Father Gregory Galvin, Director of Priestly Vocations
Signs of fall’s arrival are popping up everywhere. The leaves are changing colors and cooler air has arrived. Before we know it, we’ll prepare to cook a turkey with all the fixings as we visit our relatives and give thanks to God for our many blessings of faith, family and country.
Fall is here, and life has quickened from the slower, more relaxing months of summer. School students and seminarians returned to their studies within the past month.
While these changes take place, the Diocese of Norwich and Bishop Cote have remained consistent in offering monthly prayers for vocations to the priesthood and consecrated life. Three years ago, I wrote about the single greatest thing each of us can and should do for the spiritual health of our families, our friends, ourselves and our diocese: to pray for vocations for the Norwich Diocese to both the priesthood and consecrated religious life.
Prayer is where our work must begin and end. At the time, I quoted Bishop Thomas Daly of Spokane, Washington. He was asked about the most important thing a diocese can do to promote vocations. Bishop Daly’s response: “It’s not so much about programs, but prayer. I ask people to pray for vocations and stressed the need for adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. God will not give us the priests we need if we don’t put the Eucharist in the center of our lives. It all begins and ends with prayer.”
Our parishes recently received our Seminarian/Monthly Holy Hour poster. The poster shows what our prayers as a diocese are producing. We have 10 seminarians, and they are happily preparing to serve God with their lives. Keep praying for them, because they are also beginning to touch the hearts of others who will say yes to the Lord. Join us for the Eucharistic Holy Hours listed on the poster. Take a picture of it so you always have the schedule with you.
Come every month. Pray every time you go to Mass for these men and for the young ladies responding to God’s call to religious life. We still need to continue to beg the Harvest Master to send laborers to take care of the harvest.