The diocese leading the way in vocations

It’s been well-documented by now and anyone working in the area long enough will readily confirm it: Vocations are simply hard to come by. They require resources, ingenuity, planning, an appreciation of small successes and an almost undying patience … from both those discerning and those directing.

As recently reported in The Irish Catholic, the overall health of vocations in Ireland appears to be improving ever-so steadily. We have a diocese that is preparing to greet its first seminarian in 6 years (Clogher Diocese), we have a healthy number of two or more men entering seminary (5 dioceses in total) and there are reports that some vocations directors are encountering more inquiries about priesthood than they have in recent history.

Attention

One diocese that really captures the attention among all of the others is the Diocese of Down and Connor, and it’s for good reason. This year, the diocese is sending 5 men to explore their vocational discernment more fully as they undertake a propaedeutic year, a precursor to formal seminary studies. To put it in greater context, 5 out of the 21 men undertaking the propaedeutic year on this island will come from the Diocese of Down and Connor.

That begs the question, what’s encouraging more men from the Diocese of Down and Connor to step up and take the risk for Christ when compared with the other 25 dioceses on the island and what sort of insights can long-suffering vocations directors, many of whom are investing the work but failing to reap the rewards, take from the diocese’s recent successes?

Speaking to The Irish Catholic newspaper, Director of Vocations for the Diocese of Down and Connor, Fr Conor McGrath, reveals that the diocese doesn’t fixate on overcomplicated ways of making vocations attractive to men, they just emphasise one core mission and that’s simply a sense of firm accompaniment on the vocational journey.

I think it’s that idea that on this journey you’re not alone. There are other men who God is calling and that sense of responsibility and companionship is integral on that vocational journey”

“One of the things I believe in and I’ve tried to create for those who are discerning is a sense of accompaniment with each other”, he said. “Every month we meet together as a group for meal and for a bit of input from another priests or people involved. So from that, these men have developed a friendship with each other and a sense of being on that vocational journey together.

“I would say they’re friends as well and organise things outside of the official vocations gatherings – maybe trips to Lough Derg and Croagh Patrick climbs. So I think it’s that idea that on this journey you’re not alone. There are other men who God is calling and that sense of responsibility and companionship is integral on that vocational journey.

Support

“I really believe that being with each other is the reason why they have continued on that journey because they are a good support to each other. Ultimately diocesan priesthood is about relationship, whether it’s the relationship with your parish or the relationship with your brother priests and of course the relationship with God. If we don’t have that then we have nothing. The priesthood of the future needs to be firmly built and supported by those relationships.

It’s not unique it’s just that we’re being deliberate and I hope that this is a beacon of light across the island”

Fr McGrath outlined that there’s a real collaborative effort between the vocations directors in the region and these efforts have culminated in initiatives that have appealed to men at various stages of their lives, in a broad spectrum of careers, even those in specialised professions with considerable financial security.

Vocations

“In the Armagh province we do work closely as directors of vocations,” he said. “We work on initiatives together and we try to meet regularly. So it’s not unique it’s just that we’re being deliberate and I hope that this is a beacon of light across the island.

“One of our guys who has just gone to France was a trainee surgeon so we’re not talking just about young people who are using priesthood as a fallback. We’re talking about those in professions who have made a courageous choice to give up a very lucrative and comfortable life in order to follow the Lord.”

Ultimately, Fr McGrath’s main goal is to transmit a positive message about priesthood, a portrayal of priesthood that mightn’t necessarily be promoted in modern media but exists in abundance in the daily lives of priests.

“If we get the message out there that priesthood is a joyful, life-giving vocation to follow then the more people it will attract, just to show that joyful side of priesthood,” he said. “It is not as it is sold by media outlets or even on social media – there’s a lot of hope there and those who come forward sense that hope and are inspired by that hope.”