Vocations & Catholic Media


'Come, follow Me'..



Jesus asks us to follow Him and in doing so we follow what is the Truth.

Most orders now receiving Vocations are those that follow faithfully the Rule of their order and that are faithful to the Magisterium of the Church.  Many of the older orders especially in Ireland have dwindled apart from the Dominicans who are now gaining vocations.  But many convents & mens orders have closed their doors and have sold their buildings.  

But thankfully especially in America we can see a great springtime of new and also newly reformed orders that are blooming because of their desire to live lives of holiness close to Jesus and Mary and it is these that are attracting many young people.  Some of these I have mentioned in my page on New Religious Communities.

From the Diary of St. Faustina

(1702)  Toward the end of the Way of the Cross which I was making, the Lord Jesus began to complain about the souls of religious and priests, about the lack of love in chosen souls. 'I will allow convents and churches to be destroyed.' I answered, “Jesus, but there are so many souls praising You in convents.” The Lord answered, 'that praise wounds My Heart, because love has been banished from convents. Souls without love and without devotion, souls full of egoism and self-love, souls full of pride and arrogance, souls full of deceit and hypocrisy, lukewarm souls who have just enough warmth to keep them alive: My Heart cannot bear this. All the graces that I pour out upon them flow off them as off the face of a rock. I cannot stand them, because they are neither good or bad. I called convents into being to sanctify the world through them.

It is from them that a powerful flame of love and sacrifice should burst forth. And if they do not repent and become enkindled by their first love, I will deliver them over to the fate of this world… How can they sit on the promised throne of judgment to judge the world, when their guilt is greater than the guilt of the world? There is neither penance nor atonement. O heart, which received me in the morning and at noon are all ablaze with hatred against Me, hatred of all sorts! O heart specially chosen by Me, were you chosen for this, to give Me more pain? The great sins of the world are superficial wounds on My Heart, but the sins of a chosen soul pierce My Heart through and through'…
(1703)When I tried to intercede for them, I could find nothing with which to excuse them and, being at the time unable to think of anything in their defense, my heart was seized with pain, and I wept bitterly. Then the Lord looked at me kindly and comforted me with these words: 'Do not cry. There are still a great number of souls who love Me very much, but My Heart desires to be loved by all and, because My love is great, that is why I warn and chastise them.'



The following are links to some sites that encourage Vocations as well as some Catholic media sources which are loyal to the teachings of the Church.

Religious Vocations websites


http://www.vocationboom.com/ 
A great Vocations website for those interested in the Priesthood.
Vocation Boom.com founded by Jerry Usher, Vocation Boom is a team of passionate advocates dedicated to supporting the priesthood as a life’s vocation and mission. They seek to develop a global support community where youth and young men interested in the priesthood can find comprehensive resources, encouragement, mentors and friends to aid in the discernment process.

http://www.nypriest.com/
Site from New York on Vocations to the Priesthood.

The Dominicans are doing very well with vocations in Ireland.  Check them out...

A great and very well presented site from Australia on Vocations to the Religious life.

http://www.vocationsireland.com/

http://vocations.ie/


Other Catholic Websites

http://www.vatican.va/
The Vatican website

http://www.thepapalvisit.org.uk/
For the Papal visit to the UK in September 2010

http://www.catholic-ew.org.uk/
Catholic Church in England and Wales

http://www.ewtn.com
Great Catholic tv from America

http://www.faith.org.uk/

http://www.fathercorapi.com/
Fr. John Corapi is a perpetually professed priest member of the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity.


http://www.grassrootsfilms.com/main.html 
(who are the makers of Fishers of Men dvd)

Short film on Eucharistic Procession through the streets of New York.


http://www.wdmr.org/ 
(Divine Mercy Radio in North Carolina, USA)

http://www.irishcatholic.ie/
The Irish Catholic newspaper

Free Catholic newspaper from Ireland with news from every corner of the globe



Vocations are not just related to religious life, but also to whatever God calls us to, the single life, married life, consecrated life or as a religious.  Below are some of the groups for men and women that help and support those who are trying to live out their vocation as a Catholic in todays world. 


Groups for Men

Harvesters Catholic Men's Network
They are a Catholic Men's Network with a positive desire to include men from other Christian church traditions and backgrounds. They were set up by men for men to help them grow in their Christian faith and be of support to each other. This site contains information relating to the many aspects of Harvesters' work among men across the UK and abroad


The National Fellowship for Catholic Men
The initial need for a National Resource Center for Catholic Men was first recognized in September 1998 when about 20 Catholic men's leaders met with several Bishops, and the USCCB Committee on Marriage and Family and Committee on Evangelism.
Their strategy is to evangelize Catholic men to Jesus Christ and root them in the Church by assisting the development of fellowship groups and activities aimed at enriching their spiritual, sacramental, family and community lives. They continue to collaborate with and support the groups in their own ministries and continue to provide them with quality Catholic men’s resources, training materials, and communication medium.

Dads.org
St. Joseph's Covenant Keepers (i.e. SJCK) is an informal international network of Christian men, under the patronage of St. Joseph, dedicated to strengthening the family. The primary thrust of St. Joseph's Covenant Keepers is to men who are fathers of children still living at home. However, they warmly welcome Christian men of all ages, callings, and states in life: grandfathers wanting to strengthen their children and grandchildren; single men preparing for the vocation of marriage; and especially pastors serving as indispensable spiritual fathers in the family of God. Participation is open to all men who agree with, and who are willing to promote, the eight commitments of St. Joseph's Covenant Keepers. 
As St. Joseph's Covenant Keepers, they are not just concerned with their own families. They also strive for a Christlike concern for the spiritual and material welfare of other families in their community, in their parishes, and in other localities throughout the world.


Groups for Women

Women of Grace
Women of Grace is an outreach of Living His Life Abundantly International, Inc. Its purpose is to encourage and affirm women in their dignity as daughters of God and in their gift of authentic femininity.
Through its conferences, programs, and curricula, Women of Grace seeks to authenticate the genius of women (defined by Pope John Paul II as connoting the essential nature and spirit of woman) so profoundly portrayed in the Blessed Virgin Mary.


World Union of Catholic Women's Organisations
WUCWO's aim is to promote the presence, participation and co-responsibility of Catholic women in society and the Church, in order to enable them to fulfil their mission of evangelisation and to work for human development.
Founded in 1910, WUCWO now represents 100 Catholic women's organisations worldwide and celebrates a century of services by women for the Church and society.
In 2006 it was erected by the Holy See as a Public International Association of the Faithful.

CatholicMom.com
At the CatholicMom.com site, they celebrate all things Faith, Family, and Fun from a Catholic perspective. Enjoy fresh perspectives from their wonderful columnists and contributors. Read the latest selections from their Book Club. Check out great tunes from an array of talented Catholic musicians. Help your child make the most of the Liturgy of the Word with our Sunday Gospel activities. Listen to their weekly Catholic Moments Podcast for interviews with special people doing extraordinary things to live out our Catholic faith and share it with others.


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