The Congregation for the Clergy, in Rome, released this message to all priests on the Feast of St. John Vianney;

Perth has a new priest from Slovakia that has a special connection with the youth of the Archdiocese, and is drawing them into a deeper relationship with Christ in extraordinary ways.

Having only moved to Perth to complete his seminary studies in 2003, Father Pavol Herda, 29, is a self-confessed sports nut.  He’s played soccer since he was nine, loves ice hockey and rollerblading and still plays for a local suburban soccer team. 

At this time of the year men are being ordained in parieses around the country. Attending an ordination is always a great joy, but recently, many may not have had the opportunity to do so; To find out what happens at an ordination, check this site (www.norprov.org/news/ordinations2005.htm) which has been produced by the Jesuits of New Orleans USA; If there is an ordination in your diocese, why not attend and join in prayer in this powerful sacrament?

Healthy families, parish communities, foster vocations:
If God called men to the priesthood by reaching down and tapping them on the shoulders, we would not be lacking for vocations.
But the "call" is much more subtle than that, and responding to it requires a good measure of human encouragement. Vocations are seldom the result of visions, dramatic miracles or near-death experiences. Instead, nurtured by others, they grow quietly and gradually. Like seedlings which receive the necessary sunlight and water to mature into beautiful trees.

Vocation Directors across Ireland are delighted with the news that in 2012, Dublin will host the Eucharistic Congress.  A major international event such as this will help to focus many men to 'listen again' for God's call to priesthood.
The link between the Eucharist and the Priesthood has been established since the beginning of the Church, and was articulated in the Papal Encyclical Ecclesia de Eucharistia (2003) where Pope John Paul II said ;

RTÉ Television is to broadcast a special ‘Year of Vocation’ Mass from its studios in Donnybrook on Sunday next, 15 June 2008.  Fr Patrick Rushe, National Director for Vocations will preside at the Mass and will preach the homily. The music for the Mass will be provided by the St John of God Choir with guest soloist Patricia Bourke D’Souza.

www.free2become.org is a new website about a vocational discernment group in London. Initially set up by young, lay, Catholic women to support one another as they discern their vocation in life, the group holds Monthly meetings at Westminster Cathedral, with guest speakers talking on a variety of vocational issues. The amount of interest shown by men has led to the group becoming mixed as from November 2003.

The Holy Father was asked to comment on the decline in vocations despite the growing numbers of the Catholic population, and on the reasons for hope offered by the personal qualities and the thirst for holiness which characterize the candidates who do come forward.

Today sees the beginning of the 45th Vocations Sunday - a world day of prayer for all so that vocations may be strengthened;

Year of Vocation, running from Vocations Sunday 2008 (13th April) to Vocations Sunday 2009 (3rd May), offers the Irish Church a rare opportunity to reach a wide variety of people. 

Please pray with us for an increase in vocations to the ordained ministry and the consecrated life:

Lord Jesus, as You once called the first disciples to make them fishers of men, let your sweet invitation continue to resound: Come, follow Me!