By Staff & Wire Reports

WASHINGTON (CNS) — To get more young people to think about vocations, churches should offer family retreats, and priests and religious should talk more about their own vocations, according to participants attending regional meetings about vocations being held across the United States and Canada.

The meetings, focusing on promoting vocations in North America, are preparing for the Third Continental Congress on Vocations to be held April 18-21 in Montreal.

Here in Atlanta, the Archdiocesan vocation office sponsored a Local Congress Dec. 5. The 40 participants, who were representatives of members throughout the archdiocese, prayed, reflected and responded to questions that will inform the important work of the Continental Congress in April, said Father Serge Ward, director of vocations. Among those attending were John Huhyn of St. Pius X High School, Atlanta, Linda Patti of Caritas Cristi (a secular institute), Marissa Lobacz of St. Joseph School in Marietta and Laura deGive of St. John Neumann Regional School, Lilburn.

“The role of the family is going to be an issue of discussion in promoting vocations,” noted Father Ward. “And one of the goals of the congress is (looking at) how to foster an environment in the church to promote vocations. Families certainly have to be on the top of the list to do that,” he said.

National trends show that there is a decline in vocations — including ordained priests and women Religious, said Father Ward. Along with that decline, there has been growth in the number of Catholics.

Atlanta is among a few cities that has actually bucked the national trend, showing a marked increase in vocations, he said. “We’ve had great success in recent years,” Father Ward said. “Atlanta is a very international city and we are very fortunate in attracting individuals here on an international basis.” Among the countries represented among seminarians, priests and Religious here in the archdiocese are Ireland, Columbia, Venezuela, El Salvador, India, Mexico, Haiti, Vietnam, Nigeria, and Korea. Guatemala and Puerto Rico are also represented, he said.

Father Ward added that vocations are not limited to the ordained ministry, but include secular institutions, permanent diaconate, women Religious, and vocations in married life, “to name just a few. “

Ideas and concerns from the regional meetings are to be sent to Father William Kubacki, coordinator of the regional process for the upcoming Continental Congress on Vocations in North America.

Father Kubacki, vocations director for the Diocese of Toledo, Ohio, will present the ideas from the regional meetings in written form to the 1,200 delegates expected to attend the congress.

The 2002 congress will be the third such gathering, following a Latin American congress in Brazil in 1994 and a European congress held in Rome in 1997.

The congress aims to build an environment in the United States and Canada that promotes vocations by increasing people’s commitment to identifying, discerning and nurturing possible vocations.

The Canadian and U.S. bishops’ conferences have the primary responsibility for the event, working closely with the leaders of religious institutes and diocesan and religious vocations directors’ associations.

The Montreal congress is scheduled to coincide with the 39th World Day of Prayer for Vocations on April 21.