26 December 2014

Want vocations. . .???

Want vocations to your diocese/Order/congregation/province?

1). Ditch the 80's psycho-therapeutic Feel-Good Lefty Social Justice Feminist formation and embrace the Program for Priestly Formation in its entirety (i.e., not just the happy parts)

2). Restore distinctive religious/clerical garb and encourage its proper use. (NB. Habits are not just liturgical vestments!) 

3). Emphasize community life. . .REAL community life.

4). Return to the tradition when interpreting religious vows, i.e. ditch the nominalism that allows individuals to configure the vows in their own terms.

5). Stop apologizing to candidates for the distinctiveness of an Order's charism or a province's mission or a diocese's character. 

6). And accept this reality of the age: young Catholics thinking about entering religious life and/or priesthood have no/zero/zilch interest in the Baby Boomer socio-cultural assimilation paradigm of religious life/ministry. 

It's a Buyers' Market in the vocations world. . .they have thousands of options.

Here's some evidence supporting these suggestions.
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4 comments:

  1. I think we're on the same wavelength. I'm preparing a similar post—it's not quite as efficient and elegant as yours. I'll definitely link to yours.

    Excellent points, by the way!

    Cheers,
    Catholic Sacristan

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  2. 7) accepting those that don't practice the Church's teachings, yeah, not so much.

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  3. It seems to me that #4 is the most important. I see lots of "orthodox" habited people walking around who haven't a clue about the implications of their vows. Especially poverty. Obedience they understand because their prior can come down on them like a ton of bricks. But poverty and chastity are a lot looser.

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  4. I'm so sorry you've had to re-state the obvious Fr Philip, Our Blessed Mother did say to pray for the pope and bishops, I guess they're v.big targets. If they all prayed the Rosary we likely wouldn't need preternatural explanations for why the straightforward proposals above are delayed/non-existent.

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