World Day of Prayer for Vocations

World Day of Prayer for Vocations is an ideal time to reach out to parishes—a great place to find active Catholics.  Photo by Victor Aleman, courtesy of Los Angeles Archdiocese.

World Day of Prayer for Vocations will be celebrated Sunday, April 17. Many parishes and religious institutes commemorate this day with prayer for vocations and vocation promotion events.

Considering that most who enter religious life were active in their parishes before joining, this is a key time to promote religious life where Catholics gather: in their parishes. (Seventy-three percent of those professing final vows participated in one or more parish activities and 88 percent served in one or more parish ministries, according to the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate, 2015.)

Consider asking parishes for opportunities to speak, pray, provide bulletin inserts, prayer cards, and conversation before and after Masses, in religious education programs, at RCIA, and in confirmation classes on or near this day.

Click here for the papal message for 2016 World Day of Prayer for Vocations.

Click here for resources offered by the USCCB.

Click here for resources offered by SERRA USA.

Dates for 2017 and 2018 World Day of Prayer for Vocations:

• May 7, 2017
• April 22, 2018