Parents play key role in diocese's new effort to promote vocations

Published: 2003-10-29

BRIDGEPORT, Conn. (CNS) -- The Bridgeport Diocese, which has consistently been one of the top dioceses in the Northeast in numbers of ordinations in recent years, launched another chapter in its efforts to promote vocations with a new lay group called Parents Are Vocation Encouragers. The group, known as PAVE, will encourage and support vocations to the priesthood and religious life. Its first event was a "Family Vocations" Mass Oct. 22. The idea "is to have a lay group of parents to promote vocations and to pray for vocations," Father Christopher Walsh, diocesan vocations director, told the congregation. "What's unique about this is we're really targeting parents who are still parenting and have children under 21." As opposed to the seminary scene of 30 to 40 years ago, Father Walsh said, "Now it's not unheard of for a seminarian to encounter parental disapproval, and (have) friends try to talk them out of it."

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