Vocations Assembly on Labour Day

By Kaelanne Jordan,  kjordan.camsel@rcpos.org

Some 300 teachers, parents, catechists, youth and young adults are expected to attend Generation S’ Diocesan Vocations Assembly ‘Vocations and You’ on Tuesday at Holy Faith Convent, Couva, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Registration begins at 8.30 a.m.

The Episcopal Vicar for Vocations and Priestly Formations, Fr Matthew d’Hereaux believes that this year’s conference is an important event in the life of the Church.

He hopes Tuesday’s assembly will encourage, motivate, inspire and support a culture of vocations in the archdiocese.

“We need all hands on deck to promote vocations to the priesthood, religious life, consecrated life, married, single life to really sit and talk vocations. Without you, the word is not going to get out there; the word is not going to reach the schools, families, parishes as they ought to. We’re depending on you,” Fr d’Hereaux said during an interview with Archdiocesan Family Life Commission’s (AFLC) Tricia Syms.

Fr d’Hereaux and Sr Philip Geoffroy SJC were guests on the monthly programme on trinitytv, ‘Family Life: A Catholic Vision’, May 28, to discuss the conference.

Not only are youth being encouraged to include vocation on their agenda, but families are urged to create environments, minds and hearts where young people feel free to discuss vocations and ultimately, be open to the call.

“There must be conversation openers…there are some things that are taboos in family life…One of these is vocation to the priesthood, lay consecrated life…We want to move these words from the taboo life,” he said.

Fr d’Hereaux said to get as many people involved in the work of vocations requires the collaboration of various Church departments, the institutions of family and schools to “move away” from diffuse responsibility to co-responsibility.

Diffuse responsibility, he explained is a term in social psychology that speaks about persons assuming that someone else is responsible for something. “And so, a task never gets done because somebody else thinks that somebody else would do it, and that somebody else thinks that a third somebody would do it. And that is the blight of vocations promotions,” he said.

For more information visit Generation S’ and the AFLC on Facebook or call 348-1406, 299-1047 or 299-1056.