By Sr Kathy Kettle rsm
The Second Vatican Council proclaimed that growth in faith is the path to understanding one’s calling, and it is the path urged for all believers.
What are the paths for us today? How does reading the ‘signs of the times’ regarding vocations challenge us?
Since 1997 in Western Australia, there has been a network group whose objectives highlight these pathways.
The Western Australian Vocations Network (WAVN) is an organisation of men and women who affirm the baptismal call to holiness of all members of the Catholic Church.
Today, WAVN not only focuses on priesthood and consecrated life but also on the call to married and single life, as God calls each person to discern his or her vocation.
Wherever we are on our faith journey, we are always engaged in the lifelong process of conversion. The faith journey is never a straight line but a spiral one with twists and turns. The goal is to stay on the path.
However, in her article ‘The New Evangelisation is interwoven with Vocation Ministry’ (Horizon Spring 2013), Sr Theresa Rickard OP points out a consideration: the challenge is to understand if we are “either on the way or in the way”.
Over the last two years, WAVN has been committed to developing a vocations culture for parishes. To kick start the process, Brother Paul Bednarczyk CSC, a member of the Congregation of Holy Cross, was sponsored by WAVN to assist with that vision.
Since July 2002 he has held the office of the Executive Director of the National Religious Vocation Conference, USA and continues to serve as a consultant to the US Bishops Committee on Clergy, Consecrated Life and Vocations.
In September 2012, Br Paul presented a series of lectures in Perth which included sessions on “The Call to Leadership”, “Unpacking the Baptismal Call” and “The importance of Call” that encompassed the Religious Orders, parishes and Religious Education educators.
WAVN is excited that Br Paul will be returning to Perth to further develop these themes.
In conjunction with Catholic Vocations Ministry Australia (CVMA), an organisation sponsored by the Australia Catholic Bishops, WAVN will host the Biennial Conference at the St John of God Retreat Centre, Shoalwater between September 22-28.
The format for this year’s conference is quite unique as it consists of a three-day retreat preceding the conference proper.
The theme of the retreat is “Beatitudes from a Vocational Perspective: Different Ways of Loving”.
The three keynote retreat/conference presenters are: Br Paul Bednarczyk CSC, Sr Margaret Scharf OP and Perth’s own Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB. The keynote topics are:
Br Paul’s presentations
The World Perspective – what is happening in our world?, Current Church Documents, Understanding the Different Generations, My Vocation: Making Good Decisions, Self-Care of the Vocation Director
Applying the Beatitudes to the Vocations Culture and Creating a transformative and life giving Vocations Culture.
Sr Scharf’s presentation
Jesus’ Vocation: A gradual unfolding.
Archbishop Timothy Costelloe
The value of Religious Life in the age of the Laity
The conference also includes four workshops:
Religious Life and the Larger God. Sr Shelley Barlow RNDM – a member of Our Lady of the Missions, lectures at the Marantha Institute of Adult Faith Formation, Perth Archdiocese, and offers retreats and workshops in creation spirituality.
Becoming One – Marriage in an ‘i’ Generation. Mr and Mrs Derek and Karen Boylen – Derek is Director for Catholic Marriage and Fertility Services in the Perth Archdiocese. Together, Derek and Karen have six children and are the National Co-ordinating Couple for Ministry to the Newly Married.
My Vocation and the iGeneration. Miss Anita Parker (Director of Catholic Youth Ministry, Perth Archdiocese)
Embodying the Priestly Vocation. Fr Jean Noel Marie – Archdiocesan Priestly Vocations Director and St Mary’s Cathedral Assistant Priest.
Seemingly, the more sophisticated a society becomes, the greater the challenge for the Church and vocations.
One of the perennial issues for the Church is to be relevant in every age to all peoples.
There are some who express a desire to return to the familiar and there are others who have embraced the essence of Second Vatican Council, to read the ‘signs of the times’, and respond with “new eyes”.
Even though we are celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Second Vatican Council this year, the documents written decades ago have a timeless truth for any generation and culture.
The imagery portrayed in Lumen Gentium engenders hope among the People of God; it affirms that each person has a role to play in the divine life and universal mission of the Church as given by Jesus.
The threefold call of ministry, Prophetic, Priestly and Kingly, means all are called through baptism to contribute in building up the Body of Christ.
This is a conference not to be missed. People are able to attend single or multiple sessions.
The efforts of WAVN are very much directed to assisting individuals to discover a deeper understanding of their unique vocation gifted by God.
Interested persons can read more details on the WAVN website at www.wavocations.com or email at wavnsm@gmail.com to register.
I warmly encourage you to put aside some time to hear one or two of these eminently gifted international and local presenters.