Pray with Pope Francis Reflection – February 2025

Friday, February 7, 2025

Fr. Edmund Lo, SJ

Pope Francis invites us to pray for vocations to the priesthood and religious life, that the ecclesial community might welcome the desires and doubts of those young people who feel a call to serve Christ’s mission in the priesthood and religious life.

Pope Francis’ Prayer Intention for May 2024

Thursday, May 2, 2024

Pope Francis

Let us pray that men and women religious and seminarians, grow in their own vocational journey through human, pastoral, spiritual and community formation, that leads them to be credible witnesses of the Gospel.

Ecumenical sharing in the charism of religious life | One Body

Tuesday, January 26, 2021

Sr. Donna Geernaert, SC

Sr. Donna Geernaert discusses the ways in which religious communities have been a source of ecumenical insight and expression.

Deacon-structing Celibacy: Part 1

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Deacon Pedro

Deacon Pedro begins delving into the Catholic tradition of celibacy. Who takes the vow and why? Read this blog to find out!

Pope Francis’ Homily for the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord

Thursday, February 2, 2017

Salt + Light Media

Pope Francis presided at Holy Mass with the members of Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, on the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, the XXI World Day for Consecrated Life. Find the full text of his prepared homily below: When the parents of Jesus brought the Child in fulfilment of […]

Led by the Spirit for Mission

Wednesday, November 30, 2016

Salt + Light Media

The 2017 message for the World Day of Prayer for Vocations was released Wednesday entitled, “Led by the Spirit for Mission”. In the message for this 54th World Day of Prayer for Vocations, the Pope reflects on the missionary dimension of our Christian calling. The Holy Father says that “commitment to mission is not something […]

Deacon-structing Consecrated Life

Sunday, October 30, 2016

Deacon Pedro

In the past, I’ve looked at what it means to be called and the meaning of discernment. I’ve also Deacon-structed the Vocations to the Single Life, to the Ordained Life and have dedicated many columns to the topic of Marriage. This weekend I am in Kansas City for the National Religious Vocation Conference convocation, so I thought […]

Deacon-structing Vocations: Conclusion part 2

Sunday, January 25, 2015

Deacon Pedro

Last week I said that everyone gets called. But sometimes we don’t recognize it, because we’re distracted or ‘cause we’re not expecting it. But the call comes and looking at Scripture helps us recognize the Call when it comes. First you have an encounter with Christ; an encounter with the Divine; then comes a calling. And […]

Deacon-structing Vocations: Ordained life part 2

Sunday, December 14, 2014

Deacon Pedro

Last week we looked at the Vocation to the Ordained Life and the Sacrament of Holy Orders. The tradition of the priesthood is not specific to Christianity and our tradition dates back to the early days of Judaism. God’s chosen people, the people of Israel, was considered a “kingdom of priests and a holy nation”, but […]

Deacon-structing Vocations: Ordained Life Part 1

Sunday, December 7, 2014

Deacon Pedro

One main difference between the Vocations to the Single and Religious life and the Vocations to the Ordained and the Married Lives is that Ordination and Marriage, in the Catholic Church, are Sacraments. Let’s look at the Vocation to the Ordained Life and the Sacrament of Ordination. It is very common to hear about the […]