“Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature.”
– Mk 16:15
Every baptized Christian has a ‘vocation’ to carry out God’s great commission to us. However, God also calls certain men and women to a consecrated vocation, as deacons, priests, brothers, and sisters, and in both active and contemplative ways and communities. Lay men and women are not consecrated but yet are called to commit themselves to God in their vocation as spouses, parents, or singles.
Because Christ also established His Church, and in doing so established the priestly order to bring the sacraments to His people, vocations to the priesthood are often the first thing many people understand when they hear the word ‘vocation’. This importance can be noted in the fact that our diocese (like most) has a particular Vocation Office. Within this office, you will find a Family Life office, a Single Life link, a Religious Life link, as well as one for Holy Orders, but a primary role is to help support our seminarians, and promote the call to the priesthood among the men of the diocese. For more information, contact vocations@dioceseofjoliet.org.