The 2019 World Day of Prayer for Vocations will be celebrated this Sunday, 12 May. Bishop Donal McKeown, Bishop of Derry, will celebrate the Mass at 11.00am and it will be broadcast from the RTÉ studios in Donnybrook, Dublin, on RTÉ One Television, on Radio 1 Long Wave and on DAB.
The theme for this Vocations Sunday is ‘The courage to take a risk for God’s promise’. Preparations for the Mass are being coordinated by Sister Moira Bergin of the National Centre for Liturgy and by the National Vocations Office.
In his recent pastoral message on vocations, Archbishop Eamon Martin of Armagh said: “We are blessed in the Archdiocese of Armagh to have twenty-one young men preparing in Dundalk, Maynooth and Rome to serve as priests in our diocese. Most of these are coming to us from abroad. However I am still very keen to encourage and nurture vocations to the priesthood from among our own young people, many of whom have strong faith and great gifts to offer our Church.”
Commenting ahead of the Mass Father Willie Purcell, National Coordinator for Diocesan Vocations, said: “Vocations Sunday is an opportunity for all of us to pray for those who are discerning God’s call in their lives by considering diocesan priesthood. During these times the call to both priesthood, and to religious life, is counter-cultural and poses challenges on many levels. It therefore takes great faith and courage to respond positively to this call and to say ‘yes’ to God’s invitation. However, as in the past, each member of the faithful has a role in supporting vocations. As Pope Francis has said, ‘vocations are born in prayer, and only in prayer can they persevere and bear fruit.'”
ENDS
