Parish Communities and Vocations

Venerable brethren in the episcopate, dearest brothers and sisters throughout the world!


It is with feeling of profound joy and hope that I address the People of God in this special message for the XXIII World Day of Prayer for Vocations, which will be celebrated as usual on the Fourth Sunday after Easter, dedicated to the Good Shepherd.

It is a unique occasion for us to become aware of our obligation to cooperate, with persevering prayer and suitable action, in promoting vocations to the priesthood, the religious life, consecrated service in secular institutes and the missions.


1. Twenty years after the Council

The Second Vatican Council has left us a very rich doctrinal, spiritual and pastoral inheritance with regard to vocations. In keeping with its profound vision of the Church, it has declared solemnly that the task of fostering vocations “devolves on the entire Christian community” (OT, 2). At a distance of twenty years, the Church feels called to examine her fidelity to this major directive of the Council, with a view to future commitment.

In this respect a greater sense of responsibility in general may undoubtedly be observed in the various communities. In spite of the problems, challenges and difficulties of the past twenty years, a continually increasing number of young people is answering the Lord’s call and in every part of the world more and more tangible signs or revival herald a new spring of vocations.

All this fills us with joy and we do not cease to thank God for such an answer to the prayers of the Church. However, the fruits of the council wished for, even though plentiful, are not yet fully ripe. A great deal had been accomplished, but much more remains to be done.

On this occasion I wish to draw attention of the People of God especially to the specific role of the parishes, from which the council expects, together with the contribution of the family, the “maximum contribution” towards the promotion of vocations (OT, 2).


2. The parish as a community that bears witness to the perpetual presence of Christ who calls

Thus my thoughts turns with affection to all the parochial communities in the world: small or large as they may be, weather located in large city centers or hidden away in the most remote parts, they “represent in a way the Church established all over the world” (SC, 42).

As you know, the Council has asserted that the parish is the ordinary and foremost, though not exclusive, expression of the pastoral care of souls (cf. AA, 10). Therefore the fostering of vocations cannot be considered a marginal activity, but must be incorporated fully into the life and activity of the community. This commitment is made even more urgent by the increasing needs of the present time.

We are reminded immediately of the many parishes which the bishops are force to leave without pastors, to the extent that our Lord still exclaims today: “The harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few” (Mt. 9:38).

The Church has urgent need of priests. This is one of the most crucial problems facing Christian communities. Jesus did not wished for a Church without priests. If priests are lacking, then Jesus is lacking in the world, as is his Eucharist and forgiveness. To carry out the Church’s mission, all the rich variety of consecrated vocations are vitally necessary.

Christians cannot accept with passivity and indifference the decline in vocations. Vocations are the future of the Church. A community which the poor in vocations impoverishes the whole Church; but a community which is rich in vocation enriches the whole Church.


3. “According to the grace received” (1 Pt. 4:10): special responsibility of the pastors

The parish is not an abstract reality, but includes all its components: laity, consecrated men and women, deacons, priests. It is the natural environment of families, or genuine basic communities, of all the various movements, groups and associations. Non of these should fail to share in such an important task. Encouragement should be given to all the initiatives undertaken in different countries in order to involve the parish, such as parochial committees or vocational centers, specific catechetical activities, vocational groups and such a like.

Even though the people of God are called to cooperate in the task of promoting vocations, this does not diminish in any way the direct responsibility of those who carry out a precise ministry. The parish priests and their collaborators in the care of souls, in union with their bishops, are called to prolong the mission of Jesus, the Good Shepherd, who offers his life for his sheep, knows them and “calls them by their name” (Jn. 10:4). We should all feel grateful to these untiring laborers of the Gospel who bear witness to God as Father of all men.

The Council recognizes the irreplaceable value of the service rendered by priests and affirms explicitly that care of vocations is “an integral part of the very mission of the priests” (PO, 11).

Thanks to the example and teaching of his ministers, Christ has called many, both in youth and in maturity, to his service, receiving in the course of history a generous response of apostles and saints. Priests have always played an important part in vocations.

Therefore, let your priesthood shines forth, beloved brethren in the presbyterate, so that there may always be others to carry on the ministry which has been entrusted to you. Be teachers of prayer. Do not neglect the precious service of spiritual direction in order to help those who are called to discern the will of God in their lives.

I count on you to bring about a reflowering of vocations! Never forget that the choices fruits of your apostolate and the greatest joy of your life will be the vocations of those who consecrate themselves to God through your fervent pastoral action.


4. Conditions for effective growth in vocations

I address you all now, dearest brothers and sisters in order to put before you certain essential aims and fundamentals which will enable your community to become a valid instrument of God’s call.

Be a vibrant community! The Council has stressed this point: a community promotes vocations “in the first place by living in a fully Christian way” (OT, 2). I shall never tire of repeating what I have already said on several occasions: vocations are an indisputable sign of a community’s vitality in the Church.

Who indeed can deny that growth is one of the most obvious characteristics of a living being?

A community without vocations is like a family without children. Then should we not question, in such a case, our community’s love for the Lord and his Church?

Be a praying community! We must convince ourselves that vocations are the inestimable gift given by God to the community which prays. The Lord Jesus set us an example when he called his Apostles (cf. Lk. 6:12) and said: “Pray the Lord of the harvest to send laborers for the harvest “ (Mt. 9:38; Lk. 10:2).

For this intention we must all pray, and we must pray unceasingly, accompanying our prayers with active cooperation. May the Eucharist, the source, center and summit of Christian life, be the vital center of the community which prays for vocations.

The sick and all those who suffer in the body or spirit may be sure that their prayers, united to the cross of Christ, are the most powerful instruments in the vocational apostolate.

Be an inviting community! Young people in all parts of the world often question me about vocations, the priesthood and the consecrated life. This is a sign of deep interest, but it reveals at the same time a need for evangelization and specific catechesis. May our negligence never be responsible for anyone’s failure to know what he needs to know in order to carry out the plan of God.

Talking about vocation in a general way is not sufficient to lead young people to commit themselves to a consecrated life. Given their peculiar characteristics, these calls must be specific and personal.

This is the method Jesus used. In my Apostolic Letter “To the Youth of the World”, on the occasion of International Youth Year, I attempted to stress this point. Christ’s conversations with young people ends with an explicit invitation to follow him: for a life lived according to the commandments to an aspiration for “something else”, in the priesthood or the religious life (cf. n.8).

I exhort you, therefore, to make known our Savior’s call in the world today, changing from an attitude of not only to priests who are responsible for the care of the souls, men and women in religious life, and those engage in vocational activity on all levels; it involves also parents, cathechists and other educators in the faith.

Every community may rest assured of this: the Lord does not cease to call! But at the same time we also know for certain that he wants our help in making his call known.

Be a missionary community! In a Church which is wholly missionary, each community employs its resources to proclaim Christ first of all within its own local environments without, however, limiting itself to the confines of its own particular interests.

Love of God does not stop at our own frontier, but crosses it to reach out to our brothers and sister in other distant communities. The Gospel of Christ must reach the whole of the world.

Faced with the grave needs of man today and the pressing demands for an ever greater number of missionaries, many young people will fell called by God to leave their own country for other parts, where they are more urgently needed. Some will not fail to respond generously like the prophet Isaiah: “Here am I, Lord, send me!” (Is 6:8).


5. Prayer for Vocations

by way of a conclusion to these reflections, confident that the forthcoming Day of Prayer will prove a favorable occasion for each community to grow in faith and commitment to the cause of vocations, I invite you all to join together in saying this prayer:

o Jesus, our Good Shepherd, bless all our parishes with numerous priests, deacons, men and women in religious life, consecrated laity and missionaries, according to the needs of the entire world, which You love and wish to save.

We especially entrust our community to you; grant us the spirit of the first Christians, so that we may be a cenacle of prayer, in loving acceptance of the Holy Spirit and his gifts.

Assist our pastors and all who live a consecrated life. Guide the steps of those who have responded generously to you call and are preparing to receive holy orders or to the evangelical counsels.

Look with love on so many well-disposed young people and call them to follow you. Help them to understand that in you alone can they attain to complete fulfillment.

To this end we call on the powerful intercession of Mary, Mother and Model of all vocations. We beseech you to sustain our faith with the certainty that the Father will grant what you have commanded us to ask. Amen.


With these wishes, I gladly impart to you my Apostolic Blessing.

From the Vatican, 6 January 1986.