Advent blessings to all of you and your families. Now more than ever may we prepare ourselves for the celebration that is to come!

Have you checked our latest news? Lots of NEW stuff, including new seminarians!

Something else exciting and new are the Andrew Dinners with Bishop Richard Pates. Hopefully, you have noticed them in our Upcoming Events. These invitation-only dinners are memorable ways for young men to come to know our priests and our bishop, and likewise. Which brings me to the point of this entry.

What can the vast majority of us who are not called to seminary or religious life do in addition to persistent prayer to foster and support these life-giving vocations? Think of it as a two-fold mission: one of recruitment and one of promotion.

Recruitment involves identifying individuals to whom God may call to priesthood or religious life. Notice that seminarians come from different backgrounds and varied interests, just as priests have varying gifts and talents. Remember, God does not call the qualified but He qualifies the called.

When you have identified these individuals, let your pastor or the Vocations Office know. When your pastor is asked to come with others to an Andrew Dinner, the names you provide may be just what he needs!

Secondly, promotion involves lifting up priesthood, its purpose and its gifts in the minds and hearts of others. It is very difficult to love that which is unknown. Most men who enter seminary do so at the suggestion of a priest. If a young man's image of priesthood is left to what he absorbs from the secular media, what is the likelihood of his discerning the call?

Some simple suggestions for promoting priesthood:
- Pray for Vocations
- Invite Priests for Dinner & Family Functions
- Avoid gossip and negative talk about clergy
- Share Positive Stories of Priests' Impact on You
- Actively Participate in Your Parish and Diocese
- Support Your Priests & Religious

Vocations are Everybody's Business!

Your stories, feedback, questions, and discussion are welcome at "Post a Comment" (below) or statz@dmdiocese.org

Six parishes in the Des Moines area heard from pairs of seminarians following Communion at their Masses the weekend of October 4 and 5. The twelve seminarians were brought down from St. John Vianney College Seminary in St. Paul, MN by Des Moines Diocese priest Fr. John Acrea, spiritual director at the seminary. This was the second year of such visits. Parishes visited this year included All Saints, St. Ambrose, St. Augustin, St. Francis of Assisi, St. Theresa, and St. Pius X.

If you heard these young men, we want your feedback!  Post a comment ("comments" below) or email statz@dmdiocese.org   THANKS!

Much like you, much has been going on here in Vocations (see Vocations News).  Let's not let the busy-ness of business keep us from our faith.  Have you seen or been part of small or large acts of faith?  Please share that story with us.

Please don't wait for somebody else.  We want your stories of heroism, small acts of kindness, conversion stories, etc., any examples that were examples of faith in your life.  You just might bring the Good News to somebody at just the right time.  Thanks!