I’m writing this week’s Notebook in Birmingham; I’m at St Mary’s seminary at Oscott where the Invocation discernment festival is coming to an end. The annual festival gathers young men and women from all over England and Wales for a weekend of prayer, reflection, workshops and talks on the theme of discernment of vocation. It’s been running since 2010 and has been a help to hundreds of young people. I’ve been speaking at it since the beginning and, as with other years, it’s been a tonic to meet so many good and enthusiastic people.
This year’s theme has been ‘Forming intentional disciples’ and the three keynote talks have focussed on self-examination, knowing God and turning to neighbour.
The festival takes place in a massive marquee tent on the seminary grounds and this year the campus has been a hive of activity for several days. On Thursday the clergy of the Archdiocese of Birmingham gathered here to reflect on their role in the promotion of vocations. Interestingly, each of the speakers returned to the theme of joyful witness. Having spoken at several clergy conferences in Ireland over the years it was interesting to observe the lie of the land here.
On Friday the head teachers and members of the boards of governors of the schools of the diocese poured in for a day of reflection on Christian leadership in education. That evening the young people began to arrive, carrying their tents and sleeping mats for the weekend of discernment.
Invocation is now a well-established event on the Church calendar of England and Wales and it reflects the priority given to an emerging culture of discernment here.
The Church’s National Vocations Framework, published in 2012 and overseen by the National Office for Vocations in London, is a three year plan aimed firstly at an improved popular understanding of vocation; secondly, at the development of concrete ways to help people to discern, and thirdly, at devising creative ways of communicating the vocations message.
Its work has included the development of a more refined and sophisticated understanding of lay single life and, recently, a young woman was hired to work on the promotion of Christian discipleship.
Many young people are now discerning their vocation in groups around the country; there are live-in discernment communities, Samuel groups, and the well-established Compass programme, similar to our own Explore Away initiative run by Vocations Ireland.
It marks a shift from a culture of recruitment and, importantly, it has no agenda other than helping a person to answer, in faith, the question posed by Pope Benedict during his 2010 visit: “What kind of person would you like to be?”
Vocation statistics
In a spirit of open communication the National Office for Vocations annually publishes updated and detailed statistics for entrants to diocesan priesthood and religious life. The most recent figures show that nearly 100 women and men entered seminaries, religious houses and convents across England and Wales in 2013; a significant upturn on a decade ago.
In 2013, 50 men entered seminary for the 22 dioceses of England and Wales and the seminary population stood at 182. Interestingly the average age for entry to the diocesan seminary is 34. The average age for entry to the pre-seminary, propaedeutic year is 26. In addition, 22 men and 40 women joined religious orders in 2013.
Of the 40 women, 15 entered apostolic religious congregations with 13 entering cloistered communities. Those entering the apostolic religious congregations tended to be younger ñ nine of the 15 were under 30. Another two women joined groups which are currently 'Associations of the Faithful' intending to become religious congregations. A further 10 women joined the Ordinariate established for Anglicans wishing to enter the Catholic Church.
The first years of the new millennium were particularly challenging for vocations both in England & Wales. Thankfully, there has been a noticeable improvement since then.
Reaching out
During the course of the weekend I met a recent college graduate now working in the financial sector in London. He had come to Invocation having seen it advertised online. He also told me about his experience of faith and vocation in the Church. During his four years at college, even though he attended Mass almost daily, his chaplain had never spoken to him beyond pleasantries and greetings. He was never invited to become involved in the life of the Church or attend any event.
The work of vocations promotion must respect an individualís freedom. It cannot coerce or pressurise but, by the same token, it should never shy away from engagement and relationship building either.
That young manís story reminded me of the words of Saint John Paul who urged: ''Let no one on account of our negligence
lose the beautiful gift of their vocation.''