Office of
Vocations The primary tasks of the Vocations Office are to recruit candidates for the seminary and then to assist with the formation of Arch-diocesan seminarians. This work is done under the guidance of the archbishop and with the assistance of the Seminarian Board. The Vocations director works in close collaboration with staff members at those semi-naries chosen by the archbishop where Archdiocesan seminarians receive education and formation. A secondary but very important function of the Vocations Office is to be of assistance to men and women considering vocations to the religious life. The Vocations Department has two retreats each summer; one for young men and one for young women. Young men and women from the Archdiocese are invited to the retreats that are held at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Youth Camp, offering an opportunity to think about their future and discern their vocation in life. Another opportunity for discernment is the annual Come and See Weekend. Young men in high school are invited to visit a seminary and see what daily life is like for a seminarian. A chartered bus takes the students and members of the Vocations Team to Conception Seminary College in Conception, Mo., for a weekend experience to sense the unique vocation of the priesthood. This has proven to be a positive experience and has helped young men to make the decision and take the first step to become a seminarian. Once the decision has been made to apply, the application process be-gins. Once the candidate is accepted by the seminary, the formation begins. For seminarians in Theology, the Archdiocese is responsible for tuition, room and board, books, health in-surance and a monthly stipend. For college seminarians, the Archdiocese is responsible for tuition and a monthly stipend. This year, 15 seminarians are studying for the Arch-diocese of Oklahoma City from 14 different parishes. The parishes are St. John the Baptist, Edmond, Holy Family, Lawton, St. Andrew, Moore, Holy Spirit, Mustang, St. Mark, Norman, St. Joseph, Blackwell, St. Andrew Dung-lac, Oklahoma City, Immaculate Conception, Oklahoma City, Little Flower, Oklahoma City, St. Eugene, Oklahoma City, Epi-phany of the Lord, Oklahoma City, St. Charles Borromeo, Oklahoma City, and Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Oklahoma City. We hope and pray that we would have a seminarian from every parish. Please pray for an increase in vocations to the religious life for the Archdiocese. Developing the life of the Archdiocese through ministry |
