A “CRISIS OF RESPONSE” is hindering religious vocations in Australia, according to the Archdiocese of Perth’s vocations director, Fr Jean-Noël Marie.
Only recently appointed to the position, Fr Jean-Noël is embarking on a new campaign which he hopes will encourage and support young men and women discerning their vocation.
“I see myself as a facilitator, someone I hope will be able to energise, encourage, inspire and assist those people out there whom the Lord has never stopped calling to serve his people in Perth,” he told The Record.
“Although our priests and deacons will be at the forefront of this initiative … this will be a task for all the baptised because we all have a vested interest in it.
“The mothers and fathers of our future priests, the sisters, the brothers, the teachers, the neighbours – we are all involved in this.”
Fr Jean-Noël said his job was the same as that of parents – to make it easier for people to hear and respond to God’s call.
“Families play a big part because they are a domestic church from which Christ is calling our future priests,” he said.
“That is where vocations are nurtured. Mothers and fathers must have the heart of a priest for vocations to flow from them.”
While most who decide to enter the seminary are under the age of 30, Fr Jean-Noël knows from personal experience that God’s call can be heard and responded to at any time.
For almost 20 years he worked as a public servant, before eventually joining the seminary in 2004.
Fr Jean-Noël said he wanted to be a priest at the age of 18, but circumstances led him down a different path.
“Not one day passed that I didn’t think of the priesthood,” he reflected.
“It is something you cannot ignore … but God speaks to us in different ways. He never tires, he never gives up on us.”
The Mauritian-born priest said it was important that parish communities provided support to anyone considering a vocation to the priesthood.
“Once the process is under way, I would like people to be involved in support groups, within the school, the community and the parish to support those men so they are encouraged and empowered,” he said.
He added that Catholics need not be afraid to take the initiative to gently put the idea of a religious vocation into a fellow Catholic’s mind.
“I think if we wait for them to come to us, it may not happen,” he said.
“We need to be more proactive in our approach. By virtue of us being a priestly people, we should be able to identify those men, young and not so young, that the Lord may be calling.
“We should go to these people and challenge them because it is a duty of all the baptised … to put priesthood on the list of their options when they decide what to do with their life.”
Despite the decline in the number of religious in the Western world since the 1970s, Fr Jean-Noël said God has and will continue to call those he has chosen.
“The Lord is calling people from within our Archdiocese in keeping with his promise to provide us with shepherds after his own heart,” he explained.
“However, it is imperative that we address those elements that are preventing our young men from responding courageously and generously.”
The rapidly advancing modern world, with its emphasis on materialism and hedonism, has significantly contributed to the crisis of response, according to Fr Jean-Noël.
“We live in an increasingly more secular, affluent society, where God has been pushed to one side and our vision of life has become rather shallow,” he said.
But Fr Jean-Noël said it was important that we use every possible means, including modern technology such as the internet, as part of our outreach strategy.
“I’m working on setting up a digital office where people can find me, if that’s their preferred way of communication,” he told The Record.
“Having said that, there is no substitute for the personal approach.”
The vocations director said one of his duties would be to explain the crucial issue of priestly identity in the modern world and the role of priests in the Church.
“There is a need for a deeper understanding,” he said.
“Some people think priesthood is a calling only for the worthy, but that’s a misconception.”
For those who are unsure if God is calling them to the priesthood, Fr Jean-Noël suggests taking the first step of discernment.
“The best way to discern is first of all to pray and to seek guidance and support from your local priest and your own faith community or the vocations director,” he said.
There will be an Enquiry Day for those who want to find out more about vocations to the priesthood on Saturday, May 25, from 5pm to 7pm followed by supper at St Charles’ Seminary, 30 Meadow Street, Guildford. For more details contact Fr Jean-Noël on 9223 1372.