Promotion
Activities
The following activities provide information, foster
vocations and make young people aware of their Christian
and specific vocation in life. While the first four
activities, namely, vocation talks, recollections and
retreats, the search-in, tour-in and pray-in are designed
to give young people an idea of the religious life as a
possible choice of one’s vocation in life, enabling
them to hear and clarify for themselves God’s call
and invitation, the last three activities, the break-in,
seminars and workshops are for those who have heard the
call, want to follow it and prepared to make a
commitment.
1. Information
Talks, formal and informal, on the religious life for students, teachers, parents, etc. One-day recollection or retreat with talks and sharing sessions on the Christian life and the meaning of vocation. These activities are often conducted by a vocation team. The team might consist of a priest, a brother, a sister and a layman. The team goes around together to give talks on Church vocations in the parishes, schools, etc.
b. Search-in:
A day of reflection, prayer, sharing, etc., on the meaning of life, vocation and how to discern a vocation. A soul-searching session covering the present, past and future of the participants leading towards self-discovery and a redirection of life. It is a whole day activity and could be held once a month or according to the needs and circumstances.
c. Tour-in:
Apostolic exposure and involvement. Arrangements are made for young people to visit seminaries, parish centres, and houses of religious men and women, to become acquainted with the life and apostolic activities of priests and different orders and congregations. This will give an idea of the variety of apostolates priests and religious are engaged in and help to choose a particular order or congregation for further exploration.
d. Pray-in:
A prayer session, an intimate experience of God in silence, in scripture, in shared prayer, in the Eucharistic celebration.
e. Break-in:
A follow-up program, a deepening integration for those with more definite inclination toward the religious life. This is usually a two-day activity.
f. Vocation Seminars:
Two to three days live-in seminars providing information about the meaning of the religious life. This kind of seminar provides more information on specific life-styles and work of religious. Ordinarily the seminar is held in a religious house. In this way the participants are able to meet and talk to young men who have already consecrated their young lives to Christ in the service of others.
g. Vocation Workshop:
Three to five days live-in. This is an experiential living with the pre-novices, novices or religious community. Here they live as members of the community. They follow more or less the same schedule as that of the community. Reflection and discernment of their live-in experience are very much part of the workshop.
2. Publications
a: Vocation Newsletter:
This may be a pastoral letter or a letter sent by a religious order or congregation on vocations and items that can be shared with young people. They could be distributed in schools and parishes where study groups could be organized to reflect on the content and share insights.
b. Vocation Brochures:
They contain basic information on a particular religious order or congregation working in the country. They also contain the names, brief description of work, and addresses of religious communities.
c. Vocation Pamphlets:
Printed material in easy, convenient, readable forms, as a follow-up to vocation talks, recollections and retreats, radio program and TV spots, etc. They contain typical information about the life and work of the church and religious, news from missionaries, vocation articles and features.
d. Posters:
They express in the simplest and most challenging format the idea of consecration to God. Target audience: the youth. This is the type of advertisement that is very much “in” today. It is attractive to both young and old. The designs are cartoon style or pictures of human interest.
e. Prayer leaflets:
Three kinds: General prayer for vocations; separate prayers for vocations within a religious congregation; and parents’ prayer for vocation of their children. Every leaflet will carry instructions on how to discern a vocation.
3. Mass Media
a. Radio Spots:
The production and airing of one-minute spots on as many radio stations as possible throughout the country to stimulate prayer and thoughts about the priesthood and religious life, among prospective candidates and among their families, and to initiate contact with prospective candidates responding to these vocation spots.
b. Slide shows, videos and power point:
These presentations for use in schools, in parishes and villages throughout the country are an attractive and effective medium today. The viewers are given time to absorb the message.
c. Television Spots:
Television spots could be effective especially in the cities. Pictures can be taken from sound slide productions. TV spots may be rather limited because of expense. TV ads are very expensive.
d. Radio/F V Programs:
These programs consist of interviews, commentaries, plays and drama on vocation. Entertainment plays on vocation aired over the radio could be very effective. They could be heard not only in the cities but in towns and villages, too.
e. Stage Plays:
These plays on vocation, lives of saints (especially modern saints), missionaries, priests, religious, etc could be a powerful medium for promoting vocations.