Prayers needed for vocations to clergy, consecrated life

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

Amidst the slower pace and extra rest the summer provides, I had two beautiful experiences earlier this month that I want to share with you.

The first was a Mass and barbecue with our permanent deacons and their wives. It was a wonderful gathering and nice to be with them as a group after not being able to meet these past couple of years because of the coronavirus pandemic. Deacon Steve Kern, who oversees our Office of the Permanent Diaconate, organized the event and we were all grateful to him and to the St. Bernard’s Men’s Group and Youth Group who prepared and served the meal! It was especially joyful to see so many of our newly ordained deacons of Hispanic descent and their wives present. On my regular weekend parish visits and at confirmations, I get to see our deacons and minister with them at the altar, but it was a joy to gather together as a group and ask the Lord’s blessing on them and their ministry.

Vatican II restored the permanent diaconate, which flourished in the early Church. We read in Sacred Scripture about the first seven deacons picked to serve at table, to free up the presbyters for their ministries. It is a beautiful aspect of our Church, as deacons have a foot in the world of family life and the Church, and so offer a unique and blessed perspective and service. For most of the deacons, their primary vocation is to marriage, so to their wives and families, but then on top of that call, they have this call to Holy Orders that orients them to the service of the Word, the Altar and to Charity, too.

The word service should be synonymous with diaconate, and gratefully our deacons exemplify this. I often speak about the need for vocations to the priesthood, so we have enough shepherds for our parishes. However, vocations to the diaconate are also needed to assist our good priests, so please pray for more men to answer God’s call to that ministry, too!

After this gathering, I flew to St. Louis for the annual gathering of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR). I serve our national Bishops’ Conference as chair of our Committee for Clergy, Consecrated Life and Vocations and on the Commission for Religious Life and Ministry, so I was invited by the LCWR to join them. They had not met in person the past two years because of the pandemic, so the gathering was extra joyful this year. More than 900 sisters from throughout our country gathered for this event; it was quite a blessed scene!

I have such fond memories and a grateful heart for the Sisters of Mercy who taught me in elementary school and the Religious Teachers Filippini Sisters who taught me in high school. Since ordination, I have been blessed to minister with them along with Sisters of St. Joseph, Augustinians, Benedictines, Christian Charity, Dominicans, Felicians, Franciscans, Immaculate Heart of Mary, Vocationists, Missionary Catechist of the Hearts of Jesus and Mary, Little Servant Sisters of the Immaculate Conception and our own Sisters of Jesus our Hope, as well as so many other religious. They have influenced and shaped my priesthood and now life as a bishop. I am truly grateful for the witness they give to Christ through their ministries and their vows to chastity, poverty and obedience.

What a blessing religious are for our Church. Gratefully, each year, some young women join communities in our diocese, including the Sisters of Jesus our Hope and our Carmel in Flemington. Our Cathedral parish is blessed with both Sisters of Christian Charity in our school and Felicians in our parish. Sister of Christian Charity Anna Nguyen serves as our delegate for Consecrated life and Religious and certainly has a heart for that work!

Now, another important prayer request. Please remember to pray for vocations to the Consecrated Life. We need their witness in building up the Church in our day.

It is a wonderful encouragement for me knowing that we labor together in this holy adventure of building God’s Kingdom throughout our four beautiful counties. I thank God for all of them, and pray for our deacons and their wives, as well as our brothers and sisters in Consecrated Life. May our Lord hear our plea for more laborers for this wonderful vineyard of Metuchen we are blessed to call home and serve! Know of my love and prayers for all of you, too, for a blessed end to summer! God bless you.

 

Most Reverend James F. Checchio, JCD, MBA

Bishop of Metuchen