the coordinator for Region 4.

How long have you been involved in vocation ministry?

All together, four years. I was involved in vocation ministry in the Diocese of Scranton for three years, and now I’ve been vocation director for my congregation for one year.

Are you part of a vocation team?

We do not currently have a team, but I am a true believer that each one of us is involved in creating a culture of vocations no matter who we are, where we serve, or with whom we serve. I presently meet with three others, and we form the formation team that addresses vocations, formation, associates, and ongoing formation.

Has being a member of NRVC been helpful to you?

The NRVC staff and personnel have been extremely helpful in giving us a voice, listening to our needs and concerns, and providing us updates and learning experiences. I have relished the times I've been able to attend a meeting or class and interface with my colleagues in this ministry.

What has been your best vocation effort?

My office is in our IHM Center where many of our sisters reside. I truly believe that being here is part of my ministry . . . to encourage our sisters who have had a vocation for many, many years and are living it out! Dining with the sisters, praying with them, talking with them in the halls is truly good for each of us!

We had an open house in which every sister who lived here at the center participated—that was a great shot in the arm! We also have encouraged our sisters to create their own groups wherever they live and invite young women into the convent for dinner, a movie, discussion, etc. I think our key vocation effort has to be creating and building relationships wherever we are.

The other efforts through college campuses, for me, are the best and most important so that we continue to be a face for those seeking spiritual guidance and growth. Whether or not young adults come to choose religious vowed life, the goal is to create an environment for being serious followers of the gospel.

What do you find most rewarding?

Connecting with young people and sharing aspirations and dreams and questions about prayer, religious life, discernment, and life choices.

Contact Sister Mindy at 610-547-9715 or sismindy@gmail.com.