New website to help laity and clergy promote vocations

Washington D.C., Apr 21, 2010 / 01:43 am

The U.S. bishops are preparing to launch a website to help laity and clergy promote vacations. The site aims to help individuals “hear and respond” to God’s call to the priesthood or consecrated life.

Scheduled for an April 25 launch, the website www.ForYourVocation.org will host discernment resources for men and women, and aids for promoting a “vocation culture’ within the home, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) said in a press release.

A range of tools for educators, youth leaders and vocation directors include prayers, videos, best practices, lesson plans and vocation awareness programs.

Following the theme for the 2010 World Day of Prayer for Vocations, “Witness Awakens Vocations,” the site also hosts videos of priests and religious men and women giving witness to their call to the priesthood or religious life. Testimonies from family members are also included.

The USCCB says the site exemplifies the Vatican’s “embrace” of new communications media. It cites Pope Benedict XVI’s message for the 44^th World Day of Communications, in which he challenged clergy to use the “latest generation” of resources to put the media “ever more effectively at the service of the word.”

The launch of the site will be promoted through social media forums, with Facebook users allowed to become “eVangelizers” for the site.

The April 25 launch coincides with the World Day of Prayer for Vocations and Good Shepherd Sunday.

ForYourVocation.org is a project of the USCCB’s Secretariat of Clergy, Consecrated Life, and Vocations. A Spanish-language version of the site will be available this fall at www.PorTuVocacion.org.