2017-18 California Vocations Program
Supporting and Promoting Vocations
RSVP Program: This program is to encourage councils, assemblies and squires to actively support seminarians and religious postulants as they discern their vocations. It includes financial assistance as well as moral support. *FEATURED PROGRAM FROM SUPREME
Adopt a Seminarian Program for the Catholic Classrooms This program is to encourage classes in Catholic Schools or Religious Education Classes to adopt a seminarian and support him through prayer and communication throughout the school year.
Pilgrim Vessel Vocation Awareness Program This program enhances vocation awareness through family and Parish participation through prayer and activities as a family in their home.
Bishops Vocation Dinner: The main purpose of the dinner is to plant the seed with youth to consider saying yes to a vocation.
Priest & Religious Appreciation Dinner: The main purpose of the dinner is to show appreciation to the priest, religious, deacons and altar servers in the diocese.
Married Couple Retreats on the “Vocation of Matrimony” These retreats focus on the aspect of “How to live out daily the Sacrament of Matrimony for the sake of the Church”.
Local, Regional, State and National Youth Rallies and Events Support and participate in retreats, religious youth conferences, youth rallies, Steubenville Events, Walk for Life, and Youth Rallies by having a display using the Vocation Pop Up Booth.
World Day of Prayer for Vocations: The Purpose is to join with our Brother Knights and the laity world-wide to pray for vocations to the priesthood and religious life.
California Knights of Columbus Vocation Website: Contains vocation resources for your council.
- A list of all seminarians in the state of California
- A list of all seminaries in the state of California
- Vocation stories of priest and religious
- Message from our Holy Father
- Daily inspirational homilies
- A daily 3-minute retreat
- Formation and Discernment Materials
- Vocation Resources
- Vocation of Matrimony
- Interesting articles on vocations
The purpose of these programs is to promote and support vocations to our brothers and sisters in Christ and provide guidance and support in vocation awareness, formation period of discernment and ongoing support for all church vocations. The vocations committee is your resource to assist councils, chapters, and assemblies to implement all activities for vocations with special emphasis on the RSVP Program. Most of these programs also support the emphasis on “Building the Domestic Church”
SUGGESTED ORGANIZATIONAL CHART FOR CHAPTERS & COUNCILS
CHAPTER ORGANIZATION
- Each chapter appoint a Knight as the Chapter Vocation Chair.
- Each council appoint a Knight as the Council Vocation Chair.
RELATIONSHIP WITH DIOCESE
- Chapter President and Chapter Vocation Chair establish a relationship with the bishop and diocese vocation director.
- Between July 1st and September 1st set up a meeting with the Diocese Vocation Director and Bishop if available to offer support for vocations and to find out what we can do as a chapter and councils to promote vocations in the diocese.
CHAPTER PROGRAMS
- Be prepared to participate in vocation programs offered by the diocese.
- Manpower, Financial etc.
- Look through the various programs in this handbook and identify a minimum of one program that you could implement in the chapter.
COUNCIL/ASSEMBLY PROGRAMS
- Be prepared to participate in vocation programs offered by the chapter.
- Look through the various programs in this handbook and identify a minimum of one program that you could implement in your council.
DOMESTIC CHURCH THE ROOT OF VOCATIONS
The Domestic Church “the Catholic Family” is the foundation for all vocations. It is through the family experience that each child can lovingly discover what vocation in life God is calling them to. It is incumbent on parents to offer each of their children the experiences necessary so that each of them can begin the journey of discernment toward their chosen vocation.
The vocation programs in this guide are just a few of many programs rooted in the family. Now only do they support vocations but they also support family life in the home. Gathering around the dinner table in the Pilgrim Vessel Awareness Program is an excellent example of that.
One of the main goals for Knights of Columbus Vocation Programs is to create opportunities of awareness of what a vocation is and how can each child discover which one God is calling them to. There are four church vocation: Priesthood, Religious Life, Single Consecrated Life and Married Life.
Explore the programs offered and select those that fit your council and support the Domestic Church, those Catholic Families in your parish and diocese.
John D. Bertrand
Vocation Programs
California State Chairman
statevocations@gmail.com