I am sending this message to extend my personal invitation to each of you who are still discerning God’s call. We are starting up again our monthly gatherings at St. Mary’s Seminary. I would like to invite you to pray about this invitation and consider attending one or all of the scheduled gatherings starting in February 2012 @ 6:30pm in room 1 & 3 in John Paul II Bldg.
Discover the Road Less Traveled is a once a month gathering and an opportunity to meet other young men who love the Lord and who desire to know with more clarity God’s will. The hope is that there you will foster solid friendship that will strengthen you in your faith. There you will learn the tools of each day to be more attentive to God’s presence and His voice. Whatever vocation God might be leading you, its main purpose is to invite and challenge you to grow in deeper holiness and firm trust in the Lord!
I entrust you all to the sacred and merciful heart of Christ. I pray and hope that many of you will be able to join me and others for good fellowship, food, music, prayers, adoration and great talks.
Till we meet again, Christ’s abundant blessings be with you!
Es un gusto enorme estar en contacto con ustedes de nuevo. Espero que esten pasando un hermoso tiempo de adviento con sus familias y amigos esperando la llegada del Niño Jesús.
Estoy enviando este mensaje para extenderles una invitación personal a cada uno de ustedes que todavía están discerniendo la llamada de Dios. Este próximo Febrero del 2012 empezaremos las reuniones mensuales de discernimiento vocacional “Descubre el Camino Menos Recorrido”. Me gustaría invitarlos a que oren sobre esta invitación.
Estas reuniones son una oportunidad para conocer a otros jóvenes que aman al Señor y que desean conocer con mayor claridad la voluntad de Dios. La esperanza es que ahí ustedes fomenten amistades sólidas que fortalezcan su fe. Ahí aprenderán las herramientas de cada día para estar más atentos a la presencia de Dios y a Su voz. Cualquiera que sea la vocación a la que Dios les esté conduciendo, su principal propósito es invitarlos y desafiarlos a crecer en santidad y en una confianza firme en el Señor!
Os encomiendo a todos en el corazón sagrado y misericordioso de Cristo. Rezo y espero que muchos de ustedes puedan acompañarme junto a otros jóvenes, sacerdotes, religiosas y religiosos en estas tardes de buena compañía, música, oración, adoración del Santísimo Sacramento y buena comida.
Que las bendiciones abundantes de Cristo esté con vosotros!
On Friday, March 9, 2012 we will have our annual Myriam Dinner at 6:30pm in St. Catherine Convent of the Dominican Sisters of Mary Immaculate Province (5250 Gasmer Dr., Houston, TX 77035). This dinner is a program for young women ages 18-35 who are discerning a call to Religious Life. Members of Various Religious Communities will be present to share with them and about their vocation stories.
Registration for this event is required for the preparation of food. You can register at vocations@archgh.org or 713-652-8239 or by using form to the right of this page.
Archdiocesan Celebration of Consecrated Life, February 5
The 16th World Day for Consecrated Life will be observed in the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston on Sunday, February 5, 2012. Cardinal DiNardo will celebrate the 11 a.m. Eucharist in the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart. All are invited and welcomed. For additional information, contact Sister Heloise Cruzat, O.P. at 713-741-8733.
16th Archdiocesan Celebration of Consecrated Life, February 5
On February 5, women and men in consecrated life will gather in celebration with Cardinal DiNardo at the 11 a.m. Mass at the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart. In our archdiocese, there are approximately 450 women and 220 men in religious life who serve in a broad variety of ministries.
Women and men in the archdiocese belong to approximately 74 different religious groups: 32 priests’ groups and 42 groups of religious women. Some of these are ancient Orders of the Church: Benedictine, Carmelite, Dominican, Franciscan, Order of Virgins. Others are religious institutes – clerical and apostolic congregations of sisters, brothers, religious priests.
Our religious offer a variety of ministries: as priests, as educators, as ministers in health care, retreat work and spiritual direction, pastoral care, and services among the poor and marginalized. The Discalced Carmelite nuns in New Caney are a small community of contemplative women whose lives are dedicated to prayer for the Church and for all people.
In the words of Pope Benedict: “… consecrated men and women are granted to show the primacy of God, passion for the Gospel practiced as a form of life and proclaimed to the poor and lowliest of the earth .” (Homily of His Holiness Benedict XVI, Vatican Basilica, February 2, 2011)
All are invited and welcomed to attend the February 5 Eucharistic celebration.
Vocation Expo! is a one day event to assist Parish Vocation Committees, Vocation Directors, Priests, Deacons, DREs, Youth Ministers and Campus Ministers and all others interested in working promoting vocations. The activities include motivational speakers, successful Parish Vocation Committee members, useful information about working with young adults and college students, time for Parish Committees to work on Action Plans, Exhibits by Religious Congregations, and practical advice and ideas from the Office of Vocations.
There is a $50 fee per parish for all day and lunch is included. Registration is required and it can be done online, by mail, fax, telephone or email.
Join Cardinal DiNardo’s priorities by participating and learning ways how everyone can encourage and support people who hear God’s call.
For more information and registration contact the Office of Vocations at 713-652-8239 or email vocations@archgh.org
Every year the Office of Vocations develops and prints a seminarians poster and another of men and women in religious formation. All parishes around the archdiocese display these posters in different places in order to remind God’s people about the young men and women who have given their life’s to follow God’s call to serve Him as priests and consecrated religious.
Please pray for each one of them as they continue in their formation to serve this local church of Galveston-Houston.
The Office of Vocations has a great number of programs and events as opportunities that help assist young people in High School and adulthood in their discernment of God’s call to priesthood and religious life.
Please look on the “Programs” tab under “News and Events” and “Calendar” for more details of such great opportunities for discernment.
This is a video that shows the life of seminarians studying for the priesthood in the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston. It shows a life dedicated to God; “A Life Immersed in Holiness.” We hope that you enjoy this video.
To have a better view of this video we recommend to watch it on High Resolution and then in Full Screen Mode.
“Whynotpriest.org” surge como respuesta de un grupo de seminaristas católicos de los Legionarios de Cristo a estas palabras que Juan Pablo II dirigió a los jóvenes: «¡Hoy es un tiempo maravilloso para ser sacerdote!».
¿Cómo sé si es para mí la vocación sacerdotal? ¿Qué quiere Dios de mí? ¿Cómo es la vida en el seminario? Éstas son algunas de las preguntas que interpelan a los jóvenes de hoy, inquietos por dar un sentido a sus vidas y responder a un posible llamado de Dios. www.WhynotPriest.org quiere ayudarles a encontrar las respuestas que buscan.
Muchos han tenido un encuentro personal con Jesucristo y han decidido seguirle como sacerdotes, religiosos o laicos consagrados. Son un testimonio de alegría y generosidad en la propia vocación. www.WhynotPriest.org en este sentido, pretende dar a conocer el ejemplo de hombres que viven felices, entregados plenamente a Dios y a los demás.
Otros se encuentran en estos momentos en cursos de discernimiento vocacional, participando en convivencias, retiros espirituales, misiones, voluntariado, encuentros, campamentos… descubriendo su camino hacia la santidad bajo la guía de un director o consejero espiritual. Por lo mismo, www.WhynotPriest.org busca poner a disposición medios concretos para que los jóvenes puedan discernir esta posible inquietud.
El Padre Abelardo Cobos nos da testimonio de su vocación en acción, su mayor apoyo lo encuentra en la Virgen de Guadalupe y la oración de los laicos en este Año Sacerdotal.
El Padre Abelardo es párroco de la Iglesia Resurrección en la Arquidiócesis de Galveston-Houston. www.rcchouston.org
On the forthcoming Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, Friday 19 June 2009 – a day traditionally devoted to prayer for the sanctification of the clergy – I have decided to inaugurate a “Year for Priests” in celebration of the 150th anniversary of the “dies natalis” of John Mary Vianney, the patron saint of parish priests worldwide.
