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| January 6, 2009 |
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Discernment weekend is part of new vocations pushFather Yves François is arranging a trip to St. John Vianney College Seminary in Miami for a discernment weekend March 7-9 for young men who want to learn more about vocations to the priesthood. PALM BEACH GARDENS | Thinking about the priesthood? Pack a bag, young man, said Father Yves François, diocesan director of the office of vocations. Father François is arranging a trip to St. John Vianney College Seminary in Miami for a discernment weekend March 7-9 for young men who want to learn more about vocations to the priesthood and life and study in the seminary. He hopes to involve teens and young men who have an inclination toward and questions about becoming a priest. The weekend will include prayer, talks, recreation and an opportunity to spend time with the Diocese of Palm Beach’s four seminarians who study there. “The priests don’t run the weekend, the seminarians run the weekend,” Father François said. “I encourage every young man who is a junior in high school and up, all the way to 40 to 45, to go to that weekend. Young men from all over Florida come for that weekend,” said Father François, who is in his second year as diocesan vocations director. Participants will leave the Cathedral of St. Ignatius Loyola Parish in Palm Beach Gardens, Friday evening, about 5:30 p.m. Transportation is provided, and participants will stay in campus accommodations. Think about it…Andrew Brierley, who is scheduled to be ordained April 4 at 5 p.m. at the Cathedral of St. Ignatius of Loyola, gave some advice to young men thinking about entering the priesthood: “To a professional, if this is where you believe your heart is, if this is where you believe God is calling you, then you must do it. It’s the path to true happiness — you must do it. My inclination would be to say to a young person: Go test the water unless you are absolutely sure, in which case, go to the seminary. I certainly wouldn’t discourage anybody. I would say, if you think you have a calling, let’s build on that, but it may be you are at a very early stage of discerning this process. Think about it. Pray about it. Talk to other people. Come on the weekend event (in Miami) and see what seminary life is like.” “They have time to ask questions: ‘How did you know God was calling you? How did you decide about that? Who helped you? How’s life in the seminary?’” said Father François. “These questions will be answered not by priests but by young men who are seminarians. The seminarians are going to share their experiences with these young people.” The weekend is one of many ways that the diocesan office of vocations is increasing its efforts and outreach to youths. Vocation programs are planned in the diocese’s schools and in some of its 53 missions and churches. Traditionally, March is the time eighth-graders are also invited to St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary in Boynton Beach. “This year’s event is scheduled for March 11, with Father Yves The club, working with Father François and assisted by Knights of Columbus members, will stage a morning seminary event for students, giving them an on-campus lesson focused on the call to religious life. The youngsters will also receive a seminarian-led tour of the campus. “He’s encouraging young people and parents to think about vocations,” said Consuelo Minutoli, vocation office secretary. “He’s doing a wonderful job visiting the parishes. He will be doing this through the year. We have scheduled all the parishes. During visits, he speaks at Masses and is the main celebrant in one or two Masses during the weekend,” Minutoli said. So far, Father François, who is also a parochial vicar at St. Ignatius Loyola, has visited St. Peter in Jupiter, St. Joan of Arc in Boca Raton, Holy Family in Port St. Lucie, Queen of the Apostles in Royal Palm Beach, St. Anastasia in Fort Pierce and St. Joseph in Stuart. Father François said encouraging vocations does not begin and end with the activities of the vocations office. “We all are vocation directors,” he said about the parishioners in the pews. “Every mother, every father, every grandmother, every grandfather is a vocation director in their family. I’m the vocational director of the diocese, but I cannot be in every family. Every mother is there, every father is there. They are in charge of promoting vocations in their family.” Father François will visit St. Juliana Parish April 12-13, where he will “speak to grandparents, speak to godparents, speak to every Catholic to mention that they become aware of their responsibility to promote vocations in our diocese,” he said. “We are all responsible for the future of our church.” Registration forms for the discernment weekend were distributed to parishes in the diocese, and anyone interested in attending the upcoming event is asked to contact a parish office or priest.
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