Vocations meeting attracts SRO audience

More than 100 people packed conference rooms of the Diocesan Pastoral Center in Albany last week for one of four regional town meetings hosted by Bishop Howard J. Hubbard to introduce the Diocese's new vocation awareness strategy, "A Future Full of Hope."

The program, the U. S. bishops' national religious vocation strategy, includes vocation committees at the parish level. In the Albany Diocese, the committees will be formed at the cluster level (see The Evangelist, Sept. 25).

The meeting included an introduction of the program, an explanation of why clusters should be involved, vocation stories, a question-and-answer period, and diocesan expectations.

Local touch

The standing-room-only crowd in Albany represented a cross-section of the Church, including priests, deacons, women religious, brothers, catechists, youth ministers, school principals, parents and others.

Having vocation committees on the local level is important, said Sister Katherine Hanley, CSJ, a member of the diocesan Vocation Awareness Council.

"A person feeling the tug will not go to the Pastoral Center. They will talk to you," she told the crowd. "You are the vocation ministers. We hope you will 'buy in' and see yourself in vocation ministry."

Call and answer

Those who shared stories of their own vocation calls indicated the importance of the community in discerning their vocation. For example, Brother Peter Furlong, FSC, campus minister at LaSalle Institute in Troy, spoke of the importance of both parental support and a responsive community in discerning his vocation. As a tenth grader, he transferred from the Schenectady public schools to Christian Brothers Academy in Albany.

"Interacting with the brothers, [and seeing] their dedication and love led me to consider that possibility," he said. "My senior year, I was watching television and the thought came into my mind: 'You should be a brother.'"

Brother Peter shared this call with his mother, who talked about it that night with the brothers. "A month later," Brother Peter said, "I was a postulant."

Role in vocations

Some of those at the meeting said they can see their role in vocation ministry. Sharon Randall, youth minister at St. Pius X Church in Loudonville, said, "Regardless of the call -þ to be priest, deacon, youth minister, married life, single life -- I'd like to help [young people] discern. We are all called to something. We need to teach young people to be still, to know God is God, and to listen to that call."

Jane Forget, pastoral associate for faith formation at Sacred Heart parish in Castleton and the mother of five children, was pleased with the new vocation strategy.

"I think it's a good idea," she said. "I think people are afraid [of religious life] since Vatican II. It's almost not seen as a positive thing. It is a positive thing; it's a wonderful thing."

Concerns expressed

Others at the meeting, while agreeing there is a need for more priests and religious, were concerned about the new effort. One participant asked where vocation awareness committees fit into parish life, especially since parishes are often stretched trying to meet current ministerial needs.

"This is a legitimate concern," Bishop Hubbard replied. "There is a constant concern about the demands made at the local level." However, "this is a priority for us in the Diocese. If we don't have the ordained and vowed, our future is in danger."

The Bishop said the vocation committee at the cluster level should be designed to create an atmosphere where people can discern a vocation. These committees, he said, "will fit into the regular rhythm of parish life without adding something new. It can fit into catechetical programs and school programs. It's not adding on extra things. It is creating an ongoing awareness of the need to discern these vocations."

One mission

Bishop Hubbard addressed another concern -- that the emphasis on vocation awareness might reverse the 30-year trend of promoting the baptismal call of all Catholics and collaborative ministry.

"There is one mission -- the mission of Jesus," the Bishop said. "We are in no way going to downplay the baptismal call. This will remain a priority."

Rev. John Molyn, diocesan vocations director, added: "Everybody is called to something. We are not creating calls; we can't create calls. This is to invite people into discernment."

(The Albany town meeting was the second in the Diocese. The first was held at St. Peter's Church in Delhi. Two others are scheduled for Annunciation parish in Queensbury on Nov. 17 and for Annunciation parish in Ilion on Nov. 24. Both meetings begin at 2 p.m.)

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