April 6, 2018 at 1:53 p.m.
UPCOMING WEEKEND
Catholics on Call welcomes young adults with vocations
It's also the first time the conference will be held at a site other than Chicago, where it was created. The weekend, billed as a "vocation discovery program," will be Oct. 10-12 at the Carondelet Hospitality Center in Latham.
It will feature national speakers on vocations and discerning a life of service in the Church, liturgies, sessions on prayer styles, question-and-answer sessions and time with local mentors. Organizers say it goes beyond the recent diocesan Called by Name vocations initiative.
"This is for somebody who already knows they have a vocation," said Sister Rosemary Cuneo, CR, diocesan vocations director for religious life. "It's the next step.
"This is not a conference to talk anybody into any way of life. This is not a gimmick to get people to become nuns or priests. If we can help people to see that they're called, the rest is up to them and God."
The national organization's website calls the conferences "welcoming, no-pressure environments" where participants "form a diverse community of peers and mentors. Together they explore a life of service in the Church by learning about its rich tradition, listening to one another and hearing experienced ministers share stories about their calls.
Participants "acquire skills needed for making future life decisions, broadening their hearts and minds to ministry."
Sister Rosemary attended a Catholics on Call conference a few years ago and knew she wanted to bring it to the northeast.
"Everybody's who's made this says it's life-changing," she said. "It confirms for them that their life is in their hands and they need to make a decision. People just need a little help in focusing on what God might be asking them."
Speakers include author Jon Leonetti; Sister Sharon Holland, IHM, president of the national Leadership Council on Women Religious; and Rev. Robin Ryan, CP, founder of Catholics on Call, which started at the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago.
A harpist from Kinderhook will play at a holy hour, and a student ensemble from Siena College in Loudonville will provide music at Mass. A married couple will be present in case participants have questions about marriage.
Sister Rosemary has been advertising on a national scale and has also sent notices out to every parish in the Albany Diocese and used social media to spread the word. Young adults between the ages of 18 and 30 are invited to apply.
"There are people who yearn to give their whole life to something or someone," she said. "They don't want to give half of their life. We want to help people grow into saying, 'I want to give my whole life.'
"We hope to accomplish a really dynamic way to broaden the idea of vocation," she continued. "Don't be afraid of what God's calling you to, whatever it is."
The diocesan Vocations Office offers by-appointment discernment days and meetings for teenagers who respond to vocations calls at the annual St. Isaac Jogues Youth Conference in the area. More retreats are planned.
To register, see http://albanyvocations.org/catholicsoncall. For more information, see http://www.catholicsoncall.org">http://www.catholicsoncall.org. The cost is $100 and includes meals, talks, materials and lodging.[[In-content Ad]]
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