Vatican City, Apr 30, 2007 / 09:34 am
Shortly after ordaining 22 men from the diocese of Rome to the priesthood, Pope Benedict XVI charged the throngs of faithful gathered in St. Peter’s Square for the weekly Regina Coeli prayer to pray for a greater nurturing of priestly vocations within the Church.
The Pope also called for prayer "for those preparing themselves for the priestly ministry, and for formators in the seminaries of Rome, Italy and the entire world.”
Similarly, he prayed for families, “that in them, the 'seed' of the call to priestly ministry may continue to nurture and ripen."
Sunday marked the 44th annual World Day of Prayer for Vocations. This year’s theme was "vocation to the service of the Church as communion."