first post -- I'm new to this!

Hello good people! I am Fr. Joe the vocation director of the diocese of Jefferson City. I came to this position in July of 2006. Tonight, I'd like to catch up on what I have been doing as Vocation Director for our diocese. Hopefully, as time goes on, I will keep you informed of what is happening in the way of vocations and events that may help promote vocations.

I moved from Loose Creek and Bonnots Mill and left prison ministry (Jefferson City Correctional Center) the first of July. I moved into St. Joseph Cathedral. Since July 1 was a Saturday, July 2 was a Sunday. I needed a place to celebrate mass. The pastor from Rich Fountain and Freeburg said, "come on down." So, after the masses that weekend, I visited with the parish vocation committee of Holy Family in Freeburg. The vocations committees of both Rich Fountain and Freeburg have been going now for about two years. Here are some of the ideas Freeburg is doing to promote vocations in their parish:

They have taken 2 "5 minutes a day for 7 Days" prayer booklets and crucifixes and pass them around the different households. This has been going quite well. Each mass, they pray for vocations during the general intercessions. The first Tuesday of every month when school is in session they have Eucharistic adoration. School children are encouraged to come pray for their vocation during the day. Dylan Shrader, one of our seminarians, has spent two summers there working in the parish. When seminarians work in the parish, it helps the parishioners, especially the young guys realize the seminarians are pretty normal people. So normal in fact that even they might be able to consider themselves a seminarian some day! The parish has had the "Called by Name" program: parishioners, at mass, write down people's names they know who shoudl be considering the priesthood or religious life: then, somehow there is follow-up. In Freeburg, follow-up is done by sending the people birthday and Christmas cards. Current projects for the Holy Family Freeburg parish vocation committee include: having the grade school classes make a prayer for vocations that will be prayed in their classroom. They are also working on finding the names and addresses of all those who were ordained or professed religious life who have come from their parish. They will hang their picture with a short biography about each person. This is called the "Wall of the Called." Maybe your picture and name will be next... If you ever travel to some of the local businesses in Freeburg, look to see if they have the vocation posters up. You never know where you might see a poster asking you to consider the priesthood!!