THE BISHOP'S COLUMN If you are waiting for a sign from God, this is it! If you were driving west on Ontario Street in Chicago during the last days of 1999 into the first days of 2000, you might have noticed on the comer of Ontario and Wells a freshly painted billboard. Simple, bold, it jumped out at you. Solid black with the hint of a Roman collar, the sign read: If you are waiting for a sign from God, this is it! Consider the priesthood. The message was signed www.archdiocese-chgo.org. The sign marks the beginning of a media campaign to raise peoples’ consciousness to the need for priests and the responsibility of all in the church to become vocation promoters. The initiative invites young people to generosity and reminds them that they can make a difference through service in the church. Some time ago, the rectors of our archdiocesan seminaries and their vocation recruiters expressed a need to give more visibility to vocations. Father Wayne Watts, who is on the faculty at Archbishop Quigley Preparatory Seminary, told me he knew a man at DDB-Chicago, a prominent Chicago advertising firm, who expressed a desire to help foster vocations. Within days, several of us went down to the DDB-Chicago offices. I met John Greening (a parishioner at St. Francis Xavier in Wilmette) and several of his staff. They could not have been more gracious. We talked about the need for vocations, the audiences we wanted to reach, and what we wanted to say. DDB went right to work and put together a series of creative boards and radio spots that would get out our message. They suggested we test out their work on priests, parents, religious educators and young people. DDB’s Leslie Fine and Amy Engstrom held a series of focus groups to explore what motivates and inhibits men from considering priesthood. They also showed the advertising work and invited participants’ feedback. We learned a lot. Participants (parents, religious educators, priests, young men) expressed what they felt motivated people to consider priesthood. Helping others, making a difference in life, sharing in life’s special moments, sense of mission with other priests, continuing Christ’s work were attractive. Feelings of unworthiness, sense of responsibility for others, 24-hour commitment, lack of a biological family, the countercultural lifestyle of a priest were inhibiting reasons given. All involved in the focus groups felt a resounding need for priests, but did not feel a personal obligation to become vocation promoters. Parents seemed most hesitant to encourage a son to consider priesthood. Many young people had little idea what priests do and what their lives were like. Participants liked the advertising approach because it sparked awareness, caused reflection and “personal searching,” and was compelling and attention-getting. There were a range of responses to the messages (humorous to spiritual) we intended to use. After the conversations it was clear that some were inappropriate and would not work. The radio messages were seen as too heavy and unrealistic. The campaign was refined in the light of the feedback. The messages that received support will be put out in the weeks ahead. Look for them. I hope they will get people thinking and talking about vocations. Some messages may make you smile. Once the creative work was done, the next challenge was production. Through the suggestion of Father Greg Sakowicz, pastor of St. Mary of the Woods, I contacted Robert Hoelterhoff (a member of St. Mary Parish in Lake Forest) who owns J + B Signs. He responded immediately and generously. We could begin with the billboard at Ontario and Wells immediately. He would consider other available sites for the campaign. Over the next few weeks, I will talk to a number of people to ask their help in making the advertising effort a success. We will need financial support as well as pro bono support from people involved in media. If you are interested in helping, please let me know. Vocation Awareness Week begins Jan. 9. As we begin this focus on vocations, I suggest three points that need to be kept in mind. First, vocation promotion must be attentive to all vocations in the church and society, “either we grow together or nobody grows” (Instrumentum Laboris for Congress on Vocations to the Priesthood and Consecrated Life in Europe, Rome, 1996, p. 24). Focusing on vocations to priesthood in no way suggests that other vocations are of secondary importance. We are all members of one body in which each member plays a part. Transformation of our society in the new millennium will demand the involvement of all. Second, vocation promotion assumes that God is calling each person, helping that person to discern God’s plan and answer the core human questions: Who am I? Where have I come from? Where am I going? What is the best way to live my life? Life is not accidental but each person is called intentionally by God to work towards great ends and to contribute significantly to life. Specifically God is calling some to priesthood. The vocation to priesthood does not diminish other vocations, just as other vocations will never make priesthood irrelevant. The Lord continues to invite those who will shepherd the flock, nourish, sustain, and sanctify it by the sacraments. The flock will need to hear the voice of the shepherd. Third, vocation promotion is not the responsibility of vocation directors or seminary staff alone, but “the very center of the pastoral life of the church. Everyone in the church is involved in communicating the call of God, whether it is through youth work, the elderly, working for justice and peace, education, liturgy, or spirituality. Vocation promotion needs to be seen as the unifying factor of all pastoral work.” (Crisp, Mark, “Rediscovering Vocation” in Tablet, Nov. 21, 1998, p. 1556). “The church is called more and more today to be wholly vocational.” (IL, Rome, 1996, p. 63) Those dioceses that are making progress in helping women and men discern God’s call to service in the church show similar characteristics: ° They pray for vocations regularly and persistently. ° Their bishop speaks often about vocations to priesthood and consecrated life and puts a personal priority on vocation ministry. ° All dimensions of the diocese play an active role in fostering vocations. The diocese sees vocation ministry as central to its pastoral mission. ° These dioceses have a discipline of purpose. They are not distracted like a reed blowing in the wind. They have the single eye of the archer fixed on a target. Priorities remain priorities and other important areas have to wait. u Key personnel spend significant time identifying, inviting, encouraging, and supporting potential candidates for service in the church. They are about sowing and accompanying. ° All facets of diocesan life are pulling in the same direction. There is a harmony of purpose and direction. Today we need to create a culture of vocations in which all aspects of church life and pastoral work invite others to consider God’s call. This is no time to be tentative, hesitant, divided. Priesthood matters. Pastoral ministry makes a difference. Answer God’s call. That message needs to be given by parents, peers, religious education directors, catechists, principals, Catholic school teachers, pastoral associates, youth ministers, religious, priests, deacons, bishops, all in the community of the church. In building a culture of vocations, the bishop plays a critical role. By his example and exhortation, he can put the diocese’s focus of attention on vocations. It must be important to him and he needs to communicate that to all in the diocese. Cardinal George has emphasized vocations since arriving in Chicago. He himself is involved in inviting, encouraging and fostering vocations. The key message is that vocation promotion is an archdiocesan-wide, a parish-wide activity. No one is exempt. Some of our parishes have formed parish vocation committees in which laity take on the responsibility of encouraging and fostering vocations by prayer and action. I hope this initiative will develop in many of our parishes. The media campaign is meant to provoke discussion and raise consciousness. During Vocation Awareness Week consider how you might identify, invite, encourage and support someone to consider the priesthood. If you are waiting for a sign from God, this is it. Sincerely yours in Christ, |