Means of Promoting Vocations

1. General  

• Motivate all the members of the Congregation to work for Vocations. They can do this by introducing the Congregation and its apostolic activities to friends, neighbours, relatives, etc.
• “Identify and follow interested students from high school onwards” (PC XVI, p. 56).
• Make our life and mission known to people by organizing seminars, courses and other church-related events in parishes, schools, youth camps, etc. Ensure the active participation of the members of the local community in organizing such events (cfr PC XVI, p. 56).
• “Appoint one member in each community as a contact person for vocation promotion” (PC XVI, p. 56).
• Involve every community in the promotion of vocations through:

1. joyous witnessing of one’s vocation and of the engagement in the apostolic activities.
2. prayer for vocations, special holy hours, etc.
3. welcoming the candidates to the community and introducing them to our life and mission.
4. personal contacts.

• Organize vocation camps in parishes, schools, etc., and particularly where we have parishes and engaged in some sort of pastoral ministry.
• “Establish and maintain friendly relations with diocesan co-ordinators, parish priests and catechists, and attend programmes organized by vocation bureaus of different dioceses” (PC XVI, p. 57).
• Organize retreats and career guidance for the youth.
• Celebrate occasions like World Day of Communication, World Day of Youth, etc., to present and explain our Charism to the young men.
• Participate in vocation camps organized at parish, diocesan and regional levels.
• Present our Pauline identity along with our apostolic activities so that people will identify us as consecrated persons committed to evangelization through media.
• Collaborate with the Pauline Family and other religious congregations.
• Make use of our apostolic centres to attract youth and to introduce to them our life and work. Availability of a prayer room, counselling facilities, etc., will be added attractions, especially in today’s context.
• Make every effort to promote vocations from as many states as possible.
• Organize periodic meetings of vocation promoters for training, planning, and evaluation.

B. Particular

• Prepare attractive brochures and advertisements on the life and the mission of the Congregation in English, Hindi and other regional languages, giving all the necessary information and distribute it in advance in parishes, schools, etc. This is followed up with talks, correspondence, personal contacts, etc.
• Make use of our print and other media for vocation work. Use audiovisual programmes,  PowerPoint, etc., during vocation camps.
• Use well-prepared and systematic questionnaires which every applicant should answer.
• Besides interviewing the applicants, visit their homes to know their family background, character, fitness, etc., and consult their parish priests. Special attention should be given to their motivation, faith-formation and health.
• Before admitting a candidate to our Congregation, make sure that he has the required intellectual capacity for our life and mission.
• Common policies of Vocation Promotion should be made known to the candidates before they are admitted to the Congregation.
• All vocation promoters should follow the Guidelines for Vocation Promotion (see appendix I)
• Provide training to vocation promoters.