Pray for vocations during National Vocation Awareness Week

By The Catholic Accent

GREENSBURG – NOVEMBER 6, 2022 – This week, the Church celebrates National Vocation Awareness Week. During the week, the faithful are encouraged to renew prayerful support for those currently discerning a vocation to the priesthood, diaconate, or consecrated life.

Observance of Vocation Awareness Week began in 1976 when the U.S. bishops designated the 28th Sunday of the year to call attention to the importance of upholding vocations and praying for those discerning a religious vocation and celebrating those who were in ordained ministry and consecrated life. In 2014, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB)moved the observance to November to influence youth and young adults by engaging Catholic schools and colleges.

Bishop Larry J. Kulick believes that despite the great challenges faced by the Church, he is deeply encouraged by an increase in young people making a conscience decision to proclaim their faith and feel the call from the Holy Spirit to discern or consider a religious or priestly vocation.

“At one of the All Souls Masses last week at St. Patrick Parish, there were six youth servers ranging in age from grade school to high school,” Bishop Kulick said. “The altar servers there wear red cassocks and white surplices. One of the servers told Father Chris Pujol, our newest Diocesan priest, that he was thinking about exchanging his red cassock for a black one – meaning he was considering the priesthood.”

In telling the story to Bishop Kulick, Father Pujol said the other altar servers supported and affirmed the young man in his discernment. It’s one of many inspiring stories Bishop Kulick has heard about vocations across the Diocese.

“One of the things Father Tyler Bandura is working towards is to create a culture of vocations,” Bishop Kulick said. Father Bandura is Director of Priestly Vocations for the Diocese of Greensburg. Bishop Kulick said creating the culture of vocations takes time. “When we compare a culture of vocations and compare it with society, we see a stark contrast between it and the culture of the world.”