The response to the Marist vocations discernment weekends continues to show promise.
So far, 16 young men have attended one of the weekends held at the Marist Seminary in Auckland; seven attending the latest event.
Organiser of the weekends, and associate vocations promoter, Fr Peter McAfee, is very pleased with the response.
“The support was palpable”, he wrote thanking the Marist communities for their prayers and support of the initiative.
Fr McAfee says that every one of the 16 came because of the suggestion and invitation of a respected adult. He noted that while most participants were invited by Marist priests, two of the last group were encouraged to attend by lay women.
Fr McAfee is encouraging Marists, and lay men and woman to continue taking the risk to invite people to consider religious and priestly life.
“Even if a person says no, nothing is lost. It is still a great vote of your confidence in him. He won’t be offended by that,” he says.