Sister June Fitzgerald, O.P.

Are you involved with any regional leadership in the NRVC?

I am the co-coordinator for NRVC Region 6 (Michigan and Ohio), and I am on the planning committee for the Vocation Ambassador Program.   

How long have you been involved in vocation ministry?

Two years.

Are you part of a vocation team?

We are a team of three in our office. Two of us are full-time vocation ministers, Sister Pat Dual, O.P. and myself, and the third is the administrative assistant for vocations, Mary Ellen George, O.P.A. (Dominican Associate of Peace). She works part-time. 

Has being a member of NRVC been helpful to you?

I could not do my ministry if I were not a member of NRVC. I received my new vocation minister training in July 2014, and it opened up the length and breadth of this ministry. 

I have continued to meet with and be supported by three fellow vocation directors who participated in the training that summer. We meet monthly as a peer support group via video conferencing. 

The regional meetings give me timely updates on current NRVC events and publications, and they provide the support of the other members. Another benefit of membership in NRVC has been our congregation's ability to participate in the National Fund for Catholic Religious Vocations.  Last year two of our candidates received grants from this program. 

What has been your best vocation effort? 

One of the projects that yielded great fruit was the creation of a Congregational Study Guide for the Year of Consecrated Life (YCL). The guide included a variety of resources, from printed articles and books to music and videos. This guide was used by the entire congregation during the YCL. The study groups (sisters and associates) were able to share on a deep level the benefits and witness of consecrated life today. 

What do you find most rewarding about vocation ministry?

Guiding women in their journey of discernment and seeing them grow closer to God.