Print Issue: May 23, 2002

Caritas Christi Member Attends Vocations Congress

Linda Patti is a member of Caritas Christi, a worldwide secular institute, pontifically approved, that welcomes women, single or widowed. She is a member of St. George Church, Newnan, and coordinator of Catholics Returning Home at that parish.

By Linda Patti, Special To The Bulletin

MONTREAL - As a 13-year member of Caritas Christi, a secular institute of pontifical rite, I left Atlanta April 18 as a delegate to spend four days of intensive study, prayer and fraternity among over 1,100 people gathered for the Third Continental Congress on Vocations. The conference brought together bishops, major superiors, religious and diocesan vocation directors, sisters and brothers, members of secular institutes, parents and young adults, pastors and deacons, novices and seminarians, campus ministers, Serrans and others who provide human, spiritual and financial support to vocation efforts.

Two other congresses preceded this one, in Rome and Sao Paulo, Brazil, at the behest of Pope John Paul II. (According to reports, this one was the church's largest and most ambitious, and most inclusive of a broad spectrum of people concerned with vocations.) The talks, prayer services, liturgies and music were presented in English, Spanish and French.

The congress's main goal was to create a pastoral plan for vocations ministry to be implemented in North American churches over the next three years.

Each day began and revolved around prayer. Our time was divided among talks from noted speakers, roundtable discussions of issues, and reporting to the entire assembly. There were 120 tables of 10 persons each who were seated to achieve a good cross section of delegations.

Father Donald Senior, CP, gave the first talk entitled "Come Follow Me." He said the purpose of the congress was to " inspire more vocations to ordained ministry and consecrated life. We cannot reduce this subject to recruitment or marketing or effective motivations." He added, "We believe that God calls each human person into life, and gives us meaning and purpose. And God also gives humans the gift of freedom to choose and to commit to the gifts that God offers."

Father Senior made reference to the current stories that "shape and embarrass and even indict the church and its leadership." He said, "we must remember with accuracy and intensity the beauty of the gospel and the highest ideals of our call as priests and religious on behalf of God's people. We are called to holiness and purity of heart - nothing less. We are called to serve not to be served - nothing less." He called upon those entrusted with fostering vocations to be" . . . sacraments of hope for a wounded church."

During the general session for the congress, we were given topics for discussion. Our table was presided over by Zoila Diaz, Ph.D., a professor at the St. Vincent de Paul Seminary in Boynton Beach, Fla.

Delegates seated at the table expressed their views on vocations for this article.

Kathy Laird, director of the Office of Marriage and Family for the Archdiocese of St. Paul-Minneapolis, has six children, one of whom is a priest. She said, "when he became a priest, people said, 'Why? He is so bright. He's so good-looking.' That just broke my heart. It was like - all the more! God wants the best!"

Sister Mary Ann Zollman, BVM, reflected on the challenges of getting young people to understand the life of a woman Religious. "For me, the greatest invitation and challenge right now is . . . probably discovering ways for younger people to get to know what the heart of our lives is really all about," said Sister Zollman. "I do know that younger people know that particularly for Religious women, we're very concerned about outreach and ministry. Always the argument is - 'Well, I could do that without being a sister.' That's certainly true. So how do we find ways to introduce young people to the other elements that are so integral to the way we do ministry? And that's our shared life with one another, what it means to live in community, what it means to attempt to live as simply and lovingly in a life that doesn't include a commitment to another person. Our prayer life, our shared prayer, shared spirituality - making that visible and come alive, I think is the challenge."

On Saturday, we were given a choice of 16 workshops to attend such as "Secular Institutes, Called to Sanctify the World from Within," "What's Working in Attracting Diocesan Priesthood Candidates," "Collaborating with Lay Groups," "Understanding the Permanent Diaconate," and "Sustaining Members in Religious Communities - What Works."

Before Mass Sunday we were invited to an hour of prayer and reverence before the World Youth Day Cross at Notre Dame Cathedral. It had just traveled across the provinces of Canada.

Each day our eucharistic celebration was held at one of the three major basilicas in Montreal.

During the congress we were fed spiritually, intellectually and corporally. The delegates were sent out with the seeds of hope to sow back home for the greater glory of God and his church. All left hopeful, prayerful and renewed, knowing that he is alive and among us.