Seminarian Holy Hour for Vocations

By: Joseph Ganser, Seminarian

Third Theology

As the summer begins to wind down and students prepare to return to school the seminarians come to end of our summer assignments and begin to look forward to the changes that the new semester will bring. However, before we pack up and head back to class we also take time to thank God for all the good experiences that he has given us over the past eight weeks and to pray for our vocations and for the men who will come after us.

For the past several years near the feast of St. John Vianney the seminarians have gathered at a church with the priests and the lay faithful of the diocese to sponsor a holy hour for vocations. This year the evening was hosted by St. Jane Frances de Chantal parish in Easton.

Over one hundred people, including fifteen priests and five of the seminarians joined together in adoration before our Lord to pray for an increase of vocations. The evening began with exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, followed by a solemn singing of Evening prayer and closed with benediction. During the holy hour the reflection on the priesthood was given by Fr. Keith Laskowski who used the words of Pope Benedict XVI to encourage more prayers for vocations but also to encourage the seminarians in their own process of discernment.

After the holy hour the priests and the seminarians relaxed at the parish rectory where they shared a meal prepared by the members of the parish. It was a good time to grow in fraternity and to develop new friendships. It was also a perfect time for the priests to meet the newest member of our diocesan clergy, Father Boniface Badiate, who recently arrived from Senegal to live and work in the United States and to welcome him into our diocesan family.

Once again our Evening Prayer for vocations has proved to be a great way to wrap-up our summer assignments and to prepare us for what lies ahead. Being organized and run by the seminarians themselves it also provides us great experiences in leadership and event planning. It’s a great way to get us excited for the future.