‘Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch’
November 1, 2025 at 11:14 p.m.
A message on National Vocations Awareness Week (Nov. 2-8, 2025) from Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M.
The word “vocation” means a “call” and it presumes someone calling and someone called. As Catholics, of course, we identify “the caller” as God himself. In our faith, we believe that God has a plan for each of us and that God calls us, invites us to consider that plan and, hopefully, accept it. Different from merely a job, a “vocation” is all-encompassing, requiring a free and willing response and total commitment to the One who calls and to what is asked of us in that call.
Married life and the love of husbands and wives is such a vocation. Religious/consecrated life in its many forms is such a vocation. The single lay state is such a vocation. And the ordained ministry as deacons and priests is such a vocation.
“The Lord’s call is not an intrusion of God in our freedom; it is not a ‘cage’ or a burden to be borne. On the contrary, it is the loving initiative whereby God encounters us and invites us to be part of a great undertaking. He opens before our eyes the horizon of a great sea and an abundant catch…
“We are called to be bold and decisive in seeking God’s plan for our lives. Gazing out at the vast ‘ocean’ of vocation, we cannot remain content to repair our nets on the boat that gives us security but must trust instead in the Lord’s promise” (Pope Francis, Message for World Day of Prayer for Vocations, 2019).
Profound and insightful words that are worth repeating! The Catholic Church in the United States “casts our nets” once more as we celebrate National Vocation Awareness Week, Nov, 2-8. The Diocese of Trenton and all its parishes should foster, promote and pray for all these “vocations” – or “states in life,” as we used to call them – in every way and as often as possible, so that the faithful can see their lives as generous and loving responses to a generous and loving God.
As Bishop of the Diocese, I have a special responsibility to encourage young men to consider a vocation to the diocesan priesthood, although I certainly encourage a prayerful and generous response to all vocations mentioned above. Priests are, as the Rite of Ordination to Holy Orders makes abundantly clear, the bishop’s principal “collaborators” in ministerial service to God’s people.
Father Colavito, left, poses for a photo with students From Christian Brothers Academy during his Oct. 23 visit to the Lincroft school. Staff photoIt’s no secret these days that the number of young men entering seminaries as well as the number of priests available for parishes or other works has been declining for decades. Apart from a brief uptick more recently, the recruitment of seminarians nationally has proved to be quite challenging for dioceses and religious orders. The Diocese of Trenton is no exception. Currently, the Diocese of Trenton has 10 seminarians studying for the priesthood in St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Philadelphia and Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, Md
I often remember the sentiment expressed by Pope St. John Paul II: “Without priests, there would be no Eucharist; without the Eucharist, there would be no Church.”
In his 2004 Holy Thursday “Letter to Priests,” the sainted pope reflected, “Vocations are indeed a gift from God for which we must pray unceasingly. Following the invitation of Jesus, we need to pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest (Matthew 9:37). …
“Let us pause in the Upper Room and contemplate the Redeemer who instituted the Eucharist and the priesthood at the Last Supper. On that holy night he called by name each and every priest in every time. He looked at each one of them with the same look of loving encouragement with which he looked at Simon and Andrew, at James and John, at Nathanael beneath the fig tree, and at Matthew sitting at the tax office. The Lord Jesus has called us, and, along a variety of paths, he continues to call many others to be his ministers. From the Upper Room Christ tirelessly seeks and calls.”
At the Holy Year Jubilee for Seminarians, Bishops and Priests in Rome this past summer, our Holy Father Pope Leo XIV, quoting the Lord Jesus’ words: “I have called you friends” (John 15:15), observed that this is “an authentic key to understanding the priestly ministry. The priest, in fact, is a friend of the Lord, called to live with him a personal and trusting relationship, nourished by the Word, the celebration of the sacraments, and daily prayer. … This friendship sustains us in times of trial and allows us to renew each day the ‘yes’ pronounced at the beginning of our vocation.”
He continued, “Only those who live in friendship with Christ and are imbued with his Spirit can proclaim with authenticity, console with compassion, and guide with wisdom. This requires attentive listening, meditation, and a rich and orderly interior life.
“Remembering the priests who have given their lives, even shedding their blood, we renew today our readiness to live, without reservations, an apostolate of compassion and joy.
“Thank you for what you are. Because you remind us all that being a priest is beautiful, and that every call from the Lord is, above all, a call to his joy. We are not perfect, but we are friends of Christ, brothers and sisters among ourselves, and children of his tender mother, Mary, and that is enough for us,” the Holy Father added.
The Lord Jesus has called by name each and every priest in every time. In other words, he is still calling and calling “by name.” That call can and does come in a variety of ways, not the least of which is a suggestion made by a priest, religious or other committed Catholic or fellow parishioner to a good young man, “have YOU ever thought about becoming a priest?” That question should also be raised in good Catholic families.
What is interesting to me, as Bishop, is that I ask that question to young men in every parish and Catholic school I visit throughout the Diocese – and have done so since the day I arrived. Often times, I joke with young men, “I have a white collar job to offer you.”
And you know what? There has not been a single parish or Catholic school – not one – where I haven’t found at least one young man who has said to me in reply “I have thought about it.”
Amazing! We need to identify and encourage such young men to consider the priesthood … and young women to consider religious life (and I have and continue to do so in those same parishes and Catholic schools!). And while religious orders of women and men have the responsibility for actively recruiting their own members, seeking and encouraging candidates for the diocesan priesthood is a responsibility we all share in the Diocese, including and perhaps especially by parents, grandparents and families.
For my peers and me while growing up, the challenge to becoming a priest that we thought about most frequently was celibacy, not getting married and having a family. While later working with kids as a young priest myself, I discovered that the challenge shifted to become, “how much does a priest make?”
In more recent times, however, young men tell me that they do not find encouragement to become priests from their parents and families, especially if they are an only child or the only male in the family. Understandable, sure. But responding to God’s call, whatever it may be, has always required sacrifice, not only for the one called but also for those who surround and love him. Families need priests to minister to them throughout their lives!
Currently, our Diocesan Director of Vocations, Father Christopher Colavito, is traveling around the Diocese addressing the topic of vocations with parish communities at weekend Masses and Catholic schools. He’s also present at diocesan events and ceremonies.
At 70-plus years of age and after 43 years of priesthood (including 15 years as a bishop here), I have seen a great deal of challenge and change in the Catholic Church. But one thing has remained constant: the need to center our lives as Catholics on the Eucharist as the source and summit of the Christian life.
And another constant, closely related to the Eucharist: the need for good, holy, faithful priests. I believe it was quite intentional that the Lord Jesus instituted both those Sacraments at the same time on the night before he died for us.
A vocation to the priesthood – not unlike other vocational states in life – requires much of the person called. Sacrifice is writ large in the “job description” of the priest, for sure. But then, so is prayer and study and preaching the Word of God and handing on Church teaching and administering the Sacraments and offering counsel and being available to serve God’s people in their most basic needs 24/7. No doubt, one gives up a lot to follow this vocation to the altar. The path, however, and the destination to which it leads give an incomparable joy and sense of fulfillment that cannot quite be put into words.
For those who are priests, thank God! For those considering the priesthood, take the next step. For those not yet considering it, give it a thought. For everyone else, “pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest).”
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A message on National Vocations Awareness Week (Nov. 2-8, 2025) from Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M.
The word “vocation” means a “call” and it presumes someone calling and someone called. As Catholics, of course, we identify “the caller” as God himself. In our faith, we believe that God has a plan for each of us and that God calls us, invites us to consider that plan and, hopefully, accept it. Different from merely a job, a “vocation” is all-encompassing, requiring a free and willing response and total commitment to the One who calls and to what is asked of us in that call.
Married life and the love of husbands and wives is such a vocation. Religious/consecrated life in its many forms is such a vocation. The single lay state is such a vocation. And the ordained ministry as deacons and priests is such a vocation.
“The Lord’s call is not an intrusion of God in our freedom; it is not a ‘cage’ or a burden to be borne. On the contrary, it is the loving initiative whereby God encounters us and invites us to be part of a great undertaking. He opens before our eyes the horizon of a great sea and an abundant catch…
“We are called to be bold and decisive in seeking God’s plan for our lives. Gazing out at the vast ‘ocean’ of vocation, we cannot remain content to repair our nets on the boat that gives us security but must trust instead in the Lord’s promise” (Pope Francis, Message for World Day of Prayer for Vocations, 2019).
Profound and insightful words that are worth repeating! The Catholic Church in the United States “casts our nets” once more as we celebrate National Vocation Awareness Week, Nov, 2-8. The Diocese of Trenton and all its parishes should foster, promote and pray for all these “vocations” – or “states in life,” as we used to call them – in every way and as often as possible, so that the faithful can see their lives as generous and loving responses to a generous and loving God.
As Bishop of the Diocese, I have a special responsibility to encourage young men to consider a vocation to the diocesan priesthood, although I certainly encourage a prayerful and generous response to all vocations mentioned above. Priests are, as the Rite of Ordination to Holy Orders makes abundantly clear, the bishop’s principal “collaborators” in ministerial service to God’s people.
Father Colavito, left, poses for a photo with students From Christian Brothers Academy during his Oct. 23 visit to the Lincroft school. Staff photoIt’s no secret these days that the number of young men entering seminaries as well as the number of priests available for parishes or other works has been declining for decades. Apart from a brief uptick more recently, the recruitment of seminarians nationally has proved to be quite challenging for dioceses and religious orders. The Diocese of Trenton is no exception. Currently, the Diocese of Trenton has 10 seminarians studying for the priesthood in St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Philadelphia and Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, Md
I often remember the sentiment expressed by Pope St. John Paul II: “Without priests, there would be no Eucharist; without the Eucharist, there would be no Church.”
In his 2004 Holy Thursday “Letter to Priests,” the sainted pope reflected, “Vocations are indeed a gift from God for which we must pray unceasingly. Following the invitation of Jesus, we need to pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest (Matthew 9:37). …
“Let us pause in the Upper Room and contemplate the Redeemer who instituted the Eucharist and the priesthood at the Last Supper. On that holy night he called by name each and every priest in every time. He looked at each one of them with the same look of loving encouragement with which he looked at Simon and Andrew, at James and John, at Nathanael beneath the fig tree, and at Matthew sitting at the tax office. The Lord Jesus has called us, and, along a variety of paths, he continues to call many others to be his ministers. From the Upper Room Christ tirelessly seeks and calls.”
At the Holy Year Jubilee for Seminarians, Bishops and Priests in Rome this past summer, our Holy Father Pope Leo XIV, quoting the Lord Jesus’ words: “I have called you friends” (John 15:15), observed that this is “an authentic key to understanding the priestly ministry. The priest, in fact, is a friend of the Lord, called to live with him a personal and trusting relationship, nourished by the Word, the celebration of the sacraments, and daily prayer. … This friendship sustains us in times of trial and allows us to renew each day the ‘yes’ pronounced at the beginning of our vocation.”
He continued, “Only those who live in friendship with Christ and are imbued with his Spirit can proclaim with authenticity, console with compassion, and guide with wisdom. This requires attentive listening, meditation, and a rich and orderly interior life.
“Remembering the priests who have given their lives, even shedding their blood, we renew today our readiness to live, without reservations, an apostolate of compassion and joy.
“Thank you for what you are. Because you remind us all that being a priest is beautiful, and that every call from the Lord is, above all, a call to his joy. We are not perfect, but we are friends of Christ, brothers and sisters among ourselves, and children of his tender mother, Mary, and that is enough for us,” the Holy Father added.
The Lord Jesus has called by name each and every priest in every time. In other words, he is still calling and calling “by name.” That call can and does come in a variety of ways, not the least of which is a suggestion made by a priest, religious or other committed Catholic or fellow parishioner to a good young man, “have YOU ever thought about becoming a priest?” That question should also be raised in good Catholic families.
What is interesting to me, as Bishop, is that I ask that question to young men in every parish and Catholic school I visit throughout the Diocese – and have done so since the day I arrived. Often times, I joke with young men, “I have a white collar job to offer you.”
And you know what? There has not been a single parish or Catholic school – not one – where I haven’t found at least one young man who has said to me in reply “I have thought about it.”
Amazing! We need to identify and encourage such young men to consider the priesthood … and young women to consider religious life (and I have and continue to do so in those same parishes and Catholic schools!). And while religious orders of women and men have the responsibility for actively recruiting their own members, seeking and encouraging candidates for the diocesan priesthood is a responsibility we all share in the Diocese, including and perhaps especially by parents, grandparents and families.
For my peers and me while growing up, the challenge to becoming a priest that we thought about most frequently was celibacy, not getting married and having a family. While later working with kids as a young priest myself, I discovered that the challenge shifted to become, “how much does a priest make?”
In more recent times, however, young men tell me that they do not find encouragement to become priests from their parents and families, especially if they are an only child or the only male in the family. Understandable, sure. But responding to God’s call, whatever it may be, has always required sacrifice, not only for the one called but also for those who surround and love him. Families need priests to minister to them throughout their lives!
Currently, our Diocesan Director of Vocations, Father Christopher Colavito, is traveling around the Diocese addressing the topic of vocations with parish communities at weekend Masses and Catholic schools. He’s also present at diocesan events and ceremonies.
At 70-plus years of age and after 43 years of priesthood (including 15 years as a bishop here), I have seen a great deal of challenge and change in the Catholic Church. But one thing has remained constant: the need to center our lives as Catholics on the Eucharist as the source and summit of the Christian life.
And another constant, closely related to the Eucharist: the need for good, holy, faithful priests. I believe it was quite intentional that the Lord Jesus instituted both those Sacraments at the same time on the night before he died for us.
A vocation to the priesthood – not unlike other vocational states in life – requires much of the person called. Sacrifice is writ large in the “job description” of the priest, for sure. But then, so is prayer and study and preaching the Word of God and handing on Church teaching and administering the Sacraments and offering counsel and being available to serve God’s people in their most basic needs 24/7. No doubt, one gives up a lot to follow this vocation to the altar. The path, however, and the destination to which it leads give an incomparable joy and sense of fulfillment that cannot quite be put into words.
For those who are priests, thank God! For those considering the priesthood, take the next step. For those not yet considering it, give it a thought. For everyone else, “pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest).”