Faithful asked to make a date for vocations

A new vocations prayer initiative was launched on Vocations Sunday, which is asking the faithful to pray for vocations on Saturday, May 13 to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the apparitions of Our Lady of Fatima.

Pope Francis will be in Fatima for the Feast of Our Lady of Fatima on Saturday, where he will canonise two of the visionaries of the Marian apparitions there – the young shepherds Jacinta and Francisco Marto.

Initiative

To coincide with this event the Bishops’ Council for Vocations in collaboration with St Joseph’s Young Priests Society, the Knights of Saint Columbanus and Vocations Ireland are asking people to pray the Angelus or a decade of the Rosary for vocations to the priesthood and religious life at 12noon and to continue the initiative on the 13th of each month until October.

Margaret Cartwright, Director of Vocations Ireland, said praying for vocations is “the most important aspect of vocation promotion and working together to create a culture of vocation is so important in our world today”.

“Pope Francis has called for a fresh and courageous perspective when helping youth discern and discover their vocation, and prayer is key to that discernment process,” she said.