The U.S. Catholic Church will celebrate National Vocation Awareness Week, Nov. 5-11. This weeklong celebration, sponsored by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Committee on Clergy, Consecrated Life, and Vocations, is a special time for parishes to promote vocations to the priesthood, diaconate and consecrated life through prayer and education, and to renew prayers and support for those who are considering one of these vocations.

In his message for the 54th World Day of Prayer for Vocations, Pope Francis reflected, “Those who drawn by God’s voice and determined to follow Jesus soon discover within themselves an irrepressible desire to bring the Good News to their brothers and sisters through proclamation and the service of charity. All Christians are called to be missionaries of the Gospel! As disciples, we do not receive the gift of God’s love for our personal consolation, nor are we called to promote ourselves, or a business concern. We are simply men and women touched and transformed by the joy of God’s love, who cannot keep this experience just to ourselves.”

National Vocation Awareness Week is also designed to help promote vocation awareness and to encourage young people to ask the question, “To what vocation in life is God calling me?” Parish and school communities across the nation are encouraged to include, during the first full week in November, prayer and special activities that focus on vocation awareness.  

More information and resources for National Vocation Awareness Week, including a prayer card, suggested prayers of the faithful and shareable quotes, are available at www.usccb.org.