The Pope has come to America – that is big news!
How can you use this event to reach out to friends and potential vocations?
Take a look at the website of the Poor Clares of Portsmouth, Ohio. Emblazoned across the top is a very attractive, custom-made banner that says, “Thank you for your visit to the US, Holy Father.”
Sporting a picture of a waving Pope Benedict XVI, the website also has a short prayer asking for Jesus’ protection of His Holiness. Below that is a paragraph explaining how the Poor Clares chose April 19 as a special day of prayer and retreat in response to the request of Archbishop Pietro Sambi, the Apostolic Nuncio for the US, for prayers from contemplative communities for the Pope on the occasion of his visit April 15 – 20, 2008.
This is a good example of the use of a current event to act as a springboard to keep in touch with your friends. Every one of us wants some kind of news about the Holy Father’s visit. We want to get caught up in the excitement of the trip, and we want a spiritual interpretation of what is going on. And most of us won’t read the text of the Pope’s speeches, so we rely on either the 10 o’clock news or on Catholic blogs, enewsletters, and websites.
Did you know that at the youth rally at St. Joseph’s Seminary in Yonkers, NY, the Pope spoke strongly about religious and priestly vocations, and encouraged the youth to “discover the particular vocation God has for you”? Why not read that talk and comment on it in an enewsletter or blog? See the link below.
Your potential vocations need to know that you are thinking about them, and an enewsletter or blog is a great way to do so. After sending my first enewsletter recently, I received emails from about 20% of persons on my list just saying “hello” — some of whom I hadn’t heard from in a while.
Keep in touch with your friends, and keep them updated!
