The below Church documents are essential in understanding consecrated life. The experts listed below the Church documents distill Catholic teaching into understandable and inspiring articles. We rely on this list to build content for our newsletters and advertising for our Come & See Vocation Promotion Program. See also our Vocation Lead Generation Program.
Church documents
Perfectae Caritatis, by Vatican Council II. Decree on Adaptation and Renewal of Religious Life, 1965.
Evangelica Testificatio, by Vatican Council II. Apostolic Exhortation of Paul VI, 1971.
Vita Consecrata, by St. John Paul II. Post-synodal Apostolic Exhortation, 1996.
“Rejoice!” Letter, to consecrated men and women in preparation for the Year of Consecrated Life, by Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life. 2014.
“Identity and Mission of the Religious Brother in the Church,” letter of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, 2015. See also Catholic News Service summary of this.
Other documents, on Religious Life website.
Books
Discerning Religious Life, by Sr. Clare Matthiass
To Save a Thousands Souls, by Fr. Brannen (en español)
Discernment articles and websites
Vocations, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
National Religious Vocations Conference. A professional organization of vocation ministers that presents religious life as a viable option in the Catholic Church.
Catholic Preaching, by Fr. Roger J. Landry, Diocese of Fall River. Clear and inspiring teaching on the consecrated life.
Imagine Sisters. Upbeat vocation website with lots of videos. Affiliated with Lighthouse Catholic Media.
The Advantages of the Religious State. by St. Alphonsus Liguori.
eCatholic 2000. Lists of religious communities, apologetic sites, homilies.
Catholic Online, Vocation news and education
Virtual Retreat, offered the the Institute on Religious Life
VISION Vocation network, resources for discernment and community discovery
Vocation Search, Institute on Religious Life’s list of authentic religious communities
Vocations, the classic work by Fr. William Doyle, SJ. This booklet, written in 1913 for young persons, speaks volumes of truth today.
What is A Vocation? Good article on the four vocations, by the Archdiocese of Melbourne.
Videos
Dawn Hausmann. Vocation Director for the Diocese of Lansing. Compelling talks by this laywoman about consecrated and religious life.
Use of the internet for vocations
A Nun’s Life Ministry, “Landmark study identifies new opportunities for Catholic sisters to use the
internet in vocation outreach.” April 2017. Phase I, covering women’s institutes’ online presence. Phase II, social media use among the women themselves.
CARA, “Women and Men Entering Religious Life: The Entrance Class of 2016.” The Entrance Class of 2016. A study showing that the internet is now a common way that women become acquainted with the congregation they enter. February 2017.