NRVC at international gathering

Left: Brother Paul Bednarczyk, C.S.C., NRVC's executive director, in center with participants in the European Vocations Services Congress. Right: Congress participants listen to a talk.

NRVC Executive Director Brother Paul Bednarczyk, C.S.C. represented the U.S. at the 36th Congress of the European Vocations Services (EVS) held in Prague from July 5-9. The EVS annually gathers bishops responsible for vocation promotion, the directors of the various vocation centers of the European Bishops’ Conferences, and representatives of vocation organizations throughout Europe. This year’s 65 participants represented 20 countries.

The theme of the conference was “How to guide young people to the priesthood and consecrated life in today’s family.” In addition to sharing best practices and praying for vocations, the primary focus of the conference was to develop a statement on vocations that will be offered to the Synod on the Family to be held in Rome in October.

Brother Paul was invited to give a report on NRVC activities highlighting some preliminary findings of the anticipated NRVC/CARA Study on the Role of Family in Nurturing Vocations to Religious Life and Priesthood. He assured all participants that they will receive a copy of the report when it is published in September.

The closing Mass was celebrated at the Church of the Glorious Virgin, home of the Infant of Prague, by Archbishop Jorge Carlos Patrón Wong, secretary of the Vatican Congregation for Clergy.

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