Is God calling you to a Religious Vocation?

Contact your
Vocation Director
today! 

Fr. Anthony Chandler
Vocation Director, Archdiocese of Louisville
502-636-0296, ext. 1273
[email protected]

Fr. Peter Do
Associate Vocation Director, Archdiocese of Louisville
502-636-0296, ext. 1272
[email protected]

Sr. Sarah Yungwirth, OSB
Associate Director, Archdiocese of Louisville
502-636-0296, ext. 1270
[email protected]

Kelly McLemore
Secretary, Archdiocese of Louisville
502-636-0296, ext. 1271
[email protected]

Vocation Office Location:
 The Maloney Center
1200 S. Shelby Street
Louisville, KY 40203-2600
Phone: (502) 636-0296
Fax: (502) 636-2379
General Email [email protected] 

Visit their website for more information
 to learn and help discern your Vocation!

https://www.louisvillevocations.com/
 

What is a Religious Vocation?
  A religious vocation is a special grace that God gives to certain persons, calling them to a life of the evangelical counsels.  

There is more than passing value in stressing the fact that a religious vocation is a grace. It is, therefore, a gift and an opportunity that must be freely responded to if the grace is not to remain sterile and ineffective.  

We used to speak, and perhaps still do, of promoting religious vocations. Actually, we cannot promote vocations. Either God gives them or they don't exist. We can only discover what God has given and then foster a vocation that is presumably there.  

How do you discover a true vocation? The expression "true vocation" is not casual. It is critically important in an age when so many once-promising vocations seem to have been lost.    

  What are some typical features of a true vocation to the religious life?
I would emphasize especially three:  

(1) a strong faith in the Catholic Church and her teaching,
shown by a firm loyalty to the Vicar of Christ;  

(2) a love of prayer, at least the capacity for
developing a desire for prayer; and    

(3) a readiness to give oneself to a life of sacrifice
in the footsteps of Jesus Christ.    

I believe that if every prospective candidate were to make a private retreat, even for a few days, under a competent priest, it would help immensely. The retreat could be especially geared to a person who thinks that he or she has a vocation to the religious life.

The practical question arises of how to recognize a true vocation to the religious life. The need for recognizing a vocation is so important that everything else is secondary.  

Then, during the retreat, in an atmosphere of silence and prayer, ask God to enlighten one's mind as to whether or not He is calling the person to a life of Christian perfection.  

This, in fact, is one of the original purposes of the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius: to discover and decide on one's state of life.      

The future of religious life is very promising, but the promise depends on certain premises, of which the first and most important isthat God has given not just the initial call but the assurance of a lifetime of His supernatural grace to those who want to serve Him in the religious life.

                                                         Rev. John A. Hardon, S.J. SRV  Chaplain
                                                                      Provided Courtesy of EWTN
                                                                                  www.ewtn.com
 

 ~ Vocation Prayers ~

Gracious God, 
You have called me to life and gifted me in many ways. 
Through Baptism, You have sent me to continue
the mission of Jesus by sharing my love with others. 
Stenghten me to respond to Your Call each day. 
Help me to become all You desire of me. 
Inspire me to make a difference in others' lives. 
Lead me to choose the way of life You have planned for me. 
Open the hearts of all to listen to Your Call. 
Fill all with Your Holy Spirit that we may have
listening hearts and the courage to respond to You. 
Enkindle in my heart and the hearts of others
the desire to make the world a better place by serving as
Lay Minister, Sister, Priest, Brother, or Deacon.  Amen. 

God our Father,
You made each of us to use
our gifts in the Body of Christ.
We ask that You inspire young people
whom You call to priesthood
and consecrated life
to courageously follow Your will.
Send workers into Your great harvest
so that the Gospel is preached,
the poor are served with love,
the suffering are comforted,
and Your people are strengthened
by the Sacraments.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.   Amen.