VOCATION Brisbane team leader Nick Kelly is excited to see so many men listening and responding to God’s call across Queensland.
He said 19 men took part in last week’s Quo Vadis discernment weekend at Holy Spirit Provincial Seminary, Banyo.
Quo Vadis is a weekend for men to visit the seminary, experience life there in community and discern God’s call.
Three of the men came from Townsville diocese, two from Rockhampton diocese, and the remaining 14 from across Brisbane’s parishes, communities and multicultural communities, including eight young men in the Canali Program.
Mr Kelly said all the men came to Quo Vadis for different reasons.
“Many of them have felt the (vocational) call from a young age, either recognising it themselves or having others recognise it in them,” he said.
“For others, it’s counter to what they thought they’d be doing, but they felt it was important to listen to God’s call and respond authentically.”
He said the men arrived with a question on their hearts “and the goal is to leave with a sense of seeking to answer that question”.
The benefit of Quo Vadis, he said, was discerning the question while in an experience of “community, prayer, formation, and discernment”.
Vocational discernment was always a two-way interaction, he said.
“Priesthood is an authentic response to God’s call… for a life of service to the Church,” he said.
“It’s about discerning whether this path aligns with both God’s will and their own desires.”
Mr Kelly said the weekend was a lot of fun.
He said it included lots of workshops, time for prayer, guest speakers and a bonfire night with some of the current seminarians.
Over the course of the two days, he said, the young men were discerning God’s call and forging fraternal relationships with their peers.
Guest speakers over the weekend included South Brisbane parish priest Fr William Aupito Iuliano, Caloundra parish priest Fr Josh Whitehead, seminary rector Fr Neil Muir, NET Ministries director Mark Lysaght, and Mother of Mercy parish priest Fr Michael Grace and Brisbane auxiliary Bishop Tim Norton who celebrated the Sunday Mass.
Vocations directors for Townsville, Fr Emene Kelemete, and Rockhampton, Michael Otto, were at the retreat accompanying the men from their dioceses too.
This week, August 4 – 11, marks National Vocations Awareness Week.
Mr Kelly encouraged everyone to pray for the Church this week.
