All photographs © Mazur/catholicchurch.org.uk 

inVocation 2010

“Invocation”, a national discernment festival for young adults was held in the grounds of St. Mary’s College, Oscott, on July 2nd – 4th 2010.The festival was hosted by the Archdiocese of Birmingham, with support and cooperation from a number of organisations including the National Office for Vocation and Compass.

The festival was aimed at young men and women who are looking to deepen their relationship with Christ, discern God’s will for their lives and at least be open to the possibility of priesthood or consecrated life. The turnout of several hundred exceeded expectation!

Keynote Speakers were Archbishop Vincent Nichols, Abbot Christopher Jamison, Dr Andrew O'Connell, and Sr Gabriel Davison.

www.catholic-ew.org.uk/Catholic-Church/Events/Invocation-2010

Religious Life In England and Wales

Available to download are the latest statistics for entry to religious life in England and Wales in an executive report commissioned by the Compass Project and administered by the National Office for Vocation.

The overall number of people entering congregations has exhibited a modest upturn in the last few years, though this is not a uniform trend. Many of the apostolic communities which burgeoned in the middle of the last century are declining in terms of entrants from the UK but often have a strong and growing presence overseas.

This report contains many signs of hope and encouragement, not least that numbers have begun to climb in recent years. But there are also challenges particularly the challenge of offering spiritual accompaniment and discernment for young people.

The report shows that it is the encounter with Christ that engages people with the vocation question and programmes such as Compass which enable discernment in true freedom are critical in supporting people and helping them respond to wherever the Lord calls them. Vocations ministry has to be viewed as a unified mission of the Church and supported for the whole Church and not just ‘our diocese’ or ‘our congregation’.  

Whilst some of the statistics challenge us, there are strong signs of renewal and growth and these findings are signposts to a future where religious life will continue to play a pivotal role in the life of the Church in England and Wales.

Download Report

Appendices (including tabled data)

Catholic Gap Year

The Catholic Church now runs a website to encourage young Catholics to consider spending their gap-year in a Church-run project. It is the first time that a U.K. religious denomination has collated and published its gap-year opportunities on a single ‘umbrella’ site, seeking to market ‘faith’ as key factor that young people should consider when choosing a gap-year.

The catholicgapyear.com website, a joint initiative between the Catholic Church’s Vocation and Youth offices, aims to provide young Catholics with information about how and where they can spend a gap-year in a faith environment.

Given that more and more young people are choosing to take a gap-year before going to university or into work, the Church is keen to encourage young Catholics to spend time volunteering in projects which will help develop their faith and provide them with opportunities for vocational discernment, as well as developing the skills that other forms of gap-year ordinarily provide. Projects that young Catholics can apply to join include: residential youth work, sharing a home with physically disabled people and even some projects abroad in less-developed parts of the world.

Visit the website at www.catholicgapyear.com

Looking for Vocation Events?

The Conference for Diocesan Directors of Vocation (CDDV) has set up a new website to advertise events for those discerning a vocation to the ministerial priesthood or consecrated life. The site is still in development but please take a look though the calendar to locate events near you. www.vocationevents.com

A New Film: No Greater Love

After ten years of correspondence, Michael Whyte was given unprecedented access to the monastery of the Most Holy Trinity, in London’s Notting Hill. The monastery, which was founded in 1878, is home to the Discalced Order of Carmelite Nuns. The nuns lead a cloistered life dedicated to prayer and contemplation, rarely leaving the monastery except to visit a doctor or dentist. Silence is maintained throughout the day with the exception of two periods of recreation.

www.nogreaterlove.co.uk

Stanbrook Abbey

Rooted in the Benedictine tradition, the nuns of Stanbrook are seeking to live the radical call of the Gospel in the 21st century. Visit their new eco-monastery at:

www.stanbrookabbeyfriends.org

Southwark Vocations Online Blog!

Southwark Vocations blog for promoting priesthood in the Archdiocese of Southwark has recently be revamped at www.southwarkvocations.blogspot.com Here you will find information about vocations activities in Southwark as well as information of interest to anyone who is interested in the Priestly Vocation.

This site was last updated July 2010

© National Office for Vocation 2003  |   Credits  |   E-mail
National Office for Vocation   39 Eccleston Square London SW1V 1BX
Registered Charity No: 1097482