CHARLOTTE — This Nov. 3-9 marks the annual celebration of National Vocations Awareness Week across the United States. The week is dedicated to promoting vocations of priests, deacons and consecrated men and women religious (nuns and brothers) through prayer and education. It’s also a time to renew our prayers and support for those who are considering one of these vocations, which is particularly important for families of young adults.
“The influence of parents and grandparents can be so crucial in encouraging young men and women to discern a vocation,” said Father Brian Becker, vocations promoter with the Diocese of Charlotte and first-year program director at St. Joseph College Seminary. “First and foremost, the constant prayers and sacrifices of parents bear so much fruit for their children.”
Father Becker notes that parents and grandparents should never underestimate the impact of their encouragement. “So many young men and women that I speak with cite their parent’s explicit encouragement of vocational discernment as a help to them in finding God’s will. Many parents think, ‘Well, my son knows that I would be very happy if he entered seminary.’ But in fact, many young men and women need to hear this said again and again by their parents, to overcome the fears that they have of following God in this path. Don’t be afraid to give your children some extra encouragement!”
Currently, the Diocese of Charlotte has 46 seminarians discerning a call to the priesthood.
National Vocations Awareness Week began in 1976 when the U.S. bishops designated the 28th Sunday of the liturgical year for special recognition of those discerning vocations. In 2014, it was moved to the first full week of November.
Prayer for vocations
God our Father, we thank You for calling men and women to serve in Your Son’s Kingdom as priests, deacons and consecrated persons.
Send Your Holy Spirit to help others to respond generously and courageously to Your call.
May our community of faith support vocations of sacrificial love in our youth and young adults. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever.
Amen.
Vocation resources
If you or someone you know is contemplating a vocation, talk with your pastor, reach out to the diocese’s vocations promoter, read up on consecrated life and the various religious communities that exist, and contact communities that interest you. Many offer “come and see” days or retreats that are opportunities to learn more and meet others who have accepted God’s call to religious life.
For young men and women, there are summer discernment retreats offered by the Diocese of Charlotte and hosted at Belmont Abbey College: Quo Vadis Days for young men, and Duc in Altum for young women. Information about 2025 retreats is posted online at www.charlottediocese.org/vocations.
Diocesan Vocations Office
- Father Christopher Gober, Vocations Director: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
- Father Brian Becker, Vocations Promoter: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
General information
- www.foryourvocation.org: Set up by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, dedicated to the promotion of vocations to the priesthood and consecrated life for both men and women. They are also on Facebook and YouTube. There are resources for parents and teachers, questions to ask yourself if you feel God is calling you, videos of vocation stories from priests and religious all over the U.S., and more.
Considering becoming a deacon?
If you are interested in serving as a permanent deacon in the Charlotte diocese, visit www.charlottediocese.org/vocations/diaconate to learn more about who deacons are, what they do, and how to become one.
Ready to take the next step? Contact Deacon William Schreiber, formation director, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Bearing fruit for Christ’s Kingdom
CHARLOTTE — Men and women wearing the distinctive habits of religious orders filled pews at St. Patrick Cathedral on Feb. 3 for the annual World Day for Consecrated Life Mass celebrated by Bishop Peter Jugis.
Celebrated by the Church around the world on Feb. 2, the annual celebration was started in 1997 by Pope John Paul II as a way to show gratitude for the work of consecrated men and women and highlight their ministries. Parishes in the Diocese of Charlotte set aside the weekend of Feb. 3-4 for the celebration.
About 40 men and women representing a dozen religious orders attended.
Bishop Jugis’ homily reflected on the gospel reading for the Mass, John 15: 1-8, in which Jesus refers to Himself as the “true vine” and says that His followers will “bear much fruit.”
A key to the reading, Bishop Jugis noted, is the phrase “Remain in me, as I remain in you” (John 15: 4).
Bishop Jugis explained how the reading reflected the devotion of the consecrated religious and the nature of the work they do strengthening the communion of the Church with the community.
“Jesus used this beautiful image to describe our union with Him, and how we receive life-giving love from Him which we then share in our ministries,” he said. “You as consecrated religious are involved in many ministries which enrich the life of the local church here in the Diocese of Charlotte, and we are truly thankful for the love you give and grateful for your work…We are here to celebrate the bonds among all consecrated religious and your bishop as we take part in the greater mission to bring Christ to the world. Through your many ministries of love and mercy, you are united in Him and you are bearing fruit for His kingdom.”
The Mass also honored five consecrated religious in the diocese celebrating milestone anniversaries- also known as “jubilees.”
Mercy Sister Jeanne-Margaret McNally celebrated 75 years of profession, looking back on years of work in the fields of nursing, psychology and canon law. She smiled as she noted that she studied canon law at Catholic University alongside Bishop Jugis. As a canon lawyer, she served as a tribunal judge in the Charlotte diocese and the Archdiocese of Miami, wrote extensively, and lectured on the subject.
“I’m kind of surprised that all those years went by so fast,” Sister Jeanne said. “I did a lot of different things over the years, many wonderful ministries, but my favorite was my years working in canon law. As for today, it’s just wonderful to be here and to see everybody again.”
As he celebrated 50 years of profession, Benedictine Brother Paul Shanley had his camera in hand to document the day’s events, not a surprising thing because he currently serves as a photographer and archivist for the Belmont Abbey College’s athletic department. It’s just one of many roles he has served in his 30 years at the college. Brother Shanley also teaches popular film criticism and freshman English, and was the cross-country coach for 23 years until he retired from coaching in 2009.
“The time since I joined the order has flown by for me, and it’s amazing to me when I think of all that has gone on in my life as a brother,” he said.
Mercy Sisters Carmelita Hagan and Lillian Jordan both are celebrating 60 years of profession.
Sister Carmelita has been a teacher, worked in pastoral administration, and served in ministry to homeless women and children.
“God gifted me when He called me to be a Sister of Mercy,” she said.
Sister Lillian taught in Catholic schools around the diocese, specializing in middle school math and science.
“What I loved best was the opportunity to work with the young people and open their minds to the wonders of God’s creation in the world,” she said.
Sister Praveena Madukkamkal of the Sisters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul is celebrating her 25th jubilee. She professed vows on April 28, 1999, in India and came to the Diocese of Charlotte in 2011, where she is now a preschool teacher.
“I’m so grateful for my ministry and thankful for this day,” she said. “I especially love teaching because we can learn a lot from children, and through teaching them we can build up the future of the community and of society.”
A luncheon that followed the Mass gave attendees a chance to reunite with old friends, make some new ones and learn about how other religious were working for Christ in the diocese.
Brother Raphael Kanguti of the Missionaries of the Poor came to North Carolina from Kenya in 2015 and now serves in Monroe.
“This is a wonderful day and an excellent chance to get to know each other and learn more about our experiences and ministries,” he said.
Sister Jane Russell, a School Sister of St. Francis for 61 years, smiled as she called the day “an international gathering of God’s people.”
— Christina Lee Knauss. Photos by Troy Hull
