Vocations Cup Blessing

Each Sunday after Mass, a parish family or individual will accept this cup and agree to pray for vocations to the priesthood and religious life during the following week. Each week a different family or individual will take the cup home to continue this campaign of prayer.

Sign-up sheets will be in the narthex for accepting the Vocations Blessing Cup, or you may contact Cheryl Eckert at 704-549-1607 or cjeckert@charlottediocese.org.

Fishers of Men

Fishers of Men was developed by the United States Conference of Bishops' Committee on Vocations. It is a film intended to renew priests' sense of fulfillment in their vocation and to encourage them to draw on that satisfaction to invite other men to pursue the priesthood. But it is likely to have a much broader and global affect on Catholics of all ilks and non-Catholics of every stripe.

Fishers of Men, produced by Grassroots Films of Brooklyn, NY, is a fast-paced, emotionally-charged video that reveals the many facets of a priest's daily life, and demonstrates why only real men can become priests

Pope Benedict's Visit

During our Holy Father’s recent visit, he was asked to comment on the decline in vocations despite the growing numbers of the Catholic population.

“Let us be quite frank: the ability to cultivate vocations to the priesthood and the religious life is a sure sign of the health of a local Church. There is no room for complacency in this regard. God continues to call young people; it is up to all of us to encourage a generous and free response to that all. On the other hand, none of us can take this grace for granted. In the Gospel, Jesus tells us to pray that the Lord of the harvest will send workers. He even admits that the workers are few in comparison with the abundance of the harvest…”

WELCOME HOME TO OUR SEMINARIANS

We congratulate Paul McNulty, son of Deacon Brian and Michelle McNulty. Paul graduated from the Pontifical College Josephinum in Columbus, OH on Saturday, May 10, with a B.A. in Philosophy and Hispanic Studies. He will continue his Theological studies at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, MD after a brief visit at home and a summer parish assignment.

We also welcome home John Eckert, son of John and Cheryl Eckert. He has just completed his second year of Theological Studies at the Pontifical College Josephinum. John was installed as an acolyte last November and was recently admitted to candidacy for holy orders.

An announcement will be made soon regarding their summer assignments. Please keep Paul and John in your prayers as they continue their studies and pastoral works.

NPR FEATURE ON VOCATIONS

Featured on All Things Considered, April 14, 2008 · Pope Benedict XVI's visit to the United States comes at a time when Roman Catholic seminary enrollment is down 60 percent since 1968. Two seminarians talk with Michele Norris about the shrinking pool of priests and other issues facing the U.S. church.

Click here, then on LISTEN NOW to here the interview.