By Father John Adamski

Children are home from school for the summer vacation and the lives of many people, perhaps especially the happy mothers, are changed for the next couple of months. Often the coming of summer brings with it a welcome change of pace and schedule from the kinds of activities that become all too hectic during the rest of the year.

This issue of the BULLETIN reflects that change as the paper also moves to a less frequent publication schedule during the next three months. Therefore, it’s an opportune time to take a slight break from these “Role Call” columns.

We’ve been with you via these pages for a little more than two years. Father Hardy, Sister Genevieve and myself have regularly sought to share with you some of our conviction sand concerns about the future of leadership and ministry within the Church.

During this past year we’ve also presented several members of the various communities of religious women who serve in north Georgia.

Your comments have been a great source of support and encouragement for us. You’ve shared something of yourselves as you told us how a particular column spoke in a special way to things going on in your lives. Your interest and enthusiasm have been the principal reason for our continuing a weekly effort which might otherwise seem unimportant.

This summer break from writing gives us a chance to get a better perspective on what we’ve tried to communicate in this column and how we might be able to best live up to your expectations and our ideals as we continue on in the fall.

Before the typewriter ceases its clatter for the time being, I’d like to ask that you consider two requests for your time and effort during these summer days. They aren’t new suggestions, but they do bear repeating and they would insure that the goal of these columns would be even that much nearer when we return in September.

First, please continue to remember the need for vocations in church service in your own prayers. We aren’t doing our own work as ministers. It’s the mission of Jesus Christ that must be carried on in today’s world. Your prayers for vocations remember that primary need for faithfulness to the Lord and eagerness in answering his call.

Second, consider mentioning the possibility of a Church vocation to some qualified person whom you may know. Any man or woman with an honest effort to believe in God and a genuine interest in serving people may be a potential candidate.

So often, a word of encouragement and interest from another may be the kind of incentive that spells the difference in an individual’s life.

During the summer, many college students will be home again. Perhaps they haven’t yet decided what they would ultimately like to do with their lives. Share your belief in the value of priesthood or sisterhood with them.

Those efforts would be in the best spirit of everything “Role Call” has tried to be.

With that same spirit, we’ll be back on this page in September. Have a good summer!