Michael KellyVocations work demands creative thinking
Before we can even think of building a culture of vocations within the Church in Ireland, we need to ask ourselves the question: are we serious about promoting vocations? Do we even want to promote vocations?
Promoting vocations to be seen to be doing something is demoralising and life-draining. If the heart of a vocations director isn’t in it, he or she should get out of it. People, particularly young people, can smell a mile off whether one’s heart is really in a particular ministry or not.
So, what might a Church, a religious community, on a vocations footing look like? What might we look like if we are ‘fit for mission’ as Pope Francis would say?
Vocations promoters need to be pro-active in social media. Sometimes, social media can be a bit intimidating, but St John Paul II described the internet as a new continent to be won for Christ.
There are very practical reasons to have a presence on social media. Vocations directors in the United States and Britain that I have spoken to tell me that somewhere in the region of 90% of inquiries now come from social media: from websites, via Twitter and Facebook, and for the really old-fashioned, via email!
People can now explore a vocation online in a way that is much less risky, they can make the initial steps of discernment online without having to speak to anyone in person.
Primary task
Visibility is also key: to what extent has religious life become invisible in Ireland? To what extent is it practised and lived behind closed doors and walls? Visibility is about being present, being visible, sometimes simply being where young people and potential vocations are. Take the many Catholic youth events that take place around the country: are vocations promoters present at these events?
The way we prioritise says a lot about how important vocations ministry really is to us. While it’s difficult to release a brother, sister or priest full-time for vocations work, perhaps the encouragement should be given to having ‘vocations ministry’ as a primary task rather than something done in the few hours a week that are left over?
Vocations work demands creative thinking. This in turns requires time to think. A vocations director with several other portfolios will struggle to keep a focus.
What – in an ideal world – would a vocations director do in a year?
- Days spent in schools;
- Presence at career fairs;
- A chance to visit parishes and preach at Masses;
- Two vocations retreats per year;
- A piece on local radio every six months or so;
- Time preparing and distributing materials;
- Time attending and participating in the youth events;
- Time meeting with candidates.
Does that list sound excessive? I would argue that it’s reasonable if we are serious about vocations.
Secondary schools
It’s important that we don’t neglect the secondary schools. Even though most vocations won’t be coming directly from them, it’s very important to plant the seeds there. What we’re looking for is a culture of discernment where young people are encouraged to think seriously about their life.
It seems to me that every Catholic young man or woman of reasonable intelligence, reasonable health and reasonable personality should receive encouragement to consider priesthood and religious life. Of course, most of the time the answer will be that priesthood or religious life isn’t for them, but if we’re not encouraging every possible candidate to discern, we’re missing out hugely.
Specifically on priesthood, there needs to be a balance between recognising the mystical dimension and the practical business of selecting and training our leaders within the Church. If we make a vocation to the priesthood too ‘extraordinary’, then we make it unthinkable to otherwise suitable candidates who don’t start the line of thought that leads to a vocation because priesthood seems too strange a prospect.
Likewise, confusion about priestly identity is causing huge trouble in the contemporary Church. There needs to be some real thought about this. I fear the reduction of the priest to just being the sacramental dispenser. A broader and fuller view is needed, associated with a solid theology of orders that sees priesthood as related to the roles of sacramental and pastoral care, as well as the stewardship of parishes, the education of the Christian faithful and the building up of a sense of Christian community.
Straight-dealing with candidates is a must. If you are saying no, then say no. If you think a candidate might be suitable in a few years, then, for goodness sake keep in touch with him or her. Don’t just tell him or her to contact you again in two years. Keep in communication.
There is also a need to be professional in the production of material. There’s no excuse for misspellings and poor grammar on websites or leaflets. Here, the balance needs to be found between the danger of going overboard in being ridiculously up-to-date (images of guys in ripped jeans) and being piously sentimental (Victorian prayer cards).
Professional and serious should be the image that the Church presents in vocations material.