Vocations effort showing success

The vocation crisis might have an end in sight if Rev. James Walsh's email list of 800 men leads to new priests.

A year ago, the Albany diocesan Vocations Team spoke with The Evangelist about a new way of looking at their task: teaching young Catholics that every life choice is a vocation.

Since they began using the perspective that single life, marriage and religious life are all vocations, the team members said, more people had begun to take an interest in religious life.

Father Walsh, a member of the Vocations Team who works with those interested in the priesthood, now has a mailing list of nearly 800 men whom he regularly contacts about becoming priests.

Strong response

"We've put a lot of effort into asking parishes, religious and priests to identify faithful and courageous young people," Father Walsh noted. "They give us the names, and we do the inviting."

The response has been impressive: Scores of young men have turned out for retreat days, luncheons and other events where priesthood is the focus. In December, for example, 28 high school and college students attended a luncheon with Bishop Howard J. Hubbard at St. Isaac Jogues House, the Diocese's house of discernment for men considering priestly life.

Father Walsh believes that another 15 would probably have attended if the luncheon hadn't clashed with holiday plans.

Taking a look

"They're not making a commitment [to priesthood], but they are willing to say they'll take a look at this," Father Walsh remarked. "We have a nice group of very talented, generous and impressive guys who are open to doing God's will in their lives."

The priest writes to everyone on his mailing list about twice a year -- "it's not a case of bugging people," he says -- to talk about the needs of the Church and what priests do, and list upcoming events on vocations.

He said that very few men ever ask to be removed from the list; some write back to him or call asking to learn more.

"There was a guy I met five years ago who just got in contact with me to say, 'I want to go out to lunch and talk a little about this,'" Father Walsh reported.

Events

To attract as many people as possible, the majority of vocation-related events are held during the summer or during colleges' winter and spring breaks.

Right now, Father Walsh is planning to bring some young men to the next ordination of a priest for the Diocese, hold a retreat day at the Martyrs' Shrine in Auriesville in June, and bring some men to visit a seminary in July.

In addition, three times a year, seminarians who are completing summer assignments in diocesan parishes host "drop-ins," where priests of the Diocese and men discerning vocations are invited for barbecues or picnics. Events are also held for older men considering priesthood.

Invitation

Father Walsh's tack is threefold: Invite men to consider priestly life, encourage them and pray for them. But the invitation, he said, is the most crucial part.

"All of us are doing something today because somebody asked us to do it," he declared. "Invitations are powerful things."

(Contact the diocesan Vocations Office at 453-6670; email Father Walsh at [email protected].)

(The other members of the Vocations Team are Sister Katherine Hanley, CSJ, and Rev. David LeFort, pastor of St. Ann's Church in Fort Ann and Our Lady of Hope in Whitehall.

Father Walsh is pleased with the caliber of men he encounters. "They're the leaders, the outstanding students on their campuses, the ones who teach religious education, are lectors or volunteer," he noted.)

(3/10/05)