Vocations Archives - Society of Mary

Europe province develops vocations strategy

15 Marists from throughout Europe met recently at La Neyliere, France to further develop the province’s vocations strategy.

The meeting was stimulated by Fr Alan Neville MSC who presented findings of his research.

Fr Neveille’s research shows that those thinking of a religious vocation want to belong to:

a community with a mission
a group confident in its identity
a religious congregation confident in its future.

All regions of the Europe province had already taken vocations initiatives, so the meeting was an opportunity to share what worked and what could be done differently.

The meeting also considered new strategies for focussing the attention of European Marists on the pressing issue of vocations.

The group offered five proposals to the provincial council as a way forward.

Develop a presence on social media.
Appoint a full time provincial vocation promoter and team.
Organise an international volunteering programme.
Engage communities in a process of community renewal.
Develop a province-wide faith development programme for young people.

Source: Marist Fathers’ Europe

75 year old Marist rides again to support Marist seminarians

With the help of many generous people, bike-riding Australian Marist, Br Charlie Randle has raised almost half a million dollars to finance the training of Marist seminarians.

And he’s about to set out again.

The 75 year old Marist is about to clock up another 500km in the aid of supporting Marist seminarians.

Director of the Marist Mission Office in Sydney, Australia, Fr Kevin Stewart, describes Charlie’s willingness to go the extra mile as “irrepressible”.

Fr Stewart says Charlie takes a quiet pride in that these men have gone on to work in every corner of the Marist world.

Lay women encourage Marist vocations

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.

Brendan Jenke departs NZ to study in Rome

Seminarian, Brendan Jenke departs for Rome on Sunday.

While in Rome he will live at the Marist Fathers’ International Theologate and study theology at the Gregorian University.

The course of study is four years.

Before beginning his theological studies in September, Brendan will attend and Italian language school in Turin.

During the week he was invited to his old school, Liston College to speak to the students about his vocation and while at the school assembly was presented with an anointing of the sick kit with a pyx inside.

They had belonged to Russell Piaggi, the sacristan and lay presider at Thames.

Russell studied at the Marist Seminary in the 1930’s and died three years ago. He asked the kit and pyx be given to a student from Liston College who entered the Marist seminary.

While studying in Auckland, Brendan has also been part of the vocations discernment team, helping those who think they may have a Marist vocation to work out where God might be calling them.

Those interested in following up the idea of whether they might have a Marist vocation are invited to contact Fr Peter McAfee at the Marist Seminary.

Te next vocations discernment weekend takes place on 1-3 August.

Marist vocation weekends prove popular

Nine young men have taken part in vocation discernment weekends at Marist Seminary this year.

The opportunity to see Marist life up close proved more popular than expected, says Seminary rector, Fr Peter McAfee.

In January, Marist Seminary ran a discernment weekend. It was a live-in experience for young men considering a Marist vocation and due to the surprising level of interest the event was repeated 25-27 April.

The discernment weekends run from Friday to Sunday.

As part of the introduction to Marist life, the participants experienced seminary life.

There was a mix of community and personal prayer, class, a chance to speak with a priest or seminarian, social time, personal time, Mass and meals together.

The team, Frs Matt Crawford and Peter McAfee and seminarians, Phil Bennenbroek, Brendan Jenke and Hayden Powick agreed that the event was more positive than they could have expected.

Comments from the participants were also positive; they were struck by how ‘free’ or un-worried the Marists were.

The next discernment weekend is from 7:30pm August 1- 1:30pm 3 August 2014. Those interested are welcome to contact Fr Peter McAfee.

Praying for Marist Vocations

In preparation for the Feast of St Peter Chanel, it is a tradition in the Society of Mary to pray through his intercession for vocations to the Society.

You’re invited to join with Marists as we focus our prayer during these nine days for vocations to the Society.

This year the feast of St Peter Chanel, April 28, occurred during Easter Week and meant the novena clashed with Holy Week and Easter. The 2011 novena will begin on the 6th of May and finish on Saturday the 14th ‒ the vigil of Vocations Sunday.

Let’s together pray together to the “Lord of the harvest” to send workers into his harvest.

The booklet Nine days of prayer for vocations to the Society of Mary may help.