Loose Creek and Bonnots Mill February 16-22
I was able to return to the parishes in which I came from before becoming Vocation Director. It was great being back. The names who I thought would turn up on the orange slips certainly were turned in. Oh, how I pray some of them follow through and heed the call. On Saturday evening, I had dinner with a truly remarkable couple in Bonnots Mill. I enjoyed the evening with them.
Sunday began our first of three Vocation Reflection Days. We made some good changes to the Reflection Days this year thanks to the great input of Msgr. Dave Cox. We added some movies, shortened the speeches and rearranged the day. We still have killer awesome musicians that lead the day and this year added some movement music (when they leave and enter the Cathedral, they do so to music.) And, our cookies were homemade, not store bought thanks to a lot of dedicated bakers in the Jefferson City area. I think most of the people who attended had a good day.
Monday was a day of working on VIP at the Lake of the Ozarks after a nice lunch with a good friend at the Lake. Tuesday was Presbyteral Council where I update the priests on what is happening in the area of Vocations and Ministry to Priests. then in the evening I met with our interns for the advertising campaign in Columbia. They are ready to roll out the next wave of posters in the campaign. We've done the "Get to know your priest as another part of the human family." We've done the "Invite, Encourage, Ask" campaign which was focused on others to be asking people and supportive when someone says he is interested. Now, round 3 is going to be about God calling YOU. (notice our campaign hasn't picked up on that yet, it was about setting stage earlier, now we are ready.)
Wednesday, I got to visit with some of our most important allies in vocation ministry: the principals of our schools. While the statistics and reports say that people are holding off til later in life to make this decision (average age of ordination is now 34 rather than 26); no matter how old they are when they begin seminary, the thought almost always comes to them when they are in grade school. So, our grade schools have got to be loaded with vocation awareness and discussions.
I handed out the winners' of the poster/essay contest for Vocation Awareness Week to the principals of the students who won. Then, all the art work was handed back. We had 99 entries from 13 schools. Not bad for our first year. The information for 6th Grade Vocation Day was distributed. The theme: "6th Graders: Hope for the Church" based on Pope Benedict XVI latest encyclical. The 6th Graders will be able to design their own shirt, prayer, and prayer card. We are also adding some things to the exhibit area. I also handed the principals one pen for every 4-8 grader in their school. I told them at the mass we had at the beginning of the day that when I arrived it was going to be like Christmas in February. I don't think I disappointed!
Thursday was a nice snow day so instead of having meetings and going to Loose Creek, I worked on editing the Eucharistic Adoration Book. (yes, it is still in progress.) Thursday evening, pizza with friends at Arris's in Jefferson City.
Sunday began our first of three Vocation Reflection Days. We made some good changes to the Reflection Days this year thanks to the great input of Msgr. Dave Cox. We added some movies, shortened the speeches and rearranged the day. We still have killer awesome musicians that lead the day and this year added some movement music (when they leave and enter the Cathedral, they do so to music.) And, our cookies were homemade, not store bought thanks to a lot of dedicated bakers in the Jefferson City area. I think most of the people who attended had a good day.
Monday was a day of working on VIP at the Lake of the Ozarks after a nice lunch with a good friend at the Lake. Tuesday was Presbyteral Council where I update the priests on what is happening in the area of Vocations and Ministry to Priests. then in the evening I met with our interns for the advertising campaign in Columbia. They are ready to roll out the next wave of posters in the campaign. We've done the "Get to know your priest as another part of the human family." We've done the "Invite, Encourage, Ask" campaign which was focused on others to be asking people and supportive when someone says he is interested. Now, round 3 is going to be about God calling YOU. (notice our campaign hasn't picked up on that yet, it was about setting stage earlier, now we are ready.)
Wednesday, I got to visit with some of our most important allies in vocation ministry: the principals of our schools. While the statistics and reports say that people are holding off til later in life to make this decision (average age of ordination is now 34 rather than 26); no matter how old they are when they begin seminary, the thought almost always comes to them when they are in grade school. So, our grade schools have got to be loaded with vocation awareness and discussions.
I handed out the winners' of the poster/essay contest for Vocation Awareness Week to the principals of the students who won. Then, all the art work was handed back. We had 99 entries from 13 schools. Not bad for our first year. The information for 6th Grade Vocation Day was distributed. The theme: "6th Graders: Hope for the Church" based on Pope Benedict XVI latest encyclical. The 6th Graders will be able to design their own shirt, prayer, and prayer card. We are also adding some things to the exhibit area. I also handed the principals one pen for every 4-8 grader in their school. I told them at the mass we had at the beginning of the day that when I arrived it was going to be like Christmas in February. I don't think I disappointed!
Thursday was a nice snow day so instead of having meetings and going to Loose Creek, I worked on editing the Eucharistic Adoration Book. (yes, it is still in progress.) Thursday evening, pizza with friends at Arris's in Jefferson City.
posted by Fr. Joe Corel at
11:18 AM
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