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God is at work! Exciting things are happening! I'd like to share some of the good news in the area of vocations in our diocese.
Since the beginning of his time with us in the Diocese of Green Bay, Bishop David Ricken has emphasized the importance of nurturing vocations to the priesthood and religious life. All vocations are so important, especially the vocation of marriage, within which our faith is shared with our children. At this point in history, we have a special need to raise up priests and sisters to serve God's people.
Our diocese has done much in the past 15 years to find creative ways to serve our parishes with fewer priests. Many parishes have joined efforts in linkages and mergers. We have trained and formed many wonderful leaders through the Commissioned Ministry Program and ordained quality men to the diaconate. Yet, we still need priests in a particular way in order to shepherd our communities and share with us the Eucharist. A diocese of our size should have about triple the number of seminarians.
Fr. Quinn Mann
appointed associate
vocation director
ALLOUEZ — Bishop Ricken has appointed Fr. Quinn Mann to serve as associate vocation director, effective May 1. Working with Fr. Tom Long, Fr. Mann will:
• Be responsible for the promotion and recruitment of vocations, especially among high school and college students, and young adults.
• Offer weekend vocational promotion in the parishes of the diocese. This will include presiding and preaching at weekend Masses in area parishes and will expand to include offering short "parish missions."
• Be available for parish religious education programs for high school students, and be present to students in Catholic high schools of the diocese.
• Serve as spiritual director of Catholic Youth Expeditions (CYE) as it moves its base and expands at St. Joseph Formation Center in Baileys Harbor.
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One thing I have quickly come to appreciate in Bishop Ricken is his willingness to take steps in faith, even when they require risk. One of those steps in faith is his appointment of Fr. Quinn Mann to be associate vocation director. At first glance, this may seem to be counterproductive. Why take a priest out of a parish in order to help provide priests in parishes?
The health of our diocese will be significantly impacted by the quality and abundance of men who are called forth to give their lives as priests. We cannot afford to skimp, or do the minimum, in this area. It is too important. Having Fr. Quinn join me in nurturing vocations is a "tithe" of a priest in order to plant seeds for a harvest on vocations for years to come.
During the summer months, Fr. Quinn will have the freedom to lead the growing and fruitful apostolate, CYE, which he began as a seminarian in 2002. The mission of CYE is to allow young people to encounter Jesus Christ and foster Catholic Christian community through retreat expeditions of prayer, proclamation of the Gospel and outdoor adventure.
Hundreds of high school and college students participate each summer. CYE is bearing great fruit in the area of vocations! It has led young women to discern religious life, young men to enter seminary and young couples to grow in sacrificial love as they enter the vocation of marriage.
The past two summers, we have had a staff of 10 to 12 mainly college students run the retreat expeditions. As staff, they live community life and are immersed in prayer and led in formation. Freeing Fr. Quinn to serve this apostolate will allow for even greater nurturing of these young adults.
From September to April, Fr. Quinn will have the opportunity to serve in a broader way the young people of our diocese, as outlined above. In addition to his involvement with parishes, faith formation programs, Catholic high schools and our college campus ministries, some exciting possibilities are emerging in the use of St. Joseph Formation Center.
The vision which God is giving us includes the development of opportunities for young adults to enter into a nine-month formation program of prayer, community life and service. This would give them a powerful experience of prayer and discernment and lead them in their vocational calling. In addition, the center will be used as a place of pray for seminary students from our diocese and around the Midwest.
We are working with two dynamic women to help us develop this vision. One is looking to move to St. Joseph Formation Center year-round. She will be the community leader and give direction and guidance in the area of prayer and formation. The other is sharing her prayer and study in the area of houses of discernment.
It is our hope that St. Joseph Formation Center will grow to include a house of discernment for women, where young adult women can live in community as they grow in prayer and listen to God's call in their lives.
Xavier House, located at St. Francis Xavier Parish in De Pere, has already borne fruit for men's vocations. We believe that more houses of discernment will emerge around our diocese as a result of this initiative in Baileys Harbor. Discernment houses allow for relational ministry with young people as we help them grow in faith and better focus on God's call.
In the coming weeks and months, I will continue to work with Bishop Ricken to put in place other components on this re-emphasis on vocations. This will include an invitation for the faithful of our diocese to commit to daily prayer for vocations, a renewed encouragement of vocations promotion in our parishes, schools and faith formation programs, and a special call for priests to continue to call forth vocations to the religious life and priesthood.
I am both incredibly excited and justifiably scared at the task ahead. The challenges are great, yet the opportunities are even greater.
Bishop Ricken is taking a bold step in faith. He is making available a young priest through whom God is reaching young people. Together, we are sensing God's vision for the young people of our diocese and beyond to grow in faith through relational ministry with them. We already see vocational fruit of these efforts and we trust God that much more will follow.
In the coming months, I will be asking for your help in several ways. The first, and primary way, is through your continued prayer for vocations to the priesthood and religious life. Then, I ask for your support, in whatever way you can offer, of vocational efforts in your parish, as well as through this emerging initiative at St. Joseph Formation Center.
Fr. Long is Vocation Director of the Diocese of Green Bay.
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