A new Vocation Guide, a joint initiative of the vocation teams of the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference (SACBC) and the Leadership Conference of Consecrated Life Southern Africa (LCCL-SA), was launched during the SACBC Plenary Session in Pretoria on Monday, August 4.
The 84-page publication is intended to help promote a stronger vocation culture across Southern Africa by supporting those who accompany young people in discerning God’s call in their lives. It is the fruit of a year-long collaborative effort between the bishops’ conference and the religious conference, drawing on contributions from hundreds of young people, clergy and religious.
“Inspired by a half-century of experience in the USA of a similar publication and website — Catholic Religious Ministries (www.religiousministries.com), we try to bring closer to the Catholic youth the various ways of vocations lived in the Church, vocation directors’ contacts in each diocese or religious congregations, animation resources for shaping vocation committees in the parish, and foremost, to form a new generation of vocation directors,” said a covering letter explaining the project’s purpose.
The guide forms part of a broader three-pronged strategy to encourage vocations.
The first element is the publication itself, with 4,000 copies having been printed. These will be distributed free of charge to all parishes, dioceses, religious congregations and Catholic institutions, with funding provided through an LCCL-SA human resources project. All of the SACBC’s 29 dioceses and each of the 85 religious congregations of the LCCL-SA have received hard copies.
The guide is also available online. Follow the QR code below:
It includes vocation resources, contact details for vocation directors and practical material for parish vocation committees.
The second initiative is the formation of vocation directors through monthly online workshops, which are beginning this month. The programme aims to provide ongoing formation for diocesan and religious vocation directors, parish vocation teams and others involved in vocation ministry.
The third goal is to encourage every parish to establish a vocation team to promote prayer for vocations, raise awareness, and to accompany young people in discerning their vocation.
The guide’s editors say they hope the initiative will contribute to sustained growth in vocation culture throughout the Church in Southern Africa, helping more young people discover “the beauty of various callings” and God’s plan for their lives.
The Vocation Guide is published and distributed free of charge to all interested Catholic faithful, religious, priests, or youth group leaders. However, the organisers hope to receive donations to aid the further spread of the project. Donations can be made to:
Name of account: LCCLSA
Account number: 1924112728
Name of Bank: NEDBANK
Branch Name: Eastgate
Branch Code: 192405
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