In top photo, The men who gathered for the “Come & See” event join Bishop O’Connell for a group photo in the sanctuary of Ascension Church. Staff photos
Twenty-three young men from parishes across the Diocese responded to the invitation extended by the Office of Vocations’ “Called by Name” initiative.
Entitled “Come & See,” the event included a Holy Hour and Mass with Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., in Ascension Church, Bradley Beach, on June 12.
In his homily, the Bishop referenced that the day commemorated the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus and said, “You stand in a place of grace. You have come to listen, to discern, to ask the courageous question: ‘Lord, what do You desire of my life?’ And the Church, with the heart of a mother, gathers around you with joy and hope.”
“The Sacred Heart is not an abstract symbol,” Bishop O’Connell said. “It is the beating, burning, wounded and triumphant Heart of the Good Shepherd. It is the Heart that loves you personally, the Heart that has pursued you, the Heart that whispers your name.”
At the end of Mass, the Bishop led the group in reciting the “Prayer of Consecration of the United States of America to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus” offered by the Bishops of the United States at their June Assembly in Orlando, Florida.
The evening concluded with dinner and fellowship in the parish hall during which the young men had a chance to engage in conversation with the Bishop and the priests in attendance.
