AMERICA/CHILE - We need young men and women willing to dedicate their life to following the Lord and we need courageous married couples deeply committed to their calling to love and holiness: initiatives for Vocation Week promoted by the Bishops’ Conference of Chile

Santiago (Fides Service) - “We need young men and women willing to dedicate their life to following the Lord putting themselves at the service of brothers in the priesthood and the consecrated life. But we also need and courageous married couples deeply committed to their calling to love and holiness within their families” we read in a Message for Vocations Week in Chile organised on the occasion of the 43rd Day of Prayer for Vocations 7 May, 4th Sunday of Easter. The message signed by Bishop Renè Rebolledo Salinas of Osorno president of the Bishops’ Commission for Vocation Pastoral which organised the event says the Week “is a privileged opportunity to reflect on the vocation God has given us”.
Material prepared and issued by the Commission for the occasion includes a series of reflections by Religious and work-plans for vocations animators and pastoral operators on the themes: “What is a vocation? Sowing the seed, accompanying, educating, forming, discerning, challenges and proposals”. The Commission also proposes seven concrete activities, one for each day of the Week: Vocational Rosary; vocation dialogue in schools, universities and institutes; prayer meeting for consecrated persons to thank God for the vocation and pray for vocations; Eucharistic Adoration in parishes encouraging prayers for vocations; priests and religious invite young people to come home to see the life style of consecrated persons; meeting of youth communities to reflect with the help of an animator on the meaning of life and the meaning of a vocation; finally Sunday 7 May special day of prayer for vocations in communities: priests are encouraged to reflect on this theme in Sunday homilies. (RG) (Agenzia Fides 3/5/2006; righe 24, parole 333)