Many Church workers, as well as Catholic laity wonder, what are the best ideas to promote Catholic vocations?
There is much that you can do! This article will deal with what various members of the Church can do, and then what religious communities themselves can do.
First, check out the article by the US Bishops, “Twenty Ways to Promote Vocations in Your Parish or School.” This article contains great ideas to promote awareness for the callings of priests, brothers, friars, religious sisters, and consecrated persons.
The Sisters of St. Joseph the Worker, in Walton, KY, are making use of one of the best ideas to promote Catholic vocations. At the FOCUS conference this year they beckoned young women to have their picture taken in a cutout display board of a religious sister.
Then read “What Can We Do To Promote Vocations to the Priesthood and Religious Life?” This article, published by St. Patrick’s Church in Yorktown Heights, NY, answers the question from the perspective of Church workers as well as parents and laity.
Also check out, To Save A Thousand Souls, by Vianney Vocations. Written by Fr. Bannon, it addresses vocations to the priesthood.
If you want to start or recharge your efforts at the parish or diocesan level, reach the Vocation Ministry website for their ministry to do just that.
Best ideas to promote Catholic vocations – for religious communities
But what can religious communities do to utilize the best ideas to promote Catholic vocations? Here are some, both traditional and more current:
- Meet candidates through your apostolate, such as teaching, or parish work.
- Get involved and make a presence in local parishes by offering some kind of service.
- Attend annual youth conventions, such as FOCUS – Fellowship of Catholic University Students, which hosts thousands of Catholic youth from around the country. Or, near Chicago, the Here I Am Lord National Vocations Conference.
- Make a presence at the annual March for Life pro-life rally in Washington, DC.
- Give talks or retreats at local Catholic colleges, or at Newman Centers at public universities.
- Maintain an online presence, with a website, Facebook page. Then follow up with emails, text messages, and phone calls.
- Use paid online advertising, such as with Facebook ads and a followup system of newsletters to promote your discernment retreats. We recommend our own Come & See Vocation Promotion Program.
The Come & See Vocation Promotion Program involves ads, a vocations quiz and a customized system to find devout single Catholics for your religious community. We develop a list of candidates, and then educate and inspire them about religious and consecrated life. We also teach them about your charism and your unique community life. The articles and blog posts on this website describe nearly all aspects of how you can carry out this project. Or, you can simply contact us to have us coordinate your vocation promotion program.
With these practices, you will be making use of the best ideas to promote Catholic vocations.
You might also want to check out our article, “Social media marketing – Is your Catholic religious community ready?”
