Vocations
where heart speaks to heart
Becoming a priest, a deacon, a religious sister or brother
The Catholic Church as we know and love it today cannot exist without people who commit their lives to serving in public ministries and forms of consecrated life. Such a way of life is not always the first thought that comes to mind when making decisions about the future and it’s easy to know why. There are so many possibilities for careers and ways of life. We are also more aware than ever of the vocational quality that can be involved when choosing to be a parent, choosing to marry, or choosing to live a dedicated single life; not to mention the many aspects of service, paid and voluntary, that can be rendered for the common good of society.
Yet for some, the myriad choices can make it hard to realise that they do have potential to make a specific contribution to the public ministry of the church. Perhaps our community could offer words of encouragement and opportunities to prayerfully reflect so that people can discern their path in life fully open to whatever possibilities God might be inviting them to consider. This might include life as a priest, a deacon, a religious sister or brother or a member of a secular institute.
Simply talking things through in an open minded way can help people discover their potential realising how much we appreciate their individual gifts and personalities. So, feel free to have a confidential conversation with Fr Peter, Deacon John or Sister Catherine with no strings attached.
Alternatively you could contact our diocesan promoter of vocations Fr Anthony McGrath vocationsdirector@dioceseofshrewsbury.org the director of the diaconate programme Fr Philip Atkinson stpetersstalybridge@btinternet.com or the assistant director Deacon Peter Jackson pwjackson@talktalk.net
Those interested in considering religious life would need to make contact with the order or society best suited to them. Fr Peter would be happy top help you get in touch. Alternatively there is a national website for those interested in the Catholic Priesthood http://www.ukpriest.org/