National Vocations Awareness Week

Did you know that in our country, compared to 50 years ago, there are 20,000 fewer priests and 129,000 fewer religious sisters? At the same time, the Catholic population has continued to grow steadily. Many factors have contributed to the decline: growing secularism, a lengthened period of adolescence, attitudes about celibacy, etc. During Vocation Awareness Week, please pray that young people in today's society will hear and respond to God's call. And do your part to encourage them to consider the priesthood and religious life.

Join the Invisible Monastery—pledge to pray for vocations at the international website, invisiblemonastery.com. It was inspired by a 2012 document from the Congregation for Clergy urging Catholics to "organize an 'invisible monastery' in which many persons, day and night, are committed to continuous prayer for priestly vocations."