New Vocations Podcast Launched

A new vocations podcast featuring a seminarian of Lancaster Diocese, produced by students of Ushaw College, has recently been launched.

The first podcast includes an interview with His Grace Patrick Kelly the Archbishop of Liverpool, and also an interview with Rev. Marc Lyden-Smith and Rev. John Moriarty (both of whom are deacons at Ushaw).

iPod users may wish subscribe to the podcast via iTunes or it may be downloaded as an mp3 file directly from the Ushaw podcast page. For more details on downloads and forthcoming podcasts please visit the the Ushaw College Vocations Podcast page.

Bishop Campbell to young people: Quo Vadis - Where are you going?: Could you be a priest?

My dear young friends,

Quo Vadis? - Where are you going? Jesus asks all His friends.

Like any good parent, God really cares when and where and how we go anywhere. In fact, God has a plan for all of us. I know that God is calling some of you to go among His people as our future priests in the Diocese of Lancaster. If you live in our Diocese and think this could be you then please contact Fr Manny Gribben our Diocesan Vocations Director and he will be glad to help you explore where God is asking you to go in your life.

With every good wish and prayer as you discover your vocation in life,

+Michael Campbell OSA,
Bishop of Lancaster

CONTACT:

Fr Emmanuel Gribben
Vocations Director
St Mary's Priory,
Cleator,
Cumbria
CA23 3AB

Tel: 01946 810324

emmanuel.gribben@googlemail.com

Advice from the Archbishop of Westminster

Here we have the Archbishop of Westminster on the Vocation to the Priesthood

St. Charles Borromeo - Patron Saint of Seminarians

Today we keep the memory of St.Charles Borromeo, the Patron saint of Seminarians.

Charles was born on October 2nd, 1538 to Count Gilbert Borromeo and Margaret Medici. In 1559 his Uncle, Giovanni Angelo, Cardinal de' Medici, was elected Pope taking the name Pius IV. In 1560 Pope Pius named Charles his Secretary of State and made him a cardinal (although he was not ordained as a Priest until 1563). Charles was also made administrator of the See of Milan, and while there, he was influential in getting the Pope to reconvene the Council of Trent which had been suspended since 1552. Following his Priestly ordination, Charles was consecrated bishop of Milan that same year. Before taking over as the Bishop of Milan, he oversaw the catechism, missal, and breviary called for by the Council of Trent.

Charles was also most generous in his help to the English college at Douai, and had much to do with England in the days of his assistance to Pius IV, where he had a great veneration for the portrait of the Bishop of Rochester, John Fisher. It is thought that some knowledge of Charles Borromeo had been brought to England by Blessed Edmund Campion, who, in 1580, had visited Charles in Milan on his way to England.

In this 'Year for Priests' let us ask for the intercession of St. Charles Borromeo, on behalf of all seminarians throughout the world, to be filled with the Faith, Hope and Love of Jesus Christ the Eternal High Priest.

St. Charles Borromeo, Pray For Us.

P.S. There is a great post on the Lancaster Cathedral Blog about the chapel of St. Charles.

Call of the Cardinals

While doing a daily trawl of the Catholic blogosphere i came across the following video of a number of cardinals recounting their own vocational call to priesthood.



h/t to Fr. Ray Blake

More words of encouragemant from the Pope...

During the Midday Angelus on 26th July 2009, the Holy Father - Pope Benedict XVI gave a reflection on the Gospel reading of the feeding of the five thousand (Jn. 6: 1-15). The Pope shared his thoughts on the unknown boy who has five barley loaves and two fish [cf.v9]. Pope Benedict said "we too spontaneously say: But what are they for such a multitude? In other words: Who am I? How can I, with my limitations, help Jesus in his mission?"

Quite often, this appears to be a question that many have asked of themselves when discerning a vocation to Priesthood.
The Holy Father continued by reminding us "the Lord gives the answer: By taking in his holy and venerable hands the little that they are, priests, we priests, become instruments of salvation for many, for everyone!"

We should be encouraged by this, instead of thinking we are unable help Jesus in his mission, we should place our lives into Christ's Holy and Venerable hands, so that He may make us the instruments of salvation.


To see the full text of the Pope's address click here.

Bishop Recomends Holy Hour for Priests And Vocations

The Bishop of Lancaster has released his first pastoral letter marking the Year For Priests. In the letter, Bishop Michael Campbell OSA, highlights the importance of a renewed effort in prayers for vocations and also recommends that every church in the diocese has a time of Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and Holy Hours for Priests and an increase in Vocations.

A copy of the Bishop Campbell's first pastoral letter can be downloaded form the Diocese of Lancaster website.