Kittanning Parish Dedicates Vocations Chapel

Jennifer Miele
Chief Communications Officer
Managing Director of Evangelization
The Catholic Accent

KITTANNING – Upon entering St. Mary, Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish in Kittanning, you will find a quiet, prayerful place designed to encourage discernment of vocations. Vocations, or callings from God, are a way for people to follow Christ, grow in holiness and serve the Church.

The Blessed Mother is the centerpiece of this new vocations chapel, and surrounding her are photos of each seminarian in the Diocese of Greenburg.

Bishop Emeritus Lawrence E. Brandt, who conceptualized and helped to open three other vocations chapels around the Diocese of Greensburg, attended the Mass and dedication of the chapel Aug. 14, when Catholics around the world mark the Vigil of the Assumption of Mary.

“Our need for priestly vocations is evident. I have always believed that a culture of vocations starts in the parish,” Bishop Emeritus Brandt said. “Families need to come together and pray that from their families will come the men and women who will serve the Church in the priesthood and religious life.”

Several hundred parishioners from the Armstrong County Catholic community and beyond attended the Mass and the celebration afterward. Many were familiar faces to Father Tyler J. Bandura, who now serves as the Diocese of Greensburg Director of Priestly Vocations, as well as Pastor of St. James Parish in New Alexandria.

“I grew up only 2.1 miles from here, on Water Street in Manorville. I attended The Divine Redeemer School in Ford City, which was instrumental in my faith development and vocational discernment,”
Father Bandura said.

“Many might ask, ‘What is a culture of vocations?’ This is a perfect example of what it looks like. A culture of vocations is creating an awareness that God is calling each person to a personal relationship with Him and to serve Him in a particular way,” he continued.

Father Bandura and Bishop Larry J. Kulick recognized the many priestly vocations that have originated in Armstrong County: Father Eric J. Dinga, Pastor of St. Mary, Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish and the partner parishes of Christ, Prince of Peace Parish, Ford City, and St. Lawrence Parish, Cadogan, as well as St. Mary, Mother of God Parish, Freeport; Father Bandura; Father Andrew J. Hamilton, Parochial Vicar of the Roman Catholic Churches of Southern Fayette County; and Father James F. Petrovsky, now retired.

“I am often asked why this area has so many vocations. Some people say it’s something in the water,” Father Tyler said. “It’s actually what is in the heart.”

Following the Mass and dedication, there was a “Hearts for the Mission” party at the parish to honor current seminarians, including Eli Halutick, whose home parish is Christ, Prince of Peace Parish. Halutick begins the Propaedeutic Stage in his formation for the priesthood this fall at Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary, Wynnewood.

Bishop Kulick encouraged the faithful of the Diocese of Greensburg to continue to pray for vocations and to make a pilgrimage to the other chapels in our faith community: Holy Family Parish, Latrobe; St. Therese, Little Flower of Jesus Parish, Uniontown, and St. Thomas More University Parish, Indiana.