Something has been weighing on my heart and I am not sure I am going to formulate my thoughts properly in this post. This is an attempt to think through an issue and perhaps I will get some constructive feedback in the comments. So here is my attempt…
As a Roman Catholic, I saw a big push for vocations. I remember my diocese creating a video highlighting the ways a priest could be of service. The joke was that being featured in vocation videos meant that you were leaving the diocese as that seemed to be the pattern. My point is that vocations were prayed for, promoted, financially and spiritually supported, and actively recruited. I must admit that I never promoted vocations to the diocese. If someone wanted to discuss vocations, I would listen and support. At the same time, I could not really get behind supporting anyone joining the diocese I served; the diocese I served experienced much turmoil from a clergy sex abuse scandal as well as dealing with our diocesan bishop who left much to be desired. Many potential vocations were immediately turned away as not being the bishop’s ideal candidate. Many of us who were ordained ended up leaving because of the state of the diocese. I could not promote something I felt so hurt and betrayed by.
I have only been an incardinated presbyter for a community rooted in the Old Catholic tradition for just over a month, but I am excited in a way that I never was as a Roman Catholic presbyter. I am thinking through how I can promote vocations to the priesthood/presbyterate, as well as the order of deacons and deaconesses. First, I am surprised that there are not more Roman Catholic men beating at our doors asking to be in formation programs. I know several men who felt called to be priests and called to be married. Sadly, they left seminary programs or never went because the church said you either have one vocation or the other, but not both (unless you were a former Protestant minister already married or a member of the Eastern Catholic Churches that allow that discipline in certain countries, and so on). The point is that the Roman Catholic Church significantly restricts the availability of candidates by forcing a choice between one vocation or the other. Why are younger Roman Catholic men who feel called to be a holy priest but also married not beating our doors down? I remember struggling with the idea of both vocations and being so unsure. I suppose it comes down to not knowing there are alternatives. I did not know about the Independent Sacramental Movement and Old Catholicism until much later after I already was in seminary. The problem with our jurisdictions is that we should promote vocations as many people do not know about us and other possibilities. We need to get the word out and show people that we are not playing church but are church.
Another issue I see is that the people attracted to our jurisdictions and communities often have axes to grind. They might have been rejected by mainline denominations and see this as an opportunity to get “credibility” for their “ministry.” We need to attract candidates, but the right kind of candidates. We need people who want to serve Christ, who know the intellectual tradition of the church, who are moral, people of prayer and spirituality, and people who are authentic human beings. How can we promote vocations that attract people who can build faith communities? I would love to stand outside of vocation offices of the Roman Catholic Church and show other possibilities for ministry.
I want to promote vocations but in a way that is responsible and attracts the right kind of candidates. Let me do a thought experiment. Imagine we recruit 10 young holy men and women to enter our vocation programs next year. These are the best candidates ever imaginable. Would our formation programs be suitable for their intellectual, spiritual, pastoral, and human development? How would we properly vet these candidates? How would we even know we are successful in ensuring their proper vocational development? We need to recruit vocations; before we do so, we need to make sure we have the proper formation structures in place to truly sustain and develop vocations.
I want to promote vocations and am thinking of how I could possibly bring other people to the jurisdiction I serve – the American Catholic Communities. I think that my brother priests in the jurisdiction do amazing work; I have some ideas of how I want to share their stories with others. What amazes me is that our vocations can create new faith communities. We recruit not only individuals but in the process people who create and develop faith communities.
May God grant a continual increase in quality vocations for our jurisdictions. I would love for our jurisdictions to work together to promote vocations. We may have people who are good vocation candidates but who have different theologies than our jurisdictions can accommodate. I hope we can develop relationships with one another and feel comfortable pointing people into jurisdictions that may be a better fit.
Peace,
Ben
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